Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens believes securing the 2017 MasterCard Memorial Cup bid is proof that council's sports tourism initiatives are working.
The city's experience hosting events like the Ontario Summer Games, the FINA Diving World Series and the CARHA Hockey World Cup was part of the presentation to the CHL.
"I think that shone through, and I think the folks that were on the selection committee, who made the decision, saw that," says Dilkens. "I certainly know, based on the questions they asked; they were very detailed and very interested in Windsor and what Windsor's going to do to make this event special."
OHL Commissioner David Branch, who was part of the Memorial Cup site selection committee says Windsor's experience with major sporting events was definitely a factor.
"That was part of their bid, hosting special events, and it's important to have a community that understands it," he explains.
The mayor and a delegation from Windsor, including the city's new Sports Tourism Officer Samantha Magalas, will travel to Red Deer this month to learn about what goes into the 10-day Memorial Cup event.
It's expected that thousands of visitors to the Windsor region next May will generate more than $15-million for the local economy.
