Canada Games partners with Canadian Tire and Absolute FM
Niagara Place will be staged at Canada Games Park, shown under construction. Submitted photo.
The COVID-19 pandemic isn’t slowing down the preparations of the 2021 Canada Games Host Society.
In recent weeks, the society has landed an official partner and national retailer, and a festival experience partner.
The official partner and national retailer announced is Canadian Tire Corporation and the festival experience partner is Absolute XM.
“We are thrilled to partner with an iconic brand like Canadian Tire that champions the ideals of sport,” said Doug Hamilton, Chair of the 2021 Canada Games Host Society. “We are excited that Canadian Tire will help us deliver a once-in-a-lifetime experience to thousands of Canadian amateur athletes at next summer’s Canada Games. This partnership further demonstrates Canadian Tire’s long-standing commitment to unite families, communities and the entire nation through sport.”
Canadian Tire is proud to support the event that features young, up-and-coming athletes competing at the largest multi-sport event in Canada in 2021.
“It’s no secret that at Canadian Tire, sport is in our DNA,” said Kim Saunders, vice-president of community and partnerships at Canadian Tire Corporation. “Through our Jumpstart charity, we have a longstanding commitment to ensuring children have equal access to physical activity and play, so we couldn’t be more proud to be part of the Niagara 2021 Canada Summer Games to unite amateur athletes from across the country in the name of sport.”
Evan Johnston, chair of the Canada Games Council Board, is delighted with the ongoing support provided by Canadian Tire.
“Our long-standing national partnership with Canadian Tire Corporation, through its Sport Chek and Sports Experts banners, dates back to 2008,” he said, “We’re proud to continue our association with a partner who is so committed to developing amateur sport and the next generation of athletes, volunteers and communities across Canada.”
Steven Katzman, the Games’ chief revenue and marketing officer, sees the partnership working at both the national and regional level.
“We look forward to working with Niagara-based Canadian Tire associate dealers to expand regional programming and activation both before and during the Niagara 2021 Canada Summer Games.”
As festival experience partner, Absolute FM will play an essential roles in the Games’ event experience and cultural programming, highlighted by Niagara Place and the 13-for-13 Cultural Festival.
Niagara Place will be a free outdoor festival event held daily at Canada Games Park, featuring live performances from local artists, artistic exhibits, and elements of the region’s culinary scene. The 13-for-13 Cultural Festival will see each of Niagara’s 13 municipalities, including the Regional Niagara, partner with and host a cultural event specific to each Canadian province and territory during the Games. It will rotate nightly through the municipalities, celebrating each province and territory’s cultural heritage and identities through entertainment, food, art, dance and more.
“We are excited to work alongside an agency, like Absolute XM, to bring Niagara Place and the 13-for-13 Cultural Festival to life,” Hamilton said “Absolute XM has a long history of producing one-of-a-kind experiences at major events in the Niagara Region, exemplified by their work at the Niagara Grape & Wine Festival, and we look forward to collaborating with them and our municipal partners to deliver these events during the Games in August 2021.”
The Toronto-based agency will contribute to the development and operations of Niagara Place and work with all of Niagara’s municipalities to help deliver the cultural festival;
“We are really thrilled to help put on display the incredible craft, culture and community of the entire Niagara Region here at Niagara Place,” said Anil Rebello, Absolute XM’s president of events and promotions.
Among Absolute FM’s former clients were Rogers Hometown Hockey, the St. Catharines International Buskerfest, the Cuvee Grand Tasting, and the TD Niagara Jazz Festival.
The 2021 Canada Summer Games will run from Aug. 6 to Aug. 21.
