The Department of Athletics and Recreation is thrilled to announced that the Waterloo Warriors Esports Program has received a federal grant through the Regional Tourism Organization 4 Inc. (RT04). With support through the Government of Canada's Tourism Relief Fund and the Federal Economic Development Agency (FedDev), the grant was developed to help local tourism organizations and businesses safely welcome back visitors, recover from the impacts of the pandemic and prepare for future growth. 

"The Government of Canada's $78-million investment through the Tourism Relief Fund is helping communities across southern Ontario," said the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the FedDev Agency of Southern Ontario.  

"With this funding, southern Ontario's Regional Tourism Organizations and Indigenous Tourism Ontario are providing hundreds of local businesses and organizations with the support they need to create jobs, attract more visitors and grow local economies, now and into the future."  

Waterloo Warriors Esports will be receiving $100,000 from the FedDev grant that will go towards hiring students, purchasing new equipment, and running regional tournaments with hopes of attracting schools from across Ontario and Canada to continue to the growth of esports at a collegiate level. 
 
"This is a monumental grant that will help continue the already accelerated growth of esports on our campus and community," said coordinator of esports and gaming, Greg Mittler. "Our students are incredibly excited to see how these funds can grow our programs and take Canadian collegiate esports to the next level." 

Find out more about the Government of Canada's Tourism Relief Fund