April 22, 2008 (Ottawa, ON) – The economic impact assessment of the 2007 Canada Winter Games was released today by the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance (CSTA). The Games were held in Whitehorse, Yukon from February 23rd to March 10th.

The event contributed an estimated $75.2 million to the GDP and generated $176.7 million in economic activity throughout the Yukon. The combined total of the visitor expenditures, operational expenditures, and capital construction costs of the event totaled $90.7 million. These expenditures supported an estimated $51.8 million in wages and salaries and 1,124 jobs. The initial expenditure generated $10.5 million in direct tax revenue, and when accounting for the re-spending of the initial expenditure throughout the economy (indirect and induced impacts), resulted in the event supporting $26.2 million in taxes at the federal, territorial and municipal levels.

The competition featured 2,604 athletes and an additional 2,271 coaches, managers and officials, the most ever for a Canada Winter Games. In addition, the contribution of over 3,900 volunteers, or nearly 1 out of every 7 people in the Yukon, allowed the event to run smoothly and greatly contributed to the overall success of the Games.

“The Government of Canada is proud to have played a role in the success of the 2007 Canada Winter Games,” said the Honourable Helena Guergis, Secretary of State (Foreign Affairs and International Trade) (Sport). “The success of the Games could not have happened without the efforts of the participants, coaches, volunteers, and the Whitehorse 2007 Canada Winter Games Host Society. Their efforts have ensured a lasting legacy that includes better sport infrastructure, increased opportunities for athlete development, and the opportunity for Canadians to develop lifelong skills through volunteering.”

“Our Government is pleased that it supported the 2007 Canada Winter Games,” said the Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians, and Member of Parliament (Chilliwack–Fraser Canyon). “The Games helped draw attention to Canada’s North, providing an opportunity to highlight northern tradition and culture.”

“The 2007 Canada Winter Games were considered by many within the sports community to have been one of the best Canada Games to date, a great accomplishment for the largest event to ever be organized in Canada’s Territories,” says Sue Hylland, President and CEO, Canada Games Council. “The residents of the Yukon Territory and the City of Whitehorse now have improved training facilities and can bid for and host more major national sporting events, thanks to the Games and the infrastructure legacies.”

“The 2007 Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse generated significant visibility and economic benefits for the region,” said Rick Traer, CEO of the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance. “The study illustrates the excellent ROI on the public sector’s investment in the event through the taxes and employment figures generated in key sectors of our economy.”

The Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance conducted the analysis on behalf of Canadian Heritage (Sport Canada). To conduct the assessment, the CSTA used STEAM PRO (Sport Tourism Economic Assessment Model – Professional version), which measures the economic impact of a sport event on a community.

A total of 997 valid on-site surveys were conducted and collated at the Games venues, providing the survey results with a confidence interval of +/- 2.9%, 19 times out of 20.

A copy of the full report is available in on the website at:
www.canadiansporttourism.com

About CSTA
The Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance is a tourism industry led organization that promotes sport tourism as an economic development initiative at the community level. The CSTA services over 200 members across Canada, including 101 municipalities, 55 national sport, multi-sport and major games organizations and variety of other national and provincial sport and tourism industry partners. Sport tourism is the fastest growing segment of the tourism industry with approximately $2.4 billion in annual spending by domestic travelers.