By Canadian Press

Federal government invests $4.4 million in Golf Canada’s professional tournaments

Aug 24, 2022 | 2:16 PM

OTTAWA — Canada’s federal government has announced new funding for Golf Canada’s two professional tournaments.

The Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario said on Wednesday that it’s giving the national sport organization $4.4 million. The non-repayable investment is earmarked for the CP Women’s Open and the RBC Canadian Open, the national women’s and men’s professional championships respectively.

Mona Fortier, the president of the Treasury Board and member of Parliament for Ottawa-Vanier, said the investment will help the tournaments stimulate local economies.

“The CP Women’s Open and RBC Canadian Open have been missed during the past two years by many,” said Fortier, who made the announcement at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club, which is hosting this year’s Women’s Open.

“The support announced today for Golf Canada will help bring these tournaments back even stronger while also creating important economic benefits and attracting tourists across the region.”

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The Canadian Open was held at Toronto’s St. George’s Country Club in early June. The men’s championship is typically held in the Greater Toronto Area while the women’s event travels across Canada, with next year’s tournament scheduled for Vancouver’s Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club.

Garrett Ball, Golf Canada’s chief operating officer, said that the sports organization was approached by the federal development agency about the investment in 2021. He said that the money will go, in part, a new double-decker hospitality suite as well as the development of new mobile phone apps for spectators at the two events.

“Simply put these are innovative assets, that will benefit the championships for the foreseeable future,” said Ball. “In fact, at the RBC Canadian Open in June, these assets were major factors in the announcement of record sales, record crowds, and record media impressions.”

Golf Canada reports that the Canadian Open drew a record 135,000 spectators and the Women’s Open is expected to draw over 70,000 fans.

Sport Canada, a branch of the Department of Canadian Heritage that develops federal sport policy in Canada, typically provides funding programs in support of sport. However, the Major Events and Festivals Support Initiative was designed by the federal government at the height of the pandemic to support events that make over $10 million.

“We thought it was very important that not only during COVID but after COVID that we needed to support organizations like Golf Canada to have these events in different cities across the country,” said Fortier. “Now, we have to know that these two events are in Ontario and in (the federal development agency’s) catchment.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 24, 2022.

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press