As Minister responsible for the Pan/Parapan American Games, I am proud and excited at the prospect of Ontario hosting the Games in 2015.
The Games provide an exceptional opportunity to boost economic growth and create jobs for Ontario families — 15,000 new jobs directly related to the Games and many more spin-off jobs in construction, hospitality, retail, tourism and other sectors.
The Games will trigger investment in new and improved sport facilities that will make Ontario a hub for high performance sport, as well as serve our community sport and recreation needs for years to come.
More than 10,000 athletes and team officials, and an estimated 250,000 visitors, will have a chance to enjoy Ontario hospitality and sample the cultural diversity that makes Ontario a must-see travel destination.
The Games will showcase our capacity to host mega sporting events, and promote our province as a great place to invest and do business.
For our athletes and para-athletes, the 2015 Games will be the experience of a lifetime – training and competing in their own country, with family, friends and hometown crowds cheering them on.
With so much to gain, Ontario is hard at work to make sure the 2015 Games are delivered on time and on budget, and that they are the best Games ever.
We look forward to giving athletes, officials and visitors from across the Americas and the Caribbean a world-class welcome to Ontario in 2015.
Charles Sousa,
Minister responsible for the Pan/Parapan Am Games
Charles Sousa was first elected to the Ontario legislature in 2007. He represents the riding of Mississauga South. He was appointed Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and Minister responsible for the Pan/Parapan Am Games in October 2011.
Sousa previously served as the Minister of Labour. Before joining government, Sousa worked for the RBC Financial Group for more than 20 years.
Sousa graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University in 1982 with an Honours BA. In 1991, he completed a fellowship at the Institute of Canadian Bankers. He earned his MBA at the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario in 1994. Sousa served as a member of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Toronto Board of Trade and as director of the American Chamber of Commerce.
Sousa is an ambassador for Credit Valley Hospital Foundation special events and past president of the Federation of Portuguese Canadian Business and Professionals. He has helped coordinate charitable events that support community-based organizations such as the United Way, the Rainbow Ball Foundation of Mississauga and the Community Foundation of Mississauga. In 2003, Sousa was honoured with a Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal in recognition of his outstanding achievements. He also received the Order of Merit from the Republic of Portugal in 2009.
Sousa is a lifelong resident of Mississauga South. He grew up in Cooksville, attended local schools and is now raising a family in the Lorne Park area with his wife, Zenny.
