Ontario Investing Over $3 Million to Support Sport and Recreation in Sault Ste. Marie

New funding will support the 2028 Ontario Winter Games and redevelopment of the local community centre

The Ontario government is investing over $3 million to support sports and recreation in Sault Ste. Marie. This funding includes $1.3 million to host the 2028 Ontario Winter Games and $2 million through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) to redevelop the John Rhodes Community Centre. Together these investments will help boost local tourism, create good-paying jobs and give a new generation of athletes a place to train, compete and grow their skills.

“Our government is proud to support the 2028 Ontario Winter Games in Sault Ste. Marie, and give Ontario’s athletes the opportunity to compete with their peers from across the province,” said Neil Lumsden, Minister of Sport. “These Games will bring lasting benefits to Northern Ontario by building stronger communities and creating opportunities for visitors and participants to experience everything this remarkable region has to offer.”

The 2028 Ontario Winter Games are expected to generate an economic impact of more than $5 million for the region by hosting up to 2,800 participants aged 12-18 from across the province to compete in nearly 20 sports, including cross country skiing, curling and ringette. The province’s investment will support the City of Sault Ste. Marie and the Games Organizing Committee with the implementation and delivery of these Games.

The province’s $2 million investment through the NOHFC will support critical upgrades to the John Rhodes Community Centre as it prepares to serve as a key venue for the 2028 Ontario Winter Games. The new revitalization project includes the replacement of the roof and the installation of a new HVAC system. These improvements will strengthen the city's ability to attract and host major sporting events and continue to provide residents with a place to train, have fun and live a healthier, more active lifestyle for years to come.

“Our investment to redevelop the John Rhodes Community Centre will provide a training ground for the next generation of the region’s athletes,” said George Pirie, Minister of Northern Economic Development and Growth. “This NOHFC funding will ensure the John Rhodes Community Centre continues to be a critical part of the Sault Ste. Marie community.”

Today’s announcement builds off the government’s previous $500 million investment in the Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund (CSRIF) to build and upgrade sport and recreation facilities in communities across the province.

Quick Facts

• Held every two years, the Ontario Games are the province’s largest multi-sport event for youth in the province and provides amateur-youth athletes with a competitive experience that will prepare them for national and international competition, including the Canada Games and the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
• The Ministry of Sport leads a competitive bidding process to select a host municipality for each of the five provincial multi-sport Games, including the Ontario Summer and Winter Games (for youth), the Ontario 55+ Summer and Winter Games and the Ontario Parasport Games.
• Bidding for the 2029 Ontario Parasport Games is currently open with expressions of interests due May 15, 2026. Bid timelines for all Ontario Games are available on the ministry’s Ontario Games Bid Guidelines webpage.
• Since June 2018, the NOHFC has invested more than $1 billion in 8,423 projects in Northern Ontario, leveraging more than $3 billion in investment and creating or sustaining over 13,000 jobs.