Manitoba among 4 provinces interested in jointly hosting 2030 Commonwealth Games
Four Canadian Provinces Interested in Jointly Hosting 2030 Commonwealth Games
Four provinces in Canada have expressed interest in sharing hosting duties for the 2030 Commonwealth Games if the event is awarded to the country. Manitoba, Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island have all communicated their desire to jointly bid for the Games to Commonwealth Sport Canada. Other countries may also submit bids for the event.
Interested hosts within Canada had until March 31 to submit their intentions, along with the specific sports they would like to host, to Commonwealth Sport Canada. The federal government and the Ontario regional chief for the Chiefs of Ontario have also shown support for the four provinces’ bid.
Brian MacPherson, CEO of Commonwealth Sport Canada, stated that the organization will collaborate with the provincial governments to explore the feasibility of a multi-province bid. “We’re optimistic that together, we will be able to develop a comprehensive bid to be submitted to the international federation by August 31,” he said.
Challenges Faced by Previous Canadian Bids
The Commonwealth Games, a multi-sport event featuring 74 countries, has not been hosted by Canada since 1994 in Victoria. Recent attempts by Hamilton and Calgary to secure the 2030 Games were unsuccessful due to lack of government support and high costs. Victoria also faced obstacles in its bid for the 2026 Games.
MacPherson highlighted the rising costs of hosting the Commonwealth Games, which have reached approximately $1 billion. This has led to the international federation allowing hosts to reduce the number of sports and athletes to make the event more affordable. Canada aims to distribute the reduced costs of a scaled-down event across multiple provinces and prioritize the use of existing sporting venues over funding new infrastructure projects.
“We are excited about the prospect of a collaborative Canada Games,” MacPherson added. Manitoba’s previous experience in hosting large-scale multi-sport events, such as the Pan Am Games in 1999, positions the province well for the potential bid.
The governments of Manitoba, Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island have yet to provide a response to requests for comment regarding their joint bid for the 2030 Commonwealth Games.
