The Independents Working for You slate is committed to creating a Centre of Excellence for Sport.
Council candidate Garry Shearer made that announcement in a media release on behalf of the slate.
He said that Centre would be host to world-class sporting events.
Sport programs and facilities enrich the quality of life for all Delta families. Sport infrastructure is achieved through hosting milestone events. Sport offers mentors to our youth, provides recreation facilities to our residents, and builds a community connection across all our diverse demographic, he said.
“Currently, events like Tour de Delta are proudly hosted in Delta, and they contribute to tourism and economic development,” said Shearer. “We seek to leverage the experience from these events to build on those successes. We will encourage more opportunities for athletes, volunteers, and spectators.”
Collaborating with the community, the private sector and non-profit partners The Independents Working for You slate envisions bidding on events like the BC Seniors Games by 2022, BC Summer Games in 2024, or the Canada Summer Games in 2025. These are a few examples of exciting events that as a community we could host,” said Shearer, adding that leadership and sponsorship from the City are required to make these opportunities a reality.
“Big events take partners for funding, organization, and execution,” he added. “The federal government, provincial government, and sport bodies along with corporate sponsors can enhance how we invest in our community and bring both sporting talent and financial resources. It is through partnership and collaboration that Delta will have the best quality of life in B.C. along with a legacy of achievement, facilities, and positive connections.”
As a campaign commitment, Independents Working For You will:
- Create a new municipal committee along the lines of a Delta Sport Advisory Committee that will advise mayor and council
- Work within the City of Delta strategic planning process to develop, in consultation with community and stakeholder groups, a vision for sport and strategy for Delta along with a business plan that outlines costs of investments and local business, tourism and economic development opportunities
- Engage Delta residents via a referendum or similar public engagement process before undertaking significant financial investments
- Work collaboratively with other levels of government to identify and attract funding sources to support sport development in Delta
- Create opportunities for the private sector to participate and contribute to investing in sport infrastructure in Delta.
