Skip to content

Winter Games moving ahead

Congratulations to the 2014 Alberta Winter Games committee for naming Lisa Vinderskov as Games manager. And congratulations to Lisa for being named as such.

Congratulations to the 2014 Alberta Winter Games committee for naming Lisa Vinderskov as Games manager.

And congratulations to Lisa for being named as such.

Ensuring the 2014 Games are a success will be a massive undertaking and it’s as well a leader has been chosen a couple of years out. A successful Games will increase the focus on tourism in this valley as young athletes and their families, coaches and spectators, having enjoyed a Games experience here, may well make many return visits in ensuing years.

With as many as 3,000 athletes, coaches and technicians, friends and family and media in our area, there is no doubt the Games will also prove to be a financial boon.

As a community newspaper that embraces both Banff and Canmore, we give credit to the committee and to both municipalities for working together, and putting forward funding, toward landing the Games.

As an example of the lifestyle, beauty and communities in the Bow Valley, and the excellent venues to be found here, the Winter Games will be a real showcase. It’s not hard to imagine athletes and visitors, like those who live here, becoming enamoured with our alpine and cross-country ski facilities, arenas, national park and rec centres.

Then there is the whole issue of the athletes themselves. Competing in the provincial winter games may be just the spark needed for youngsters to push themselves to the heights of the Olympians who call this valley home.

As well, at some point, games attendees may well be able to look back and say, “I remember when” after a former 2014 Alberta Winter Games athletes crosses a finish line, scores a goal or otherwise claims victory at the highest level of their sport.

With Vinderskov now in place a next major, critical step will be for valley citizens to step forward and volunteer for the games. Hundreds, at least, of volunteers will likely be necessary to pull off a successful Games, but here at RMO, we’re certain people will step up as they do whenever volunteers are needed.

Space at a premium

Construction of Elevation Place caused the shuffling of a lot of space and care needs to be taken to ensure the needs of the majority of the community are met when redeveloping it.

The thing is, while Elevation Place is a new, $39 million facility, it isn’t really offering much new within its walls. Yes, the pool will have double the lanes and the lazy river feature is new, but the library is simply moving from one location to another and the climbing wall is pretty much a municipal facility replacing a privately-run facility that went out of business, but has been replaced by another, at least in the short-term.

Now, with council earmarking $2 million to develop an arts facility in the former library building (one wonders whether, if a $2 million arts centre is now needed, it shouldn’t have been planned for within Elevation Place) it leaves only the former pool to be redeveloped.

And, now that the arts community segment has the old library space identfied for it, that leaves only a filled-in pool available for a multitude of other uses. This is where a very careful weighing of needs will need to be done as, once the former pool is refurbished, no further indoor publicly-owned space will be available.

Other than the Town working a deal with Canadian Rockies Public Schools to fill some of its empty space, the former pool is the last chance for groups to find a space.


Rocky Mountain Outlook

About the Author: Rocky Mountain Outlook

The Rocky Mountain Outlook is Bow Valley's No. 1 source for local news and events.
Read more



Comments

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks