7th June 2007
MCGUINTY GOVERNMENT COMMITS $80,000 FOR 2007 VOLVO YOUTH SAILING ISAF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN KINGSTON
KINGSTON – The Ontario government is providing $80,000 to help Kingston host the 2007 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship in Kingston, John Gerretsen, MPP Kingston and The Islands announced today on behalf of Health Promotion Minister Jim Watson.
“As one of Ontario’s great sporting communities and foremost tourist destinations we are pleased to play host to sailing competitors from around the world,” said Gerretsen. “National and international sailing events have been hosted in our greater Kingston community annually for more than thirty years and have contributed to the athletic and economic development of our community.”
The province’s commitment would be used for operational expenditures to stage the championship.
“The McGuinty government is pleased to support communities working to attract international amateur sport events and all the benefits they bring to our province,” said Watson. “Hosting an event offers all Ontarians significant economic benefits, provides increased opportunities for athlete development and leaves a lasting legacy of sport infrastructure.”
"It is hard to believe how quickly time has flown by since Kingston was selected as host for the 37th Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship,” said Tim Irwin, Regatta Chair. “The World Youth Sailing Inc team, comprising of over 200 volunteers, staff and sponsors is very busy making this regatta one of the best ever! Certainly, hosting such a prestigious international youth competition involves many intricacies and challenges not common to the typical regatta. The partnerships we have in Kingston, with the province of Ontario, in Canada and around the world are allowing us to more easily facilitate the event’s co-ordination.”
The 2007 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship will be hosted out of Portsmouth Olympic Harbour (POH) in Kingston, Ontario, the venue for the 1976 Olympic Sailing Competition and the annual CORK Regatta, an ISAF Grade 1 event for the Laser and Laser Radial.
Approximately 94 different nations have participated in this event since 1971. All competitors are 18 years of age or younger. The 2006 competition was held in the United Kingdom, where 62 countries registered. Approximately 50 nations are expected for the 2007 event.
The province’s funding commitment was granted under the guidelines of the Ontario International Amateur Sport Hosting Policy, announced in April 2006. The policy identifies requirements and the process for municipalities and not-for-profit groups seeking provincial financial support to host international amateur sport events and guides the province in its decisions. The 2009 World Junior Hockey Championship, which was awarded to the City of Ottawa following an international competition, was the first event supported by the policy.
Ontario’s sport hosting policy is an element of ACTIVE2010: Ontario’s Sport and Physical Activity Strategy and also supports the Ministry of Health Promotion’s efforts to increase the appeal of participating and volunteering in sports and recreation in Ontario.