Canada’s surprising beach volleyball capital

Who would have thought that North Bay, a city that’s snow-covered for more than six months a year, would become a regular stop on the international beach volleyball circuit? North Bay resident Amedeo Bernardi, president of Vision Sports and Entertainment, was hopeful it could happen. And, after successfully hosting the North, Central and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation (NORCECA) Beach Volleyball Tour in 2014, the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation agreed. The NOHFC invested $100,000 to build five permanent international standard outdoor courts at the city’s waterfront. They debuted for NORCECA 2015, securing North Bay a spot on the international tour for at least the next four years. They also hosted Olympic Trials this year. “The NOHFC funding was critical,” says Bernardi. “Without it we wouldn’t have been able to build courts that are attracting national and international interest and drawing thousands of players and fans to North Bay.” The latest to sign on? Volleyball Canada’s Senior Beach Nationals for 2016 and 2017.