[1] The city's bid to host the games was accepted in 1986, winning over Cali, Colombia.

[1] In addition to the International Association of Athletics Federations's concerns about the political instability of Colombia at the time,[2] Sudbury had recently established a strong reputation in sporting circles due to its hosting of the 1980 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships, as well as Alex Baumann's world record performance in swimming at the 1984 Summer Olympics.

[3] As late as ten days before the event was to begin, the event still faced a significant budget gap in its broadcasting contracts,[4] with Nebiolo again threatening to pull the games from the city before a last-minute donation from the Canadian Track and Field Association covered the shortfall.

[5] Once the games started, however, Nebiolo was more positive, stating that the games benefited from being held in a smaller centre that was able to provide an athlete-centred experience and had the community spirit to draw on a huge base of volunteers.

[1] Overall, the games contributed approximately $8 million to the city's local economy.