Play On! Canada – Canada’s Largest Sports Festival Makes Windsor Debut This Summer
Play On! Canada a not-for-profit sport organization has announced Canada’s largest mass participation sports festival will be coming to Windsor for the first time, from August 6-7, as one of nine stops in the series of street hockey celebrations across Canada.
Known for their inclusivity, Play On! street hockey festivals welcome players of all levels and skill levels, from newcomer to NHL star. With a low registration fee of $49 for the weekend (no tax for youth), and the need for only running shoes and a hockey stick, anyone can participate in the action. Play On! Canada will bring its two-day celebration of community spirit and love for one of Canada’s favourite cultural pastimes to the downtown streets of communities between July and October.
“The City of Windsor is definitely a ‘hockey town.’ Hockey is in our DNA, and we believe sports help to unite communities, build civic pride, draw visitors to our City and positively impact our economy and tourism sector, inspire and engage youth, and provide citizens with memories that will last a lifetime,” said City of Windsor Mayor, Drew Dilkens. “As we move beyond the pandemic, I’m excited to see Play On! Canada bring its accessible and inclusive festival to Windsor, inviting us all to make up for some lost time and experiences and to get out there to play this game we love, while enjoying incredible food, activations, celebrity street hockey, and more! Thanks to the organizers, sponsors, partners and participants gearing up to make this an event to remember in Windsor!”
Play On! will take place downtown at Riverside Drive and Ouellette Avenue. Though this event marks Windsor’s first hosting of Play On!, the event has ties to the region. It has been held in southwest Ontario before, in London, where it attracted over 4,000 participants. As well, Redwood Cup, the national championship trophy that will be awarded to Canada’s greatest street hockey players in 2023, takes its name from Redwood Road in nearby Kingsville, Ontario.
Over the past two years the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on sport participation across Canada, cancelling events and shuttering athletic facilities. Restrictions and isolation have deprived individuals and communities of the benefits associated with mass participation events. Play On! Canada will help individuals with social and health recovery, and communities with economic recovery through Canada’s favourite cultural pastime, street hockey.
“Our youth have endured two years of not being able to play as they usually would,” said Scott Hill, Chairman, Play On! Canada. “Street hockey also has potential to unite Canadians. We are excited to partner with communities to provide this unique opportunity for people of all ages to gather, laugh, reminisce, reconnect, and play together. By small and simple things are great things brought to pass.”
According to a 2021 study by Brock University’s Centre for Sport Capacity, Play On! Canada’s sports festivals are a significant driver of sport tourism activity for a community. A typical event generates $3.3 million in local GDP activity, with an average participant spending $514 on expenses tied to the event weekend, team preparation, and training.
“Time and again, our destination has delivered on great hospitality – and at the bedrock of it all is having our businesses and residents become “tourism ambassadors,” showcasing the best there is to offer here locally,” said Gordon Orr, Chief Executive Officer, Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island. “Now, more than ever, we need to rally our youth to get out and get activated through Canada’s favourite pastime. With that in mind, sporting events like Play On! are critical in instilling a pride and sense of place while drawing visitation and spend to the Windsor area. Building on these “snapshots of life” through crowd-pleasing memories and immersive experiences provides dynamic opportunities for bringing spectators and participants together.”
Play On! events are set on a street with custom street hockey rinks. Amid a backdrop of dozens of simultaneous games, the family-oriented festivals feature interactive games, diverse food offerings, corporate partner activations and entertainment, including a celebrity street hockey game. In 2022, Play On! will take place at some of Canada’s most iconic locations, including on Wellington Street in front of Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
“Play On! is about collaboration, connection, resilience and joy, and that is aligned with everything the DWBIA supports,” said Brian Yeomans, Chair, Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association. “We’re delighted to get in on the games, and look forward to hosting Play On! in downtown Windsor.”
Play On! was built on the foundation of providing opportunity for the 90%+ of Canadians that don’t play ice hockey, as well as for those that do. Players, regardless of gender and skill level, can register as part of a team or as an individual, with co-ed, all-male, and all-female teams participating in the competition. All players will have an opportunity to invite fans to follow their teams, with fans encouraged to make donations to a charity or sport association of their choosing. Full details on player and team registration, fees, and game rules are available at www.playon.ca.
Kevin Lowe, a six-time Stanley Cup champion and member of the Order of Hockey in Canada, Hockey Hall of Fame, and Play On! Canada Board of Directors has long been a believer in the power of hockey to unite people. “I played hockey on the streets of Quebec before I played ice hockey. For nearly 20 years Play On! has created opportunities for people across Canada from all walks of life to enjoy hockey. We will continue that tradition in each community we visit, and more Canadians than ever will enjoy the game that we love!”
Play On has received significant support from various partners including federal, provincial, and municipal governments, strategic partners, corporate sponsors, grassroots sports organizations and vendors/supplies. The Play On! logo carries the Hockey Night in Canada mark, signifying ongoing support from CBC, as well as new support from Rogers Sports and Media as part of a six-year partnership. A number of community partners – including members of the Aboriginal Sport Circle, Hockey4Youth, Hockey Diversity Alliance, Kids Help Phone and Shels – have come aboard to help ensure diverse and underrepresented communities receive opportunities to participate in Play On!
A not-for-profit organization, Play On! Canada stages sports festivals with the mission to build communities one game at a time. The first Play On! event occurred in Halifax in 2003 and since then 170 Play On! events have been held in 37 communities across Canada, involving over 400,000 participants and over two million spectators, volunteers, and officials. The 2013 event set the Guinness World Record for largest street hockey tournament, involving over 42,000 players in its largest season. Play On! is funded by the Government of Canada and the Provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Ontario, as well as Sportsnet, Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation, Calgary Flames Foundation and other partners and sponsors.