The 2023 Ontario Winter Games got underway in Renfrew County on Thursday with a pair of local athletes looking to chase gold in their hometown.
"It's crazy. We were shocked to hear that it was here but we're so excited," said twins Alexis and Jaidyn McGuire.
The 16-year-olds from Arnprior were selected as two of the best under-20 ringette players in the province. Both sisters were also named to the same team among the six that were formed.
The ringette competition is being held at the Nick Smith Centre in Arnprior, where the McGuire twins have played hundreds of times over the last 13 years.
"It's great. This is where they started out was in Arnprior, back in bunnies, so back when they were three and four years old," Jo-Anne McGuire told CTV News.
"So it's great that it's come full circle and they're back in Arnprior to compete at this level."
Ringette was one of two events to kick off the 2023 edition of the Ontario Winter Games, along with futsal which is being hosted in Petawawa.
The games will feature 22 events taking place over a two-week span in nine different communities across the region.
Renfrew County Warden and chair of the 2023 Ontario Winter Games Peter Emon says the event is one of the biggest and most complex the county has ever hosted.
"It's the first of its kind that's been held here and I think it's the first in Ontario in terms of complexity and holding it over two weekends, the nine different communities that are hosting it," Emon said.
"Nobody has done it quite like that before."
By the end of the two weeks, over 6,000 participants and visitors are expected to come into Renfrew County, generating roughly $6 million for the local economies.
"I've already heard from a lot of local restaurants and hotels," says Emon. "All the rooms are booked up; people are reserving times in restaurants."
Due to the spread-out nature of the events, two opening ceremonies will be held in Renfrew at Ma-Te-Way Park. The first is Thursday, and the second is Thursday, Feb. 9.
Local Olympian Melissa Bishop-Nriagu has been named as ambassador for this year's events.
"It's great, not only for our local athletes that are going to be competing but for any athlete competing," says Tina Hunt, chair of special events for the games.
"It just goes to show that across various areas, whether it be the country or the province, that they can strive to be that and strive to work towards that."
It was a positive start to the competition for the McGuire sisters, with their Black Team winning their opening game 3-2.
The twins are hoping a gold medal win in their home arena will help propel them to greater success in their ringette futures.
"I think just we're going out there and trying our best," said Jaidyn. "You never know the outcome, so I think just ending every game knowing you did your best."
"And having fun," added Alexis. "Having fun for sure."
Ottawa Police are investigating an attempted break-in at the residence of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's national security advisor, the second such incident involving one of his top aides in recent months.
When two skiers collided on a beginner run at an upscale Utah ski resort in 2016, no one could foresee that seven years later, the crash would become the subject of a closely watched celebrity trial.
A Toronto man, whose neighbours vanished eight years ago and left their home completely abandoned, said he's fed up living next door to a property that is in complete disarray.
A candidate for the United Conservative Party in southern Alberta has resigned after she posted a video claiming children are being exposed to pornography in schools.
A scientist at CAMH says video games have similar addictive features to gambling which cause social isolation of the individual and dependency on the activity.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered a brief initial response to the final report from the Mass Casualty Commission (MCC) into Canada's worst mass shooting, which claimed the lives of 22 people in Nova Scotia in 2020. Vowing changes will come, here's what Trudeau said in Truro, N.S.
The federal Liberals are trending downward on three key measures while Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has surpassed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when it comes to the question of who Canadians would prefer now as their prime minister, according to Nanos Research.
A coroner has denied a request from a former Toronto police officer to explore a theory that a distraught teen he shot was committing "suicide by cop."
Two-and-a-half years after it was established, Nova Scotia’s Mass Casualty Commission has recommended sweeping changes to everything from gun control to mental health services, although there’s no guarantee any will ever be implemented.
A Toronto man, whose neighbours vanished eight years ago and left their home completely abandoned, said he's fed up living next door to a property that is in complete disarray.
Premier Doug Ford is slamming federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault as a “real piece of work” in the wake of public remarks he made suggesting that Ontario has “no plan to fight climate change.”
Just a week after Airbnb tightened regulations for Quebec listings following a deadly fire, hosts may already be bending the rules. Airbnb now requires its hosts to provide a six-digit policy number with their listing, obtained when a tourist lodging is registered with the provincial government. But a scroll through the Airbnb website suggests users are falsifying their permit numbers to sneak past the authentication process.
It's been two weeks since a major fire ripped through a heritage building in the heart of Old Montreal, killing seven people and forever altering the lives of families across the globe. For the families of those who died, the grieving process is only starting.
There are exciting plans for Knox Presbyterian Church in downtown Sudbury. Built in 1927, the former church was sold after its congregation dwindled and will be transformed into a concert hall.
When the store manager at La Noisette Bakery arrived Thursday morning to open the small shop on Oxford Street, she discovered that one of the two large circular windows at the side of their building was shattered.
The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation says the Vatican's rejection of a centuries-old doctrine that justified colonialism is going to change the public's perception of Canadian history.
A judge has acquitted a now-retired priest of forcing himself on a residential school student more than 50 years ago, saying she believes an assault happened but could not determine beyond a reasonable doubt who did it.
A candidate for the United Conservative Party in southern Alberta has resigned after she posted a video claiming children are being exposed to pornography in schools.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has yet to answer direct questions about a growing scandal of her alleged interference with the justice system, but her deputy premier has responded the media about the issue.
Students at the University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine are reluctant to speak up when faculty make racist comments, according to a new report from the human rights commission.
A Mass Casualty Commission report that came out on Thursday following a mass shooting in Nova Scotia in 2020 may have a local impact on the RCMP Depot model being phased out.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has yet to answer direct questions about a growing scandal of her alleged interference with the justice system, but her deputy premier has responded the media about the issue.
Just one point separates the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings before their game Thursday night, as the players size each other up for another possible playoff battle.
Police have released video of a suspected arsonist who allegedly caused thousands of dollars in smoke and water damage to a building in Vancouver's Chinatown last weekend.
B.C. Lottery Corporation says a Lotto 6/49 ticket that was purchased in North Vancouver was the only one in Canada that matched all six winning numbers in Wednesday night’s draw for the Classic Jackpot.
A Mass Casualty Commission report that came out on Thursday following a mass shooting in Nova Scotia in 2020 may have a local impact on the RCMP Depot model being phased out.
Students at the University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine are reluctant to speak up when faculty make racist comments, according to a new report from the human rights commission.
