Canada’s Winter Games contingent braved chilly afternoon weather on Tuesday, helping Mayor Keith Hobbs raise the event flag to celebrate their achievements.
Skier Chris Hamilton, who earned a berth on Team Ontario thanks to his stellar performance at last weekend’s world under-23/world junior trials at Lappe Nordic Ski Centre, said it’s an honour to be named to the team.
“These things only come around every four years. This will be my first and last time as a chance to qualify, because skiing is only to under-23,” the Thunder Bay native said.
“So I was very excited to make the team and be able to represent Ontario.”
“So I was very excited to make the team and be able to represent Ontario.”
Hamilton won’t be alone, at least not among his fellow skiers. National Development Centre teammates Jimmy Gunka, Michael Somppi and Erin Tribe will also make the trek to Halifax, as will hockey players Amanda Makela and Brittany Zuback.
Sixteen-year-old synchronized swimmer Madeline Porter, will also be at the Games, representing Manitoba because of geographic restraints.
NDC coach Eric Bailey will coach the cross country skiers, while Liz Inkila will serve as team manager.
Hamilton said it just goes to show how strong the ski community is in the city.
“One of our big goals this year was to have as many members of our team as we could on the squad through good results,” he said. “One of the reasons we’ve done so well is we have two high-performance clubs and then a third development club … All three of those clubs helped develop all the members that are on the team from town.”
All former Canada Games cities – Thunder Bay hosted the Summer Games in 1981 – have the opportunity to host the flag for three days during its cross-country tour on its way to Halifax, where the 16-day Winter Games are scheduled to begin on Feb. 11.
Mayor Keith Hobbs said Thunder Bay has a proud sporting history and he proudly supports the athletes and their participation at the Games. One just has to look at the legacy left by the ’81 Games to understand just what they mean to athletes and each host community.
“Our Canada Games Complex, built in ’81 for the Games, is still a pillar of recreation in this community that brings together athletes and families in a healthy and positive way. We are fortunate to have a facility like this and value our reputation as a welcoming host city.”
In recognition of the flag-raising ceremony, admission to the Canada Games Complex on
Tuesday night between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. is just $2.
