Sarnia Highland Games

RIP ~ Sorry to have lost you

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Highland Games are history
Once a tourist draw, Sarnia event scrapped for good

The Sarnia Highland Games have officially moved into the history books.

Once a major tourist attraction to the city, the games had fallen on tough times in recent years, having been called in 2006 and 2008.

Organizers had planned to bring the event back this year on a biannual basis but the remaining members of the organizing committee have announced they will dissolve the organization.

“On behalf of my co-chair Jim Foubister and rest of the executive, I would like to thank the community, businesses and citizens alike for their support over the years, in particular the hundreds of volunteers, some of whom were with us from start to finish for their many hours and years of hard work and dedication,” said games co-chair Bill Baines.

The Highland Games ran for nearly 25 years in Sarnia and was once considered one of the better events on the Scottish games circuit.

Baines said it was once a premier summer event in the city and it has left its mark on the community.

Sarnia's Highland Games attracted tens of thousands of visitors from around the globe, he said, including participating athletes from several countries.

Over the years, the games brought millions of dollars into the local economy, Baines said.

It's hard to say goodbye for the remaining committee members, he said, but they tried everything possible to keep the games alive.

The downward slide for the games began at the same time as a downturn in tourism in general, following the events of 9/11, SARS and a power failure that left the eastern seaboard in darkness.

The effects of these events combined with a shrinking committee, dwindling volunteer base and poor attendance made it impossible for the event to go on, Baines said.

Foubister said it costs nearly $100,000 to stage the event and the committee's war chest had dried up in recent years.

Over the years, attendance has fluctuated from highs of 10,000 to lows of about 2,000.

American attendance had taken a big hit, due partly to increased security at the border following 9/11 that caused more traffic congestion at the Blue Water Bridge.

The games were never able to bounce back, organizers said.
*Article ID# 1536891 Sarnia Observer*