Treasures Everywhere! Mega Event a Geocacher’s Dream

Over 600 registered geocachers were in the Lakeland this past week hunting the area for treasures and discovering the area. Many traveled from all over the world to participate in the Lakeland Geocachers first Mega Event. Organizer and member of the Lakeland Geocachers, Vicky Lefebvre says the event was a huge success, showcased our region and was an extreme economic boost to the area.

“We have to thank the sponsors, the donors, volunteers and everyone else who helped,” a cool aspect of the Mega Event was the satellite events; which had geocachers travel around to neighbouring towns to discover what each town had to offer. Starting at Fort George Buckingham House, to the Elk Point Eco Centre, St. Paul’s museum & UFO landing pad. In Glendon participants were taught how to make perogies and in Bonnyville they were treated to the rodeo lifestyle. Geocachers learned about life on the farm from Muriel Creek and fishing sustainability at the Fish Hatchery. “I’m in awe, it’s just wonderful. People wrote wonderful comments about the satellite events and the ability to discover other towns while on this event. We set out to give them a caching experience like no other, that they received.”

The Iron Horse Trail was a big hit – Vicky Lefebvre

“They may have come and bombarded our towns for a week, and some are staying two weeks, but they are here spending their money, enjoying our place and helping our economy. And they’re having fun while they are doing it.” Lefebvre says the area impressed, “many are saying they are coming back and they cannot wait to tell their friends and family about the Lakeland.”

There were people from all over the world at the Mega Event; including, Switzerland, Nebraska, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Vancouver, Nunavut, Victoria BC ,Saskatoon, Winnipeg ,Regina, Canmore,Hope, BC, Calgary, Medicine Hat, Fort St John, Mannville, Edmonton Kelowna, Arizona, Montana, Wildwood, Vulcan, Port McNeill, BC, Langley BC, Las Vegas, Toronto, Campbell River, Lethbrdige, FlinFlon, Castrlegar BC, Taber.

If you consider 600 people were here and they had to stay somewhere; whether it was camping or hotels, it was a huge boost to our economy! – Craig Copeland Mayor of Cold Lake

Lefebvre says the success of the event really comes down to the sponsors who supported the Mega event financially and the volunteers who made it happen. “I am just overwhelmed. To think we were able to host 600 people and the volunteers did such an amazing job. I am just overwhelmed,” near speechless Lefebvre says the group will have to digest the experience before making any plans for another Mega Event.

Mayor of Cold Lake, Craig Copeland, says he received rave reviews for the City and the Lakeland Geocachers, “I talked to many of them and they all had good things to say about the city and how clean it was. They were also impressed with what a great job the [Lakeland Geocachers] did, in the amount of caches they put out there and how well organized it was. Everybody seemed to be really happy with the event.”

If you would like to learn more about geocaching, check out geocaching.com.