The eight recipients of the 2020 Sport Tourism Canada PRESTIGE Awards were announced today in an online broadcast. Postponed from March of 2020, the recipients represent a wide cross-section of the country’s sport tourism industry for events, organizations, sponsors and volunteers which took place in 2019.
The PRESTIGE (Program Recognizing Exceptional Sport Tourism Initiatives, Games & Events) Awards, now in their 14th year, have honoured exceptional sport events, people and organizations since they began in 2007.
Olympian, World Cup medallist and CBC Broadcaster Kelly VanderBeek hosted the gala online PRESTIGE Awards, presented by Saskatoon Sports Tourism. It highlighted all 24 finalists from across the country – from Victoria in British Columbia to Cape Breton in Nova Scotia
“With so many sport events postponed over the past year, it was a true pleasure to be able to celebrate the outstanding calibre of sport tourism in Canada from 2019,”said Rick Traer, CEO, Sport Tourism Canada. “Representing summer and winter sports, smaller communities and major urban centres, all of our 24 finalists were deserving of the recognition. We congratulate each of the recipients and look forward to seeing the sport tourism industry refocusing and recovering in 2021 and beyond.”
The broadcast can be seen at: https://sporttourismcanada.com/2020-prestige-awards/
It will also be part of the on-demand content for the upcoming 2021 Sport Events Congress (VIRTUAL EDITION) on April 7-9, 2021.
2020 PRESTIGE AWARDS RECIPIENTS
Canadian Sport Event of the Year Award (Group A: budget greater than $1 million) presented by Québec Business Destination
- 2019 Canada Winter Games, (Red Deer, Alta.)
Canadian Sport Event of the Year Award (Group B: budget less than $1 million) presented by Québec Business Destination
- Durham Region 2019 Ontario Parasport Games, (Durham Region, Ont.)
International Sport Event of the Year Award (Group A: budget greater than $2 million) presented by CBC Sports
- 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship, (Vancouver & Victoria, B.C.)
International Sport Event of the Year Award (Group B: budget less than $2 million) presented by CBC Sports
- 2019 World Junior Curling Championships, (Liverpool, N.S.)
Canadian Sport Event Sponsorship Initiative of the Year Award presented by Adup Display
- Tamarack Developments Corporation (Ottawa Race Weekend)
Sport Event Volunteer of the Year Award presented by WestJet
- Lyn Radford (2019 Canada Winter Games), (Red Deer, Alta.)
Sport Event Legacy of the Year Award presented by ConnectOnCampus
- 2019 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, (Monte-Sainte-Anne, Qué.)
Sport Tourism Rising Star of the Year Award presented by Sport Durham
- Cindy Medynski, Event Attraction Manager, Edmonton Events, (Edmonton, Alta.)
About the PRESTIGE Awards
PRESTIGE Awards are Sport Tourism Canada’s marquis Program Recognizing Exceptional Sport Tourism Initiatives, Games & Events. Now in its 14th year, this annual award program shines a spotlight on the dynamic Canadians, places and events that are building our nation’s growing sport tourism industry.
About Sport Tourism Canada
Sport Tourism Canada is a non-governmental, member-based, capacity building organization that promotes sport tourism as a grassroots economic development initiative at the community level. STC services over 500 members across Canada, including 130 municipalities, 300 national and provincial sport, multi-sport and major games organizations and a variety of other sport and tourism industry partners. Sport tourism is the fastest growing segment of the tourism industry in Canada with over $6.8 billion in annual spending by domestic and international visitors.