Niagara Region takes on the World Junior Hockey Championships

The Niagara Sport Commission, along with the Buffalo Sabres and the Host Organizing Committee, kicked off an exciting eleven days of hockey on December 26, 2010. 

The Commission assumed a large role in the tournament. Director Scott McRoberts, a member of the 2011 World Junior Hockey Championships Host Organizing Committee, along with key interns Chris Charlebois and Jeff Campbell, oversaw the recruitment of sixty volunteers as well as the development and implementation of information services for the entire event. By tournaments end, students from Brock University were integrated in various aspects of logistics and operations for this world class event.

The Commission has six information booths set up at five venues in order to promote what the Niagara Region has to offer its international guests. Materials found at these booths include dining and transportation guides, maps, sport fan guides and promotional campaigns from Niagara businesses on both sides of the border. 

All in all, the information services booths have run smoothly with no questions going unanswered. The Niagara Sport Commission is proud to have been involved in such a prestigious event, and looks forward to using this experience to take part in more cross-border events in the future.

You can see Scott McRoberts discussing our involvement with the World Juniors here! 

Former Brock Badger named Canada's Assistant Chef de Mission for London 2012 Paralympic Summer Games

Brock University alum, Elisabeth Walker-Young, has been named the Assistant Chef de Mission for the 2012 Paralympic Summer Games in London, England, which run from August 29 to September 9. 

The four-time Paralympic swimmer has been a member of the Canadian Paralympic Swim Team for thirteen years.  Walker-Young has competed at the Paralympic Games four times, earning three gold, one silver and two bronze medals. 

"Having been on Team Canada for so many years, I'm thrilled to be leading the Canadian Paralympic Team as the Assistant Chef de Mission," she said.  "The London 2012 Paralympic Summer Games are particularly exciting since this is the birthplace of the Paralympic Movement, led by Sir Ludwig Guttman.  I look forward to working with Dr. Gaétan Tardif, Chef de mission, in the coming months and think that his extensive Mission Staff experience combined with my athletic and professional background will give us diverse perspectives that we can use to ensure the 2012 Canadian Paralympic Team has everything they need to achieve their goals and reach the podium."

The Niagara Sport Commission wishes Elisabeth and the rest of the Canadian team the best of luck in the Paralympics!

Canadian Junior Open Squash Championships

The Niagara Sport Commission is proud to partner with Brock University to host the inaugural Women's Under 25 World Wheelchair Basketball Championships from July 15-23, 2011.  Teams from ten different countries will arrive on July 13 to practice and be classified. 

Australia, Brazil, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, Japan, Mexico, The Netherlands, South Africa and the United States will all have athletes taking part in the championship. 

The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation's (IWBF) President, Maureen Orchard, was able to visit Brock University recently to meet with the local organizing committee and officials from Wheelchair Basketball Canada. 

"I am very excited about the fact that there are ten countries sending teams to the event," she said.  "We have countries from all four zones of IWBF.  When Canada hosted the first Under 23 Men's World Championship in 1997 we started with seven teams from three of the zones.  So I am very proud to see the commitment from our members to support the women this way." 

For more information on the upcoming event, click here.