With world-class venues and facilities, an engaged community of volunteers, and organizational expertise, London has become a sporting events hub, attracting major international events and helping local events get off the ground. From the Ontario Summer Games and the International Skating Union (ISU) World Figure Skating Championships, to local running clubs and post-secondary sports tournaments, London hosts dozens of sporting events every year.
London’s success in attracting such an impressive roster of sporting events has been made possible in part from organizations like Sports Tourism London, which started over 20 years ago as a partnership between Tourism London and The City of London’s Parks and Recreation department. Whether someone’s looking to host an event or are searching for sport related activities while in town, Sport Tourism London helps organizers ensure their event or trip is a memorable experience. Their team helps with everything from venue coordinator and logistics, to securing accommodations, marketing, food services, and volunteer recruitment. Before those services kick in, it all starts with a bid to attract the event to London. The London Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) supports Tourism London’s bids, providing content and letters of support that highlight all London has to offer and encourages potential event organizers to choose London.})
Hundreds gather for a hockey game at Budweiser Gardens.
In addition, London has built a reputation of being home to some of the best semi-professional sports teams in the country. The London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League and the London Lightning of the National Basketball League are hosted at Budweiser Gardens, a 9,000-person arena that hosts more than 60 sporting games annually. Our city’s local baseball team, the London Majors of the International Baseball League, play at Labatt Park.
When the game ends, there’s an endless amount of things to see and do in London, including festivals and other events, award-winning restaurants, family-friendly attractions, hundreds of kilometers of walking and biking trails, and unique cultural experiences to name a few. These are just some of the reasons organizers choose London to host their sporting events – and the impact these events have on the local community are bigger than you expect.
The Impact of Sporting Events
There is a clear financial impact these sporting events generate in our local economy – from the money spent on accommodations, food, transportation, and activities, not only for the athletes but the coaches, managers, family and friends. The sport tourism industry in Canada represents $5.2 billion in annual spending by domestic and international visitors, making it one of the fastest growing segments of the tourism industry. Take the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in London for example – the largest ever event hosted in the city which attracted 62,000+ attendees and resulted in over $42 million in economic activity in London as reported by Canadian Sports Tourism.
Along with the obvious economic gains, sport tourism often generates social benefits and civic pride to the community. Most of these benefits occur at the time of the event, however these events also often leave lasting legacies on the community for many years. Let’s look at some examples:})
Canada Games Aquatic Centre. Photo credit: Tourism London
- Since opening in 1990, the Canada Games Aquatic Centre has hosted more than 8.5 million guests and is home to competitive swim teams, divers, and recreational swimmers. An ideal space for swimming events, the centre received a number of upgrades in recent years to accommodate guests and competitors, including new competition lighting, a catwalk, heating and cooling, dehumidification, UV water treatment, LED lighting, painting, tile work and additional repairs
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2018 Para Hockey Cup game at the Western Fair Sports Centre. Photo credit: Derek Ruttan, The London Free Press.
- Canada’s National Para Hockey Team came to London in 2018 for the Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup, hosted at the Western Fair Sports Centre. As one of only a few ice facilities in the world with two accessible rinks, the legacy funds from the Cup allowed the facility to make more accessible infrastructure improvements, including automatic doors, wider doors in the changerooms, plastic ice installation to use in the changeroom so players could go right onto the ice, and Plexiglas in the sitting area so players were protected and could watch the game
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Light Up London outdoor show during the ISU World Figure Skating Championship.
- The ISU World Figure Skating Championship’s economic impact goes far beyond financial impact. Hosted in London at Budweiser Gardens and The Western Fair Sports Centre in 2013, there was a lot of buzz about the event outside of the arenas. Over 21,000 fans participated in the free activities featured in the fan marketplace called Light Up London, which highlighted the city’s unique heritage and special bond with the sport of figure skating in a spectacular sound and light video production shown nightly on the side of the Budweiser Gardens. Fans came to watch and be inspired by the competition on big screens located outside and inside the tents, to see cultural performances by some of London’s talented artists, and to enjoy the excitement of the event outside the rink. The legacy of the event was felt in other ways as well, resulting in a four-year legacy investment plan that injected over $4 million dollars into skating development in Ontario and across Canada
This kind of impact lasts far beyond the event dates and has left London with new infrastructure, improved venues, and civic pride, in addition to increased volunteerism and use of public transportation. All of these things combined – the professional sports teams, roster of sporting events, enhanced venues and infrastructure, social legacies left behind – create a business environment for sports in London.
The Business of Sports
In addition to London being a go-to place for exceptional sports teams, facilities, and a number of sporting events, many businesses that service the sports industry also call London home.
On the ice, the London Knights and many National Hockey League (NHL) athletes – 8 out of 10 NHL goalies to be exact – all suit-up before the game wearing made-in-London hockey equipment, produced by Vaughn Custom Sports. Located right on Highbury Avenue, this local manufacturer has grown to become a world leader and was the first major hockey equipment maker to use multiple layers of foam to create lighter and more durable gear.})
Glen Burston, Operations Manager, Hudson Boat Works.
In the water, you’ll find London-made rowing shells manufactured by Hudson Boat Works. The premier Canadian manufacturer of Olympic rowing shells has grown from a small, two-man operation to a global competitor since its inception in 1981. They developed the first composite boat with aluminum wing rigging technology which is now the industry standard. With an impressive history of clients including the NCAA DI rowing team, Rowing Canada women’s team, and Community Rowing Inc., Hudson Boat Works is a proud facilitator of 115 World and Olympic medals.
Similarly, Nova Craft Canoe started as a small, garage-based operation in London in 1970 building fibreglass canoes. Now the company is making canoes with more advanced, composite-based materials and has grown its customer base across Canada, the United States and parts of Europe. Their canoes and racing shells are being used around the world by avid recreationalists and athletes alike.
Fast Facts about London’s Sports Scene})
The Forest City Velodrome in London, Canada. Photo credit: Tourism London.
- London is home to 15 arenas, 85+ sports fields, and 65 baseball diamonds. You can explore London’s sports facilities here
- The Forest City Velodrome is the only indoor cycling facility in Ontario and one of only three built in North America.
- Labatt Park opened in 1877 and is the world’s oldest operating baseball ground still in its original location
- London boasts more golf greens per capita than anywhere else in Canada, with 40 golf courses in the region
- There are a number of community sports organizations in London you can engage with in aquatics, athletics, lacrosse, sailing, skiing, and more
- London has hosted a number of major regional, national, and international sporting events in the past – from OBA Ontario Cup to World Junior Ringette, Tim Horton’s Brier, World Synchronized Skating Championships, and the CN Canadian Women’s Open. You can explore more here
