The Red Deer 2019 Canada Winter Games Bid committee was host to the Canada Winter Games Technical Review Committee over the last few days, bringing Red Deer another step closer to becoming the home of the 2019 Canada Winter Games.
The Review Committee performed a technical assessment of the community in respect to the hosting standards established for sport and other non-sport venues and the Games Village.
The review was performed by technical experts, and also included a review of the tentative sport schedule.
“We have completed the Technical Review Phase of the competitive process to get the Games in Red Deer, and are now waiting patiently to hear from the Review Committee on how we faired,” said Shelley Gagnon, acting director of Community Services. “We were proud to demonstrate why we should be the community of choice to host the Games.”
The Technical Review Committee conducted site visits to the two Alberta communities competing for the Games, Red Deer and Lethbridge.
“Our committee worked very hard to show the Canada Games Technical Review Committee that Red Deer is ready for these games,” said Lyn Radford, chair of the Bid Committee. “We want Red Deerians to help us raise the level of excitement in our community and show what we can do when we all work together.”
After the technical phase, communities vying for the Games will enter the Bid Evaluation Phase of the process.
The Canada Winter Games is slated for February of 2019. A host community can expect to accommodate 3,600 athletes, coaches and managers; 1,500 technical representatives and officials; 450 media and broadcast personnel and 25,000 visitors over the 17-days of competition.
The opportunity to host these Games comes to the province every 20 years – the last time Alberta had the opportunity was 1995 when Grande Prairie was selected. In 1975, the honours went to Lethbridge.
The economic benefit is also significant, officials point out that the 2011 host city of Halifax saw a $131 million impact.
Meanwhile, it’s also important for the community to ramp up the City’s profile as the selection process moves forward, officials say.
Final bid proposals are due to the Canada Games Bid Evaluation Committee by the end of May. Final announcements will be made in September.
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