The region won the right to host the youth championships after the Sport Alliance of Ontario (SAO) voted unanimously in favour of its proposal, according to an April 10 press release from the Muskoka bid committee.

“The Muskoka bid committee is thrilled to receive the news,” said committee member Kelly Haywood. “We believe that positive relationships were formed with the Sport Alliance of Ontario when Huntsville and Lake of Bays hosted a very successful inaugural paralympic winter championships in 2006. We believe that through our partners from all over Muskoka, we will able to deliver another success for the Ontario Games program.”

The Ontario Youth Winter Games — also known simply as the Ontario Winter Games — started in 1970 and showcase amateur sport. It is the province’s largest multi-sport event and provides young athletes with development and competitive opportunities that prepare them for national and international competition. There are over 3,500 participants competing in each of the Ontario summer and winter youth games in 20 to 26 sports.

Athletes competing in the games range in age from 13 to 22 years. The games are held every other year on even years and feature sports such as men’s and women’s ice hockey, five-pin bowling, badminton, biathlon, boxing, curling, diving, fencing, figure skating, gymnastics, judo, ringette, shooting, skiing (alpine, freestyle and cross-country), speed skating, squash, synchronized swimming, table tennis, weightlifting and wrestling.

The games are administered by the SAO, a not-for-profit provincial sport management agency with the mandate to support personal and community development through sport opportunities.

Muskoka was the only community to submit an official bid to host the games, but even this did not mean the region was a shoo-in to be chosen by the SAO, according to the organization’s games director Blair McIntosh. He said that if the bid was unsatisfactory, the SAO could simply reopen the bidding process in hopes of finding a new host community.

He said what won the selection committee over was how much thought the Muskoka group gave to the care and comfort of the competitors.

“That was evident not only in the bid submission but during the site evaluation date (in late March). From the Sport Alliance of Ontario standpoint, that is a number one priority.”

While the Muskoka committee outlined where each event would take place — some events are expected to be sent to Sudbury and Mount St. Louis Moonstone ski area — McIntosh said that nothing is set in stone as of yet.

“Where there may have been a decision to hold a sport at one venue (the Muskoka committee) had perhaps one or two backup facilities if the original one didn’t meet the provincial standards. When we meet with them at our first meeting we will go through the inventory of facilities to pick out the best ones.”

The total cost to host the games is between $1 million and $1.2 million, of which the SAO contributes $600,000. The economic impact for the hosting community is estimated at between $5 million and $6 million.

Reaction to the news from the various partners was swift and understandably enthusiastic.

“We are thrilled that we have been awarded the games and owe a great deal of thanks to the Huntsville group, which provided us with some great leadership during the bidding process,” said Cheryl Kelley, Bracebridge’s director of economic development. “We appreciate being able to use their experience from the paralympics as a catalyst for Muskoka entering the competition to host the 2010 Ontario Youth Winter Games. We are excited about working with the other areas within Muskoka to produce an excellent experience for athletes, their coaches and, of course, their families.”

Jennifer Schnier, community and recreation co-ordinator for Lake of Bays township, said her municipality was honoured to have worked with the bid committee in securing the games.

“The township will be able to further their commitment to displaying excellence in youth sport. By hosting women’s hockey and table tennis we will have premier youth athletes in our local infrastructure. It will be an excellent opportunity to showcase women in sport and other young people who, through sport, can display excellence. The level of commitment of these athletes at such a young age should inspire our own youth to engage in sport and try something new.”

“This will benefit our communities in many ways; there is an obvious economic impact and we anticipate significant development of the involved sports along with the development of our volunteer base,” said John Cowan, chair of events tourism committee for Huntsville/Lake of Bays.

The next step will be to form an organizing committee and to appoint a volunteer chair. Sub-chairs from all of the communities involved will also be recruited and a general manager for the games will be hired as a contract position.