The City of Brantford was officially recognized as the Tournament Capital of Ontario on June 4, 1998 by the Provincial Legislature, through a private members bill.
Since then Brantford has been recognized as a “Best Practice” community in the Sport Tourism market by developing creative programs, resources and services that foster partnerships between the business and sports communities and by providing a memorable experience for visitors who come to our community to participate in sports.
TCO wins National Sport Tourism Award
Bob Coyne TCO Chair, Chris Beachey Parks & Recreation Division Manager, Pat Shewchuk TCO Coordinator, Ursula Gobel CSTA President.
The Tournament Capital of Ontario (TCO) was the winner of the "2008 CSTA President's Award" for outstanding contributions to sports tourism in Canada. This unexpected honour was announced during the Prestige Awards presentations at the Canadian Sports Tourism Alliance (CSTA) annual Sport Congress in Gatineau, Quebec on April 28, 2008.
The “President's Award” recognizes outstanding individuals, organizations or destinations from across Canada that have made significant contributions to the promotion of sport tourism in their communities.
Ursula Gobel, CSTA President spoke of Brantford’s accomplishments.
The City of Brantford, Ontario, is a community that has been at the forefront of the development of the sport tourism industry in the province of Ontario. Brantford was officially recognized as the "Tournament Capital of Ontario" on June 4, 1998 by the provincial legislature through a private members bill. Since that time, this community of 90,000 has built its brand as one of the most recognizable within the sport tourism industry. It has been recognized as a "best practice" by developing creative programs, resources and services that foster partnerships between the business and sports communities and by providing memorable experiences for visitors.
Brantford is one of the CSTA's 18 founding members in November 2000. It has a solid history of participating in the activities of the CSTA through the Board of Directors, various committees and has participated as a best practice presenter at two previous editions of Sport Events Congress. Brantford has engaged its elected officials at the municipal, provincial and federal levels and excels in using its community assets in support of its activities.
CSTA President’s Award Recipient: 2010 Walter Gretzky Street Hockey Tournament (Brantford, ON)
The 2010 Walter Gretzky Street Hockey Tournament broke the Guinness World Record for the ‘Largest Street Hockey Tournament’. Over 205 teams & 2,096 players played during a 3-day period, totalling 373 games, 31 hours of play in 11 indoor and outdoor rinks.
Drawing leadership from hometown hero Walter Gretzky, Kevin Smith and an organizing committee featuring 120 dedicated volunteers, helped the event to generate over $500,000 in economic impact to the province. The event also raised needed funds for numerous charities, engaged new sponsors and community supporters and now serves as an example to all small communities in Canada that it is possible to create a local sport tourism event success.
Pat Shewchuk TCO Coordinator, Walter Gretzky, Janet Gates CSTA President.
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