2020 Special Olympics Ontario School Championships Cancelled Due To COVID-19 Virus Pandemic

The 2020 Special Olympics Ontario School Championships, which had been scheduled to occur June 2-4 in Kingston, has been cancelled due to public health risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

This decision was reached after consultation amongst Special Olympics Ontario, the Kingston Police, the Law Enforcement Torch Run, championships organizers, local partners and host venues.

Extensive fundraising and organizing for the championships has been occurring since 2019. It had been anticipated that 1,000 athletes, with support staff and parents, would attend the city to participate in five different sports (athletics, basketball, bocce ball, floor hockey, and soccer) at various venues, including Queen’s University, the INVISTA Centre, and the Cataraqui Arena.

The Kingston Police and Special Olympics Ontario are working on details as to hosting the championships at a later date. Although no time frame is yet available, talks are underway with venues and accommodation partners to explore possible options.    

Kingston Police Chief Antje McNeely relayed, “I am sorry to hear this, especially considering all the hard work put in by the athletes and all the effort to date by the organizing team, but this course of action is for the best. While we know that athletes, organizers, and our own officers and civilian staff are disappointed about the cancellation, everyone is understanding the utmost importance of ensuring the health and well-being of all involved. We look forward to keeping the Special Olympics Flame of Hope burning.”

School Championships Games Manager and Kingston Police Staff Sergeant Jody Armstrong noted, “It is a disappointing turn of events but one that is necessary for the greater good of our community, volunteers, staff, and most important, of our athletes. We will work diligently with Special Olympics Ontario towards hosting the School Championships in Kingston at a future date, once we have started to recover from our current state of emergency. We would like to thank all of our School Champs sponsors and business partners, and we hope that we can count on your continued support in the near future.”  

Any enquiries can be directed to Staff Sergeant Armstrong at jarmstrong@kingstonpolice.ca.