From the rink to the hills, Orillia ready to roll into Ontario Winter Games

The Ontario Winter Games begin in Orillia with an influx of athletes ready to take over their facilities.

As the sun glistens through Centennial Park in Orillia, it will soon welcome thousands of young athletes to the 2026 Ontario Winter Games.

Orillia Mayor Don McIsaac said the city is ready for an influx of people.

“It goes over the next two weekends and more than 15,000 meals will be served, 2,300 athletes will attend,” said McIsaac. “It’s a great time to showcase Orillia and what we have to offer.”

Community centres around the city are getting ready for an influx of athletes to take over their facilities and call Orillia their temporary home.

From curling to volleyball to cross-country skiing, in total, the games will have 18 sports across 13 venues. The games will take place primarily in Orillia but will be featured in other communities like Ramara Township and the City of Barrie.

Duncan McDoanld,the CEO of the Ontario Winter Games, said athletes are ready to put on a show.

“I think the variety of sports they can expect to see, athletes competing hard and they can expect to see a lot of fun,” said McDonald.

Three weeks ago, Ontario Winter Games put out a call for volunteers to help with the games after a lack of applications and residents didn’t disappoint.

“I’m so proud of Orillia and the number of people stepped up to volunteer,” said McDonald. “Those volunteers are going to make these games roll, and that’s really exciting.”

Orillia is no stranger to hosting. It was home to the Ontario Youth Winter Games in both 2018 and 2020, and then in 2024 held the Ontario 55+ Winter Games.

Hotels are expected to be full, leading officials to believe the games could bring up to $5 million of economic impact.

“It’s great that they love the historic city, they love the downtown, the waterfront and they see what we have to offer,” said McIsaac.

The Fairfield by Marriott Inn and Suits in Orillia said they are almost fully booked for the next two weekends and love having a busy hotel.

“We’re actually happy to house them in our building,” said General Manager Michelle McNaney. “They bring a lot of money to the economy. They eat, they sleep, they shop here. So, who wouldn’t want them in this beautiful city, especially sunshine city, like Orillia.”

It’s expected that more than 2,600-night stays will take place in hotels throughout Orillia.