"Calgary is proud to have been chosen as host city for the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games 2024," said Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek in a release.
"Having previously hosted international and national events, we know Calgary will go above and beyond to deliver an exceptional games experience for the hundreds of athletes participating at Special Olympics Canada’s signature sport competition," said Special Olympics Canada CEO Sharon Bollenbach. The city will host around 1,300 participants during the event, in addition to officials, family, friends and honoured guests. Tourism Calgary says it anticipates the event will pump over $9 million into the city's economy.
The Special Olympics Canada Winter Games is a national sporting event for Canadian athletes with an intellectual disability. Athletes will compete in one of eight different sports; five pin bowling, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, curling, figure skating, floor hockey, snowshoeing and speed skating.