Larry Tougas has stepped down from his position as Sports Tourism coordinator with Tourism North Bay, BayToday has confirmed.
The former teacher and longtime high school sports coach was hired into the new position in 2015, which transitioned from the City of North Bay to Tourism North Bay (in 2019) to drive sports-related tourism to the area.
While Tougas would not comment on his departure, he did note that he has been involved in bringing in more than 30 OFSAA-related provincial sports championships to the city since 2011.
Tim Lowe was a rival of Tougas on the basketball court when his Algonquin Barons faced Tougas' West Ferris Trojans. However, Lowe recognized Tougas' passion for building high school sports and supported him through multiple OFSAA tournaments hosted in North Bay.
"Larry's impact on Sport Tourism is immeasurable - especially with regards to OFSAA championships that have been hosted in the city since he began as a coordinator," said Lowe.
"He has been a huge asset for conveners in assisting them with pretty much anything they needed, from sponsorship to planning the events. As well, he was helpful to OFSAA staff since he was able to provide a consistent voice. All in all, he did a fantastic job, very much an unsung hero from that department."
Most recently Tougas was involved in bringing in Cycle North Bay, a unique cycling event to North Bay over the Civic Long Weekend along with a major Bass tournament that took place on Lake Nipissing in late July.
Matt Koprash, president of the North Bay Bassmasters says Tougas made operating two Ontario BASS Nation provincial qualifiers a breeze.
"If it wasn’t for him and his touchpoints, these events would have been nothing close to what they became," admitted Koprash.
"His insight, knowledge, and local contacts are an incredible resource to having any event run smoothly. Sure helps that he is a great guy that only wants the best for all involved. Every community and event planning committee can benefit from someone like Larry."
Greg Rawson, co-founder of Cycle North Bay credited Tougas for his persistence in making Cycle North Bay happen again despite event cancellations due to the pandemic.
"One thing through all this that didn’t change was Larry’s persistence in keeping the dream alive," said Rawson.
"I have a great deal of experience running races all over Ontario and people like Larry are instrumental in making sure these things don’t go away.
"I can honestly say that Cycle North Bay would never have happened without Larry. He never stopped believing even though we had our share of problems like every event. When you are not from the area a guy like Larry is critical because he is able to connect you with all the necessary people to make the event possible. Thank you Larry for your dedication, countless hours and perseverance in making Cycle North Bay possible."
Tougas also has been credited with assisting in the World Women's Curling Championships event at Memorial Gardens in 2018; an event that was recognized as a finalist for a major national sports tourism award.
Steve Dreany, executive director with Tourism North Bay, confirmed Tougas' departure.
"Larry was a valued member of our team and a great ambassador for sports tourism in North Bay," said Dreany. "We wish him all the best in the future."
