Why Participation in Sports is a Key Focus for Margot Middleton’s Platform
Kamloops, B.C. – the Kamloops Blazers and the City of Kamloops will be hosting the 2023 Memorial Cup this year, bringing back the tournament second time since 1995.
Read the news here!
The 2023 Special Olympics BC Winter Games will also be hosted in Kamloops from February 2 to 4, marking the fifth time Canada’s Tournament Capital will play host to the Provincial Games for B.C. and Yukon athletes.
Kamloops will also be the host of the 2023 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, the Canadian Women’s Curling Championship, for the first time ever, from February 17 to 26.
These are some incredibly proud moments for me as a Kamloops citizen and as a sports enthusiast. The socio-economic spin-off of bringing events like this to our city is huge and the trickle-down benefits cannot be understated either.
High-profile events and tournaments such as hockey, curling, baseball, university sports, and minor and youth sports, all help to build our city as a great place for events of every type. We have leading-edge facilities and this is our opportunity to showcase them.
Such events also mean increased local economic growth with the presence of professional sports teams in several ways, including:
the creation of new jobs
increased consumer spending
increased sales in certain market segments, and
increased tax revenue.
Other beneficial impacts that come with sports franchises are increased tourism from hosting large national events such as the Memorial Cup or Winter Olympics, and the media coverage provides free advertising for home cities.
Hosting national and international teams in Kamloops also impacts the lives of their fans and our city by boosting the city’s morale, providing opportunities for citizens to get out and watch high calibre sports, and maintaining our brand as the Tournament Capital of Canada.
I believe sports are a huge part of a well-balanced lifestyle and create opportunities in all aspects of life, school, work and recreation. Healthy, active bodies and minds, less screen time, and more activity are how we can improve the overall physical and mental health of our citizens.
Participation in sports, as well as other cultural and arts activities teaches life skills that must be experienced. Commitment, time management, compassion, and good sportsmanship are all learned through sports.
Growing up, I played school sports like volleyball, basketball, and grass hockey. I also participated in waterskiing and downhill skiing, played tennis, and badminton. Later in life, I was a volunteer for Kamloops Minor Hockey from 1990 to 1999 and served in many capacities including Vice President and Rep Director. This helped me find balance and learn many valuable lessons to help me in my business, as a mom, and now running for City council.
Kamloops has a large array of facilities for all types of sports and we need to ensure we are providing the opportunity for all Kamloopsians to participate, as this is community building at its best. The many benefits of participation are why this is a key focus area for me in running for Council.
Kamloops, this is your chance to make a difference in the way our futures will be shaped. So, please get out and vote as the future of our city is in the hands of all of you, the voters, and I would very much like to be part of helping shape that future. I am prepared to work hard and put the interests of all Kamloops residents and businesses first, working on strategies to ensure all citizens have the opportunity to participate and be part of our greater community because it’s vital to the health of our communities.
In closing, I want to give kudos to all the participants and volunteers for making Kamloops top of the list for places to live and play.
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