Commonwealth Sport Canada delays announcement on Hamilton bid due to COVID-19

Commonwealth Sport Canada has decided to delay their announcement on whether Hamilton has been selected to represent the country in the 2030 international sporting event. 

The Hamilton 100 committee, which was tasked with submitting a bid to represent Canada in the Commonwealth Games, expected to hear Tuesday if the city had been selected. But the committee and groups in Calgary — who put a bid in for the 2026 games — will now have to wait for confirmation.

As for when they can anticipate a decision, Commonwealth Sport Canada CEO Brian MacPherson says "hopefully sooner rather than later" but he can't give an exact date. He said having people work from home has delayed their assessment of the bids, but they are moving forward as best they can. 

MacPherson added that Hamilton's committee did a "great" job and submitted a "strong" hosting plan proposal. 

Should Hamilton win the bid, it will likely still need to compete with international bidders. 

If the city does host the games in 10 years, the Hamilton 100 Committee has said it will cost at least $1.425 billion. 

Locals have argued whether that's a priority for the city and say that those funds could be better spent on hospitals, affordable housing or public transit. 

Yet officials say that it could elevate Hamilton's social and economic standing. 

"This is not just about sports. It's about investment in infrastructure. It's about social impact. It's about dealing with all of the sustainable development goals of the United Nations, which has been a major part of this," Hamilton 100 committee member Jasper Kujavsky told CBC in February.

The city hosted the first games, then known as the British Empire Games, in 1930.

The Commonwealth games are an international multi-sport event with athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event takes place every four years.