12/2/21

by: Bill Potrecz, BP Sports Niagara

Two Brock grads are set to lead Team Ontario at Niagara 2022

The Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games will be a homecoming for Steve Sevor and Jennifer Bennett.

Sevor, who is serving as the Chef de Mission for Team Ontario, and Bennett, Team Ontario’s Assistant Chef de Mission, both graduated from Brock University.

“My passion and fuel for sport was ignited at Brock and I am so excited to return to where it all started,” said Sevor, who’s day job sees him work as the manager for the City of Hamilton’s Sport Services. “Winning the bid for the Niagara Region is such a fantastic opportunity for Brock University to display the talents of their athletes, coaches, students and staff. 

“The university already has such a great connection to the sport community and I cannot wait for them to use this opportunity to shine.”

Sevor, a native of Orleans, Ont., is a former captain of the Brock men’s soccer team and assistant coach of this program’s 2002 National Championship team.

“It really tugs at my emotional heartstrings for sure,” he said. “It’s a place that really formulated my personal and professional development.”

Bennett, a professor in the Sport Management and Sport Business Management programs at Humber College, also has fond memories of her time at Brock where she graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education.

“I am so thrilled to be coming back,” said Bennett, a native of Pickering, Ont. “Brock was a really special place. I am where I am today, honestly, because of the opportunities that I had at Brock and people like Karen McAllister and Joe Kenney. All of them who really gave me opportunities I don't think I would have gotten anywhere else. So the fact that we get to live this experience in St. Catharines, it just makes it extra special.

“It’s going to be a really incredible opportunity and so wonderful for us.”

Bennett has been back to the school recently and was impressed with the growth on campus as well as the new Canada Games Park.

“I do pop back in through my various roles in sport. I’ve had the opportunity to host events and things like that, but what it looks like now versus when we were there, it’s just night and day,” she said. 

“Brock and the programs that I experienced there have such a special place for me and being able to share Brock with the rest of the country is huge as well.

“Brock is still fairly small and one of the best features is that it's small. And so being able to showcase everything that Brock has to offer in addition to the Niagara Region. It's going to be so cool.”

Sevor, too, has also been impressed.

“It’s actually fantastic,” he said. “Being here, I live in Hamilton and its proximity [to Niagara], I drop in from time to time. I didn’t get to see the inside of Canada Games Park, I just got to see the exterior and some of the changes around the university that has been happening for these Games. 

“It's fantastic to see.”

Sevor has ample experience with the 2022 Canada Games being his seventh opportunity to volunteer at Canada’s largest multi-sport event. Most recently, he was Team Ontario’s Assistant Chef de Mission at the 2019 Canada Winter Games in Red Deer.

“To be honest, I’m still learning,” he said. “Every set of Games is different and unique. Every host society. Every particular circumstance is obviously unique. And as we're dealing with the pandemic, this is one of the more unique things as well, and to be honest, having the Games in our home province adds another little element to it. 

“It's really taking in all the experiences that we have had and really working with everyone.”

Bennett, who was Ontario’s Chef de Mission in 2017 and 2019, said her responsibilities are to support Sevor in delivering his duties as Chef. 

“Our job is to make sure that we're ensuring that everything is done as committed to and as required and that everyone has the best time ever," she said.

This report was filed by BP Sports Niagara, which is owned and operated by Bernie Puchalski and Bill Potrecz.