The 2020 Tokyo Olympics was an exciting year for Canadians. Our athletes took home 24 medals this year. After London’s own Damian Warner won gold in the Men’s decathlon, we wanted to highlight the sports tourism that can be enjoyed around London.

Sports tourism is the act of travelling from one location to another to celebrate and appreciate sporting events. Along with the economic gains, sports tourism can bring social benefits and civic pride to the community and leave lasting legacies on the community for many years. The Canada Games Aquatic Centre and the Western Fair Sports Centre upgrades are two examples of local infrastructure legacies through sport hosting.

London’s Sports Facilities

Across the city, you will find many outstanding venues to accommodate indoor and outdoor events. Scattered throughout the city are 15 arenas, over 85 sports fields, and over 65 baseball diamonds to accommodate tournaments and multi-venue events.

Here’s a look at some of the most popular sporting venues.

Labatt Memorial Park

Labatt Park has the distinct honour of being the World's Oldest Baseball Diamond as per Guinness World Records. The stadium opened back in 1877 and has 5200 capacity. The stadium has also been named "Canada's Favourite Ballpark" by Baseball Canada. It is home to the London Majors of the Intercounty Baseball League (IBL). The park has also been used for movies, political rallies, soccer and even horse jumping.

Canada Games Aquatic Centre
The facility is a legacy from when London hosted the 2001 Canada Summer Games and has since been a host venue for the 2004 and 2018 Ontario Summer Games. It is a world-class swimming and diving facility with a 50m 8-lane Olympic-sized pool featuring an aquatic rock climbing wall, 1 and 3m springboards, and 3, 5, 7.5, and 10m diving platforms.

Doug Wells Rowing Centre

Nestled in the Upper Thames Conservation area, this picturesque area hosts Western University Rowing Team and community clubs. 

Boler Mountain
Canada’s most southerly ski hill can be found in London. Boler Mountain offers 17 runs, along with a half-pipe and tubing. It transforms into an outdoor adventure facility in the summer months with 12km of hiking and mountain bike trails, beach volleyball, and even a treetop outdoor adventure park. 

The park has hosted major sporting events, including the 1998 Ontario Mountain Bike Championships, 2001 Canada Summer Games, 2004 Ontario Summer and Winter Games, 2010 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games, 2017 Ontario ParaSport Winter Games, and 2018 Ontario Summer Games.

Budweiser Gardens

The state-of-the-art sports and entertainment facility is located in the heart of downtown London and is home to the OHL London Knights. It hosts hundreds of annual concerts and events and served as the main venue when London hosted the 2013 ISU World Figure Skating Championships, 2014 and 2005 MasterCard Memorial Cup, and the 2016 Canadian Country Music Awards.

RBC Place London

Newly renovated in downtown London, this space is perfect for athletic competitions such as dancing, cheerleading, or weightlifting.

Upcoming sporting events

Enjoy the best of the city’s athletics or take advantage of participating in outdoor sports this summer.

Tour Labatt Park
Tours are offered at 10:00am, 11:30m, 1:00pm & 2:30pm on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through July & August.

https://www.londontourism.ca/events/labatt-park-tours

HockeyFest 
August 20-22, 2021
https://www.londontourism.ca/events/hockeyfest-game-on 

London Majors Play against Barrie

Sunday, August 29, 2021 @ 7:35pm

https://www.londontourism.ca/events/london-majors-vs-barrie-august-29 

Boler Mountain Yoga

Classes will be offered four times per week; evening classes Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 6:30pm

https://www.bolermountain.com/yoga/ 

If you are interested in using some of the sports tourism services in London, you can learn more about the grants, securing accommodations, marketing and venue coordination here.

Sports tourism also supports people to volunteer and connect at events. It’s an excellent opportunity for the community to learn more about their favourite sporting events and meet others who share the same interest. You can learn more about volunteering here.