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Chadd Stoppa of Barry’s Bay won a bronze medal in sledge hockey with the Niagara Thunderbolts during the second weekend of the Renfrew County 2023 Ontario Winter Games.
RELEASE DATE:
February 16, 2023
The hospitality, generosity and volunteer spirit of Renfrew County residents were on full display during the past two weeks, as the County of Renfrew hosted thousands of participants and visitors to the 2023 Ontario Winter Games.
Eight days of fierce competition in 22 sports over two weekends wrapped up February 12 as athletes demonstrated sportsmanship, skill and resilience throughout the Games and went home with memories that will last a lifetime.
Highlights of the second weekend of competition included Chadd Stoppa, 15, of Barry’s Bay contributing to the offence in a number of games during the weekend helping his team to win a bronze medal in sledge hockey with the Niagara Thunderbolts. Down the road in Arnprior, hometown hero Madelyn Cazabon, just 10 years old, finished eighth in the Wushu competition. Over the three days, Cazabon completed 10 different challenges and finished with a huge smile on her face as she beamed with pride for her accomplishments.
Through these Games, two venues – Ma-te-Way Park in Renfrew and the Calabogie Highlands Golf Club – hosted major winter events for the first time as trails were groomed for cross-country and para cross-country skiing and a biathlon course was created at the respective venues. Following the competition, some Renfrew residents even had a chance to put on their skis and check out the cross-country trail, which was built and maintained by world-renowned groomer Dirk Van Wijk, who honed his grooming skills during the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
Following years of planning for this major sporting event, held for the first time over two weekends and in an area as large and spread out as Renfrew County, the communities across the County stepped up to host events, businesses and corporations became partners in presenting the games and volunteers came out in droves to assist with all aspects to ensure everything ran smoothly.
A number of schools also got involved in the Games by hosting events and providing student volunteers to help with setup and tear down and provide directions for visitors entering their schools
“Our community and our volunteers were so very welcoming and supportive of our athletes and visitors” said Renfrew County Warden Peter Emon, Chair of the Games Organizing Committee. “Our Committee worked long hours to set the stage for these Games and create a meaningful experience for the athletes and volunteers. They were so very successful in making the 2023 Ontario Winter Games the #bestgamesever. We also owe an immense debt of gratitude to our many partners who generously supported the Ontario Winter Games.”
While celebrating the successes, organizers also acknowledge the event was not without challenges; chief among them the weather as the first opening ceremony was hit with frigid temperatures and snow squalls and the second in-person opening ceremony was cancelled due to weather. The Games Organizing Committee quickly arranged a virtual ceremony as athletes gathered in their hotels to watch the ceremony on big screens in common areas.
At its core, the Ontario Winter Games were about providing opportunities for young athletes to compete in sport against the best in the province and they truly delivered with some outstanding performances. In 5-pin bowling, an extra game had to be added because the competition was so close.
“It was so great to see these young athletes compete at this level and receive such wonderful support from the community, which was truly astounding,” said Games Manager Cindy Burwell. “And to our volunteers, a huge thank you for everything. We could not have offered these Games without your commitment and dedication.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Craig Kelley Chief Administrative Officer/Clerk 613-735-7288
Tina Peplinskie Media Relations Coordinator 613-735-7288
Arnprior’s Madelyn Cazabon completes her push-up challenge during the wushu competition of the Renfrew County 2023 Ontario Winter Games. During three days of competition, Madelyn completed in 10 different challenges and finished eighth.
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