Mayor Nolan Crouse is so thrilled with the city’s handling of the Alberta 55 Plus Winter Games he intends to push for a bid on the Canada Winter Games.
The three-day 55-plus event wrapped up Sunday after attracting 1,061 participants in 13 activities.
The Canada Winter Games are earmarked to come to Alberta in 2019 and Crouse wants St. Albert to put in a bid. That would likely require a budget decision in 2013 and completion of a bid package in 2014, he said.
“I’m ready to start that process when the bid request comes out, assuming that council is going to support the bid,” he said. “That’s the discussion that council will have sometime in the next year.”
The Canada Games focus on young up-and-coming athletes and occur every two years, alternating between summer and winter.
Crouse intends to be an outspoken champion of a St. Albert bid.
“I intend to push it. I think it would be good for Alberta, good for St. Albert, good for Canada … bring Canada to St. Albert for the winter games,” he said. “We’ve proven that we can do these kinds of things. There’s no question in my mind that we could do a Canada Winter Games.”
Coun. Roger Lemieux agreed St. Albert has proven it has the intelligence, the venues and the people needed to host events.
“Mainly, we have the volunteer base that seems to just jump in with all feet,” he said.
The Alberta 55 Plus Winter Games were initially projected to inject $2 million into the local economy. Mounting the games cost $1.2 million, with the city contributing $150,000 in cash and $118,000 via in-kind donations, such as ice time at Servus Credit Union Place. The rest of the costs were split between sponsorships, fundraising and a provincial grant.
While events like this cost taxpayers money, the exposure improves the city’s image across the province and the country, which will boost tourism and attract new residents, Lemieux said.
“I know that the city doesn’t profit from it in terms of actual money back in our pockets,” he said.
“It’s the old saying, it puts us on the map.”
In January St. Albert hosted the Continental Cup of Curling, a competition that drew top-level international players. Later this year the city will host the Esso Cup, which is the national championship for female midget hockey. Next year it will host the 2012 Special Olympics Canada Winter Games.
