Athletes, coaches, family members, friends and supporters, packed the stands at the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre for the opening ceremonies of the 2025 Ontario Special Olympics Summer Games on Thursday, July 10, 2025.
The Games, which were hosted by Brantford Police Services, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and Six Nations Police Services, took place over three days.
The long-awaited event welcomed nearly 1,000 athletes from across Ontario to the Telephone City and the surrounding area to compete in five different sports including: athletics, soccer, bocce, golf and softball.
Co-master of ceremonies and TSN colleagues, Lindsay Hamilton and Gino Reda, kicked off the opening ceremonies by introducing the joint ceremonial guard units, featuring officers from the three host police services, the Knights of Columbus escorts, the Lansdowne Children’s Centre cheer team and the Haudenosaunee Singers and Dancers to the event.
The athletes, who were escorted by various police representatives from all over the province, were then welcomed into the venue by district. The energy was palpable as supporters in the stands cheered on their friends and family members, showing their support with handmade signs and colourful t-shirts.
Once everyone was seated, clients of Crossing All Bridge joined Laura Lee Brown, Huron County’s OPP Detachment Commander, for the singing of O’Canada.
The Honourable Edith Dumont, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, was then welcomed to the stage to address those in attendance.
“For me, sports have always been a great way to boost health and well-being, and bond with others in the community; some of our most lasting friendships are made during friendly competition,” she said. “…I hope the next few days will be a time to celebrate, not only goals and personal best times, but also teamwork and the very special feeling we get when we spend time doing something we love and when we meet others who share our dedication and excitement.”
“To the coaches and family members, your unwavering support has helped these athletes achieve incredible things. Your belief in them has made all the difference and you have every reason to be proud,” Dumont continued. “To the athletes, please know that whether this is your first time at these games, or your tenth, regardless of the final scores, you all deserve our heartfelt congratulations for what you have achieved. You should be very proud of how your determination and tireless training have brought you here today.”
The rest of the program included various speeches from Sherri-Lynn Hill, the 59th elected Chief for Six Nations of the Grand River; Leroy Hill, Secretary for the Council of Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs; Glen Gretzky, Executive Director of the Wayne Gretzky Foundation; Brantford Chief of Police Jason Saunders, Six Nations Chief of Police Darren Montour and Andrea Quenneville, Superintendent for the OPP West Region; Aly Champsi, Chair of the Board for Special Olympics Ontario; Zac Dalpe, former NHL player and the Honourary Games Ambassador; and Hamilton Chief of Police Frank Bergen, Chair of the Ontario association of Chief of Police Torch Run Committee.
“It’s such an honour to be here with you today to welcome all of our coaches, all of our families, all of our friends and, most importantly, all of our athletes,” said Chief Saunders. “It’s an honour and a joy to welcome you all for the 2025 Special Olympic Summer Games. Today, we are not just opening a sporting event, we are celebrating courage, determination and the incredible power of human spirit.”
As well, there were performances from Impact Cheer Athletics and the band AudioworX, and a showing of clips from the last leg of the Law Enforcement Torch Run as the Flame of Hope made its way through Six Nations, the County of Brant, and Brantford, before it was carried into the venue by Detective Cst. Christine McCallum, Games Manager for the Special Olympics Ontario Summer Games.
The torch was then passed along from Glenn Gretzky and athlete Dianne Richardson to Chief Montour and Seneca Henhawk (the games’ Athlete Ambassador), to Superintendent Quennville and athlete Jennifer Sywyk, and finally Chief Saunders and athlete Ben Kruis, who officially lit the Special Olympics cauldron together.
Several days later, on Saturday, July 12, after the athletes fought through the sweltering heat to complete their games, participants and their coaches, friends and family members, all gathered together once more for the closing ceremonies.
To kick off the final event, David McKee, Brantford’s Town Crier, stood for one of his infamous declarations. His presence garnered a warm welcome as the hundreds of athletes began cheering and clapping at the sound of his bell.
Dave Carroll, the evening’s master of ceremonies, then welcomed everyone to the event before leading them in the singing of O’Canada.
Kevin Davis, Mayor for the City of Brantford, then approached the podium to say a few words.
“To our amazing athletes, you are the heart of these games. You’ve shown us what determination, what courage and sportsmanship truly looks like. Whether you stood on the podium or whether you were cheering from the sidelines, you inspired this city with your strength and your spirit,” he said. “You reminded us that winning is not just about medals, it’s about effort, unity, perseverance. …As you say farewell to the 2025 Special Olympics, I hope you take with you warm memories of our city, the friendships you’ve made and the victories you’ve earned on and off the field. I hope you’ll come back to visit us, not just as athletes, but now as honorary members of the Brantford family.”
The two Chiefs of police, the OPP Superintendent and the Mayor also thanked everyone who made the games possible.
“This event could not have happened without an army of very dedicated people; to the Special Olympics team, the local organizing committee and every volunteer, thank you, you’ve helped create something truly special in our city,” said Davis. “To the people of Brantford, thank you for showing the province and the country what Brantford is all about!”
Detective Cst. McCallum also had the chance to speak to the crowd. She thanked everyone who made the event possible including volunteers, sponsors, donors, community leaders and fellow police officers, noting that this was the first time that three police services have ever come together to host the games.
She also told the athletes that what ultimately made the games so wonderful, was them.
“Too often, the sacrifices you make, the discipline you show, and the quiet perseverance you live every day goes unnoticed… but not here!” said McCallum. “Over the past few days, the games shone brightly because of you. You were the reason we gathered to celebrate your achievements, to honour your journeys and to be inspired by the incredible spirit you brought to every event. You reminded us all that greatness isn’t measured in medals, it’s measured in the heart.”
Following the speeches, and a live performance from Jeffrey Harding and Krista Sipos, the 2025 Ontario Special Olympics Summer Games flag was officially lowered, and the cauldron’s flame was extinguished.
Those who competed in this year’s provincial games and qualified, will now have the chance to compete with Team Ontario during the Special Olympics Canada Summer Games, which will take place in Medicine Hat, Alberta, from August 11-15, 2026.
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
