The Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance honoured Truro with its Prestige Award for its efforts in hosting more than 500 athletes from 25 countries last year.
The RECC hosted the Down Syndrome World Swimming Championships last July, its first major poolside event.
The award was accepted in Ottawa by the RECC's Matt Moore and Truro athlete Matthew Hunter, who swam for Team Canada. Absent from the ceremony but still key to the DSWSC's success were Tanya Colburne, Heather Fraser and members of the competition's organizing committee.
Major infrastructure upgrades including a dehumidifier and arena screen were installed before the games began. Plastic waste was also reduced by using large water dispensers rather than plastic bottles. Bikes and buses kept the transportation carbon footprint low.
The most enduring legacies are new programs in partnership with the Autism Society Swim Class and the Special Olympics swim club and a new awareness of inclusiveness within the community.
