Mississauga officially welcomes Ontario Summer Games, 3,500 athletes tonight

Celebration Square in Mississauga’s downtown core is the place to be tonight as a parade of more than 3,500 young athletes and a concert kick off the 2022 Ontario Summer Games.

The 26th edition of the Games, awarded to Mississauga in 2019 and expected to bring $5 million in economic activity to the city, run tonight through Sunday (July 24) at various venues across the city.

Tonight’s Opening Ceremony begins at 7 p.m. with the traditional parade of athletes ages 12 to 18 from across Ontario who’ll compete in 19 sporting events throughout the weekend.

Words from local dignitaries will follow and then a concert featuring Toronto’s Juno Award-winning rock bank Monowhales hits the stage at 8 p.m.

Among the sports being contested in the next few days are basketball, canoeing, kayaking, field hockey, lacrosse, rugby, softball, baseball, table tennis, archery, soccer, golf, triathlon and volleyball (indoor and beach).

An array of sports fields and facilities will serve as venues, as will the University of Toronto Mississauga.

Some 700 volunteers will help ensure the Games go as smoothly as possible.

It’s the second major province-wide sporting event Mississauga has hosted this year. In May, the city was the site of the 2022 Ontario Parasport Games.

The Ontario Summer Games, first held in 1973 in Oshawa, are supported by the Ontario government through its Games Ontario program. The program delivers and supports multi-sport events including the Ontario Winter and Summer games for youth, the Ontario 55-plus Winter and Summer games and Ontario Parasport Games.

TODAY! Join us at 7 p.m. on the Square for the Opening Ceremony & help us cheer on our thousands of athletes as they go for GOLD this weekend @sauga2022games! 🎉🏅 https://t.co/MsuJwOxcEx

— City of Mississauga (@citymississauga) July 21, 2022