Written By Jeffrey Reed
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the London and area-hosted 2001 Canada Summer Games–the most important sporting event ever hosted in Southwestern Ontario. Sure, we’ve hosted numerous big-time events–including the London-staged 2013 ISU World Figure Skating Championships which brought international attention to the Forest City. But the 2001 Games established a template which, ever since, has assisted every local sports group over the past quarter century.\
In fact, it’s a good bet that every tournament–from Strathroy Minor Baseball-hosted tourneys to London Knights-hosted Memorial Cup championships–have in one way or another leaned on the 2001 legacy in order to find their own success.
Staged from August 10-25, 2001, the multi-sport 2001 Canada Summer Games featured 3,487 athletes competing across 18 sports. The event was highly collaborative, with competitions spanning across London and Western University, and the surrounding communities of St. Thomas, Woodstock and Grand Bend. The ’01 Games saw a volunteer army numbering 6,500. That’s impressive, to this day.
It was during those Games that London and its partner communities had clearly earned an identity as world-class players in hosting major sports events. A template–still leaned on today in not only recruiting volunteers but also in bidding for and hosting large sports events, and in enjoying new and improved venues–was cemented for future generations.
Consider that since 2001, London has hosted the 2006 CN Canadian Women’s Open and 2014 CP Women’s Open at London Hunt and Country Club; those Memorial Cups in 2005 and ’14; the ‘13 World Figure Skating event; and numerous curling championships including the 2006 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, 2010 Tim Horton’s Brier and 2018 World Financial Group Continental Cup. We had hosted numerous events–including the 1966 and ’67 Supertest Ladies Open at Sunningdale Golf and Country Club, 1970 Canadian Open and ’93 du Maurier Ltd. Classic golf tourneys at London Hunt, and curling’s 1974 Macdonald Brier and ‘81 Air Canada Silver Broom. But it wasn’t until 2001 when local municipalities and tourism offices made hunting for hosting opportunities a priority.
In the works is London Hunt again hosting a national championship: the CPKC Women’s Open. In fact, it’s headed here soon–perhaps this decade.
This year’s Women’s Open goes August 20-23 at Royal Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton. It’s the 52nd year for this event. And even though it has only been 12 years since we last hosted the biggest women’s golf tournament in Canada, it seems like an eternity.
Both Golf Canada and Tourism London tell me, London is on the radar for hosting this event in the very near future. When it does, you can bet organizers will look at the 2001 Canada Summer Games template for a blueprint for success.
Award-winning writer Jeffrey Reed has covered Middlesex County sports since 1980.
He is publisher and editor of LondonOntarioSports.com. Reach him at
jeff@londonontariosports.com.
