The long wait is over and the Ontario Winter Games, hosted by Renfrew County, are about to start.
An opening ceremony for the games will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 2 in Ma-te-Way Park in Renfrew and then competitions will take place throughout the county between Feb. 2 and 5 and Feb. 9 to 12.
One event is happening right in Barry’s Bay; that’s the weightlifting competition on Friday, Feb. 10 at Madawaska Valley District High School.
These Games were supposed to take place last year, but were postponed due to COVID.
Renfrew County officials say landing the Games is a huge coup, as they’re expected to bring in about 5,000 fans to the area, and provide an economic spinoff of nearly $6 million.
About 3,000 athletes, in 23 different sports, are competing.
And Eganville’s own Melissa Bishop-Nriagu has been named the Ambassador of the Games.
Bishop-Nrigu is a three-time Canadian summer Olympian, who specialized in the 800-metres. She also competed in the Ontario Summer Games in 2009.
She’ll speak at the opening ceremony and says she hopes to inspire athletes to be “persistent” and “ambitious” so they might one day be able to compete on a world stage.