'It's been magnificent': Volunteers make World Police and Fire Games a success
The World Police and Fire Games (WPFG) came to a close Sunday after ten days of athletic competition, and organizers, athletes, and volunteers all say Winnipeg has done an excellent job of hosting the international event.
The games concluded Sunday with a full slate of track and field events at the University of Manitoba.
Stuart Sutton traveled from Australia to compete in the hammer, discus, and shot put competitions. This is the third time Sutton has attended the games, and he says it's been the best organized.
"It's been magnificent," he said. "The best officiating so far, they really knew what they were doing, and the volunteers were excellent as well."
Sutton is a firefighter from New South Wales who took in everything Winnipeg had to offer during the week he was here.
"The food scene's great, even just visiting some of the breweries because they’ve got a big brewery scene here, just to have one or two," said Sutton.
He also drove out to Gimli, visited the Assiniboine Park Zoo, and went to see Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Winnipeg Goldeyes games. Sutton said he's had an amazing time.
"The people in this city have been really warm, and they love the fact that 8,500 of us have come here," he said.
Chris Harrison is a retired RCMP officer who has been volunteering for the games. He said attendance could have been better, but the events have been fun to watch.
"We haven’t had as many spectators as we would have liked, but lots of countries showed up and we have lots of close competition," he said.
WPFG organizers tell CTV News around 2,800 people volunteered to help run the games, from officials to drivers to venue workers. Chief operating officer Mike Edwards said the volunteers have been incredible.
"That’s the feedback that we're hearing from the athletes, is that they have never seen a volunteer crew and a volunteer committee do so much and just take care of them," said Edwards.
He said organizing the games has been a learning experience for all of them, but one that he wouldn’t trade for anything.
"These volunteers made these games a success, there's no other way to say it."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
5 rescued after avalanche triggered north of Whistler, B.C. RCMP say
Emergency crews and heli-skiing staff helped rescue five people who were caught up in a backcountry avalanche north of Whistler, B.C., on Monday morning.
Quebec fugitive killed in Mexican resort town, RCMP say
RCMP are confirming that a fugitive, Mathieu Belanger, wanted by Quebec provincial police has died in Mexico, in what local media are calling a murder.
Bill Clinton hospitalized with a fever but in good spirits, spokesperson says
Former President Bill Clinton was admitted Monday to Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington after developing a fever.
Trump again calls to buy Greenland after eyeing Canada and the Panama Canal
First it was Canada, then the Panama Canal. Now, Donald Trump again wants Greenland. The president-elect is renewing unsuccessful calls he made during his first term for the U.S. to buy Greenland from Denmark, adding to the list of allied countries with which he's picking fights even before taking office.
UN investigative team says Syria's new authorities 'very receptive' to probe of Assad war crimes
The U.N. organization assisting in investigating the most serious crimes in Syria said Monday the country’s new authorities were “very receptive” to its request for cooperation during a just-concluded visit to Damascus, and it is preparing to deploy.
Pioneering Métis human rights advocate Muriel Stanley Venne dies at 87
Muriel Stanley Venne, a trail-blazing Métis woman known for her Indigenous rights advocacy, has died at 87.
King Charles ends royal warrants for Ben & Jerry's owner Unilever and Cadbury chocolatiers
King Charles III has ended royal warrants for Cadbury and Unilever, which owns brands including Marmite and Ben & Jerry’s, in a blow to the household names.
Man faces murder charges in death of woman who was lit on fire in New York City subway
A man is facing murder charges in New York City for allegedly setting a woman on fire inside a subway train and then watching her die after she was engulfed in flames, police said Monday.
Canada regulator sues Rogers for alleged misleading claims about data offering
Canada's antitrust regulator said on Monday it was suing Rogers Communications Inc, for allegedly misleading consumers about offering unlimited data under some phone plans.