Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Amandalina Letterio

TOURNAMENT CAPITAL

Canada’s 55+ games expected to boost Kamloops economy by $3 million

Feb 11, 2022 | 4:06 PM

KAMLOOPS — Canada’s 55+ games are returning to Kamloops after being postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic for two years.

More than 2,500 senior athletes from all over Canada will be coming to the Tournament Capital to compete for bronze, silver and gold in 26 sports.

“We have hockey, we have slo-pitch. A little unconventional when you think of multi-sport games. We do have some card games with bridge and cribbage and little different things that you don’t really see as sports,” said Duncan Olthuis, games manager.

From Aug. 23-26, Kamloops will flutter with the excitement of competition and this year’s event will have some extra entertainment.

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“We are featuring dragon boat that will be down at Riverside Park in the river there, and we will be having soccer here as well. Those aren’t featured in the main game cycle, so we’re able to host those as a demonstration sport for these games,” Olthuis explained.

The economic impact of the 2022 Canada 55+ games is expected to be over $3 million. Some of this revenue will be generated by more than 1,000 hotel room nights throughout the tournament — and it’s great news for local businesses.

“They’re taking in the whole destination. Hopefully, in August, they’ll be on the water, paddle boarding, they may take in some fishing and some golf. Really, it’s about the full immersion. That dollar and that visitor spend actually is penetrated throughout all the community and all of our businesses,” Monica Dickinson from Tourism Kamloops.

Olthius says it’s also important to Kamloops’ reputation of being a sports city.

As for who will compete, that has yet to be determined.

“Some can be former athletes and it’s a wide variety of what we get here. Right now at this point we don’t know who is coming, because the registration forms are done through the provinces and then in the spring we will know who will all be here and attending,” said Olthuis.

For more information, click here.