The people of NC – students, staff and faculty – are deeply invested in the success of the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games, lending their time and expertise to preparing for this transformational event that will inspire the next generation of athletes.
From the Niagara bid in 2017 to the opening ceremonies this August 2022, Niagara College has been a long-time partner on Team Niagara to help make this historic, nation-building event a success for the region with a legacy to inspire for years to come.
With NC’s top leaders at the helm – President Sean Kennedy and Athletic Director Michele O’Keefe on the Board, the secondments of professors Shelley Merlo and Peter ‘Dutch’ Vandenberg, and NC students involved through internships and placements – the College is all in.
Looking ahead to opening ceremonies, student athlete Natasha Desjardins will carry the honour of representing NC as a torchbearer.
On top of its production role with Niagara 2022, Niagara College will also be a valued VIP Hosting Hospitality Partner and deliver support to the Games’ sustainability and accessibility programming.
The spirit of hospitality will thrive at NC during the Games, as we host Games officials in Residence and hundreds of spectators at the Welland Campus for basketball (August 8 to 13) and volleyball (August 14 to 21) competitions. It is a truly historic moment for the College to witness Canada’s top athletes take to home court.
This Encore feature will highlight just some of the ways NC students, employees and alumni are harnessing the experiential learning opportunities that the Canada Games brings to the region – to collaborate in new ways and ensure our students take full advantage of everything on offer.
The production of a lifetime: NC’s Peter VandenBerg and BRTF crew broadcasting the Canada Summer Games to the world
Covering over 90 per cent of all live sporting events.
That’s the promise made by Peter ‘Dutch’ VandenBerg, who’s heading up broadcasting for the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games.
It’s a daunting task, says VandenBerg, but one that he is ready to take on with gusto along with a team of Niagara College Broadcasting – Radio, Television and Film (BRTF) students and alumni at his side.
By the time Canada’s largest amateur sporting event rolls around from August 6 to 21, the BRTF Professor and Program Coordinator will have a crew of about 100 staff in place to help him realize his vision of producing the most fulsome sports coverage in Canada Games history.
“We’re really excited about playing [what] I think is a significant role in how people can participate, engage, watch and support the Games,” said VandenBerg. “We’re transitioning away from a traditional broadcast linear landscape – which is some things on TV – to a complete coverage online and live.”
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Hospitality, Tourism and Sport students build content for the official Visitors Guide App
During the Winter 2022 Term, students in the School of Hospitality, Tourism and Sport put themselves in the shoes of Canada Games spectators, athletes, and coaches to develop the content – dining, entertainment, services, and more near Games venues – for the N22 Visitors Guide App. The app will launch in June.
Paula Racher, manager, Events and Community Relations for the N22 Games, explains that Games organizers have made it their mission to prioritize the visitor experience this August. The new app – developed by vendor Tournkey and students in Shelley Merlo’s Sport Tourism class – is a way to welcome visitors to Niagara and showcase all the region has to offer across 12 unique municipalities.
Balancing her role as an NC professor for over 15 years, Merlo has been an integral part of the Games organizing team in her role as Special Events Liaison. She harnessed the opportunity to blend her two worlds, embedding the Games into her course curriculum, giving her students a very real hands-on experience.
Students – including soon-to-be graduate Geoffrey Benoit – not only developed the app content, but also tested the app, developing a user experience survey and collecting feedback from over 100 users at sporting events in the community.
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Designed to win: NC alum Shaun O’Melia is the artist behind the medals
In 2020, local artist and NC alumnus Shaun O’Melia (Graphic Design, 2014) was short-listed from a group of more than 45 artists to design the winning medals for the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games.
In the spring of 2022, the St. Catharines-based freelance designer behind Shaun O’Melia Design had his vision engraved into gold, silver and bronze, and carved into the history books.
“It’s not too often you get to work on a project that will be part of a legacy and play a role in Canadian heritage,” said O’Melia. “It was truly a one-of-a-kind project to work on and one that will forever be a staple in my portfolio.”
On April 28 as part of the 100-day-out countdown to the N22 Games, the medals were unveiled at Ravine Vineyards in St. Davids. The celebration was attended by members of the community and streamed live by NC’s Dutch Vandenberg and students in the Broadcasting, Radio, Television and Film Production program.
“Shaun’s design is truly inspiring and it’s an acknowledgment of the Niagara College program and the Region,” said Doug Hamilton, Board Chair of the Niagara 2022 Host Society, at the medal unveiling.
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Sport and Sustainability Summit gives NC students hands-on experience
Niagara College students are among those working behind the scenes to support the success of the upcoming Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games. This past spring, two of those students – Allie Reddon and Lexi Barclay – had the opportunity to draw upon their program expertise to support the final installment of the Niagara Sustainability and Sport Series.
Presented by the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games, the Canada Games Council and Green for Life Environmental, the virtual summit, held in March, explored how the three pillars of social, environment and economic sustainability can be applied to operational planning, organizational structures and the delivery of major events. It was the third and final installment in the series, which aimed to shine a light on the link between sustainability and sport.
Reddon, a student in NC’s Environmental Management and Assessment program, and Barclay, a Broadcasting – Radio, Television and Film (BRTF) student, both participated in the summit as part of their internships with the Games – a once-in-a-lifetime experiential learning opportunity.
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