Waterloo region and Guelph combine to be one of four Ontario communities in running for 2021 Canada Games

The cities within Waterloo region, along with neighbouring Guelph, will compete against three other Ontario communities to be able to host the 2021 Canada Summer Games.

The other communities include Niagara region, City of Ottawa and City of Greater Sudbury.

The Regional Sport Tourism Office helps groups looking to host sporting events in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and Guelph. Sherry Doiron, manager of sport tourism, said earlier this year there was lots of local support to put a bid in for the Canada Games.

Subury decided to go ahead with the bid for the two-week event, despite some concerns. Coun. Rene Lapierre said he was worried that while there might be an economic benefit from hosting, the games may end up being a burden to taxpayers.

Canada Games Council chairman Tom Quinn said is should be a "very competitive process" to find the host city.

"The Canada Games Council is excited that these worthy communities will enter the race to be chosen as the host of the 2021 Canada Summer Games," Quinn said in a release.

Technical reviews due this month

The province of Newfoundland and Labrador was supposed to host the games in 2021, but in October the provincial government announced it didn't have enough support to pull off the feat in five years.

• Newfoundland and Labrador no longer hosting 2021 Canada Summer Games

Ontario, which was scheduled to host the games in 2025, volunteered to switch places. The process to find a host city or region for the games was launched in February.

The four communities in the running for the 2021 games are currently working on technical reviews of their facilities. Those reports are due June 30 and then the Canada Games Council will shorten the list of potential host cities. Those that move on will have until Jan. 31, 2017, to submit a comprehensive bid proposal. Once that is submitted, the proposal will be reviewed and members of the Canada Games bid evaluation committee will visit each community.

'Seeing the wins'

Waterloo region and Guelph have a diverse collection of facilities that could easily host the games, Doiron told CBC News in April. The Regional Sport Tourism Office works with municipally owned facilities as well as those on university and college campuses.

As well, the benefits to the area would be enormous, she said.

"Sport tourism in itself is a $5.2 billion industry in this country," she said.

"The Canada Games are a huge cultural property in Canada, as well. It involves a big music festival, language is a component – everybody so far are seeing the wins."