A few rain delays today are really the only blip in an otherwise incredible Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg and the second and final week reaches the halfway point.
The Canada Summer Games promised to be the 'hottest summer in half a century', and it's delivered, both in weather and from interest in Winnipeg.
"It's even better than we expected," said President and CEO Jeff Hnatiuk. "The venues look absolutely fantastic, the weather was perfect . . . we had over 10,000 people at [the opening ceremony]."
Hnatiuk said that the number of spectators was outstanding, saying that they averaged 1500 to 2000 people a day at each venue, including the non-ticketed venues, like the one in Birds Hill Park, plus the venues in Kenora, Ontario and Gimli.
The biggest game so far was the gold medal baseball game between Manitoba and Saskatchewan. "We set a record, according to Baseball Canada, for the largest audience ever to watch an under-17 game in Canada."
The volunteers are a big part of the games, Hnatiuk mentioned. He's heard many times how fantastic and friendly the volunteers are.
"It's a reflection on Winnipeg and the province of Manitoba and the people in those communities," Hnatiuk said.
The closing ceremony is on Sunday, August 13 and Hnatiuk says that it will be showcasing many local festivals, plus one of the top country acts in Canada will be on hand.
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