TIMBERSPORTS Champions have arrived in Sydney and “Big chips are flying”
News release
Sydney hosts STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Canadian Trophy 2019
June 28, 2019 – Sydney, NS – Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Canada has a proud history of hosting international sporting events, including Olympic, Pan American/ ParaPan American and Commonwealth Games, as well as many world championships, including the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Sporting events represent $5.2 billion in annual spending by domestic and international visitors and is the fastest growing segment of Canada’s tourism industry. As the largest employer of youth and a major source of employment for new Canadians and permanent residents, the visitor economy has the ability to transform communities. That is why the Government of Canada is supporting Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM) in its efforts to position itself as a top sports tourism destination in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
CBRM is hosting the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Canadian Champions Trophy 2019, organized by STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Canada, in Sydney from June 30-July 1, 2019. The event, which will be broadcast nationally by TSN, will raise the municipality’s profile across Canada and increase visitor traffic to the region. It will also provide an opportunity for Cape Breton to reinforce its reputation for skillfully hosting high-profile destination events.
The Honourable Mark Eyking, Member of Parliament for Sydney–Victoria, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), made the announcement today.
2018 represented Canada’s second consecutive record-breaking year for tourism, welcoming more than 21 million tourists. With $100 billion in total spending by visitors, the tourism sector is a vital part of the Canadian economy, supporting 1.8 million jobs.
Quotes
“Tourism is a strong economic driver that creates good jobs for middle class families. We’ve seen many examples of communities transforming and diversifying their economies through tourism. That’s why we’ve developed a strategy that will stimulate growth in the tourism sector through new and ongoing investments. We are committed to expanding our country’s tourism experiences to maximize the sector’s potential year-round, from coast to coast to coast.”
- The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie
“The STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Canadian Champions Trophy competition will help grow the sports tourism market by promoting Cape Breton as a high calibre event destination. Our federal investment has assisted Cape Breton Regional Municipality to not only secure its bid for this world-class sporting event, but also to roll out the welcome mat for thousands of visitors and viewers, presenting Cape Breton and rural Nova Scotia on the world stage.”
- Mark Eyking, Member of Parliament for Sydney-Victoria
“It is very exciting to have TSN coming back to Sydney, this time with the 2019 STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Canadian Champions Trophy. Cape Breton’s ocean gateway, the Port of Sydney, is going to be bustling with ships, visitors and residents this Canada Day. We look forward to showcasing this exciting sport as well as the CBRM. On behalf of the citizens of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality & Council, I wish Céad Míle Fáilte to the athletes, coaches, families and fans of STIHL Timbersports.”
- Mayor Cecil P. Clarke, Cape Breton Regional Municipality
“Our team had the pleasure of visiting Sydney last fall during the bidding process and we fell in love with it. This will be a historic event for the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series and Sydney, NS, and we want to invite all residents to come out to the event. This event will also be taped and aired on national television on TSN, so come show the world how awesome Sydney, NS, and Cape Breton really are. This is a free admission, all-ages event, brought to you by the Cape Breton Regional Municipality; a world class extreme sport event coming to a world class city in Canada… you can’t get any better than that!”
- Gerry Rozo, Executive Producer, STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Canada
Quick facts
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The STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series consists of six disciplines, three using an axe and three using a saw, that evolved from traditional forestry techniques.
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The STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Canadian Champions Trophy features four out of six disciplines in a back-to-back relay format without a break. Two athletes at a time will compete head-to-head with the winner moving to the next round.
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The time trial and qualification round will be held on Sunday, June 30. The STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Champions competition will begin at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, July 1. Both all-ages, free admission events will take place at the Joan Harris Cruise Pavillion in Sydney, Nova Scotia.
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The Government of Canada invested $36,500 in this project through ACOA’s Business Development Program (BDP). Cape Breton Regional Muncipality provided $57,500, as well as $15,000 in in-kind contributions towards this $109,000 project.
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The BDP primarily assists Atlantic Canadian entrepreneurs who want to start a business, increase productivity or improve operations. Investments under the BDP address any gap that may arise if an application does not fit within ACOA’s Regional Economic Growth through Innovation (REGI) program.
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The Business Development Program continues to build on the objectives of the Innovation and Skills Plan, a multi-year strategy to create well-paying jobs for the middle class and those working hard to join it.
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Contacts
Chris Brooks
Director, Communications and Outreach
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
902-426-9417 / 902-830-3839 (cell)
chris.brooks@canada.ca
Kelly Elliott
Logistics / Public Relations Manager
STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Canada
519-681-3000 / 226-376-0779 (cell)
kelly.elliott@stihl.ca