October 23, 2006 – Commonwealth Games Canada (CGC) held a successful Annual General Meeting this past weekend in Halifax – the Canadian Candidate City for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. The Association held elections for its Board of Directors and Members at Large, and took the opportunity to recognize outgoing President Claude Bennett, along with outgoing members of its Board of Directors from the last quadrennial. In conjunction with the Halifax 2014 bid team, CGC also hosted Commonwealth Games Federation President Michael Fennell, Chief Executive Officer Mike Hooper, and Federal Sport Minister Michael Chong for their Association meetings and visits of the 2014 bid city.

CGC welcomed new President, Dr Andrew Pipe and elected its Board of Directors, including Robert Toller (Ottawa, ON), Sue Boreskie (Winnipeg, MB), Linda Cuthbert (Toronto, ON), Rick Powers (Toronto, ON) and John Stanton (Calgary, AB). Elected as Members-at-Large were Todd Allison (Vancouver, BC), Ken Bagnall (Halifax, NS), Rachel Bedingfield (Halifax, NS), Jim Bradley (Toronto, ON), Shannon Butters (Ottawa, ON), Joe Halstead (Toronto, ON), Wayne Hellquist (Regina, SK), Lori Johnstone (Fredericton, NB), Bruce Kidd (Toronto, ON), Molly Killingbeck, (Toronto, ON), Marg McGregor (Ottawa, ON), Heather Moyse (Summerside, PEI), Ross Outerbridge (Kamloops, BC), Timothy Page (Ottawa, ON), Scott Sandison (Mississauga, ON), and Mike Sutton (Halifax, NS).

New President Dr. Andrew Pipe stated: “We were delighted by the positive spirit of the weekend and took the opportunity to recognize our precious volunteers. I would like to particularly thank Claude Bennett for his leadership as President over this past quadrennial and attest to the contributions of the outgoing Board, including Past President Joan Duncan (Ottawa, ON), Suzanne Coffey (Fredericton, NB), Ivan Chittenden (Toronto, ON), and Margaret Schuett (Toronto, ON). I very much look forward to working with this very talented new Board and group of Members-at-Large to build on the good work of those who have come before us.”

Over the course of the weekend, delegates received presentations from the Halifax 2014 bid team and were taken on a tour of the proposed 2014 venues. CGC also celebrated the contributions of its members, volunteers and Team Canada at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia and spoke about the exciting events for CGC in the future.

“It was a great pleasure to welcome our CGF friends, government representatives, sponsors, sport partners and friends this past weekend,” added Commonwealth Games Canada CEO Thomas Jones. “It is with a renewed vigor and sense of direction that we go forward to the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games and the bid decision for the 2014 Games”.

Since 1930, CGC has been strengthening sport within Canada and throughout the Commonwealth by participating in the Commonwealth Games and by using sport as a tool for development. For further information about Team Canada, the 2006 Commonwealth Games or our International Development through Sport programs, please visit our web site at www.commonwealthgames.ca.

Commonwealth Games Canada (CGC) is a not-for-profit multi-sport organization that is the franchise holder for the Commonwealth Games and is therefore responsible for submitting a single Candidate Bid City to the Commonwealth Games Federation. In December 2005, Halifax won the right to be Canada’s candidate city for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.