SUBMITTED PHOTO Hatter Christine Sullivan competes last year at the Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi.
rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com@MHNMcCracken
The 2022 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games in Medicine Hat have been cancelled.
Special Olympics Canada made the call earlier this week due to the prolonged effects of COVID-19, but local organizing committee chair and city councillor Brian Varga says there is still a chance for the Gas City to serve as host in the future.
“We’re hoping,” Varga said in a phone call with the News. “We planted a seed that maybe somewhere down the road, when things get back to normal a little bit, that we might have a chance to do it again. But it’s a long ways off. Next one would be 2026, so that’s six years away, but we’re optimistic. We would be ready for it, that’s for sure. Who knows, by that time, what kind of new things and little added features that we might have in the city that would make them think about coming back here again.”
A release from the SOC says the decision was made due to the fact that a “typical pathway for athletes to qualify for National Games is not possible” with COVID-19 preventing regional competitions from taking place in 2020 and putting the status of 2021 Provincial and Territorial Games in jeopardy.
“While we have to put a pause on hosting multi-sport games for this cycle, we intend to host National Games in the future – when fiscal circumstances and safety protocols permit,” reads the release. “In the meantime, we will explore and look for new competition models.”
The City of Medicine Hat said in a Tuesday release that stakeholders are being consulted and plans are being adjusted as a result of the cancellation.
“Of course we are disappointed – both for the athletes and our community,” Mayor Ted Clugston says in the release. “Hosting an event like this is a tremendous opportunity. The benefit to our residents and businesses is significant, and we were looking forward to showcasing our beautiful city to visiting athletes, coaches, staff and families. But with the current challenges and uncertainty in place, we certainly understand the decision.”
The release also included a comment from SOC CEO Sharon Bollenback, suggesting that “Special Olympics Canada is very open to considering Medicine hat as a future host” when National Games return in the future.
When that opportunity arises, Varga says he’s already got a team of dedicated volunteers and board members waiting for another shot at setting up the city.
“We had a good board and we had good representation from the city with our volunteers. They were very excited about us hosting the games because we’ve got a bunch of passionate people here that are excited about hosting games and bringing people in from all over Canada, and Alberta of course,” said Varga. “I want to thank all them for their tireless effort that they did in getting us to this point. Hopefully we can get something going in the future.”
Varga added he is working on a few potential event opportunities with the Medicine Hat Sport and Event Council for 2021, but everything remains up in the air as a result of the pandemic.
“It’s never over. We’re always looking for new things to do and new events to happen in Medicine Hat, and hopefully we can do that in the future with some things that are coming down the pipe,” said Varga. “It just depends on whether the sporting organizations want to do anything, or the province. We’ll see whether they want to do any kind of games or anything like that for the future. It’ll all depend on COVID, that’s for sure.”
