Brant to host 2025 Provincial Summer Games for Special Olympics Ontario

In July 2025, Brant will welcome over 1,000 young athletes and coaches for the Special Olympics Ontario Provincial Summer Games.

At the official announcement on Thursday, local athlete Kailee Mitchell told The Spectator she is looking forward to “everything” that will come with being the host city.

In the summer games, young athletes with intellectual disabilities compete in soccer, bocce, golf, track and field, and softball — plus pickleball as a new exhibition sport, said Glen Gretzky, executive director of the Wayne Gretzky Foundation, the presenting sponsor of the 2025 summer games.

The games will be jointly co-hosted by Brantford, Brant County and Six Nations of the Grand River police services.

“We are honoured to be part of the Special Olympics legacy here in our province,” Insp. Andrea Quenneville of the Brant OPP said on Thursday, highlighting the “spirit of inclusivity, determination and unity” that the games represent.

Celeste Percy-Beauregard’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. The funding allows her to report on stories about Brant County. Reach her at cpercybeauregard@torstar.ca.

Celeste Percy-Beauregard, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Hamilton Spectator