Cold Lake to host 2019 Alberta 55 Plus Winter Games

The Alberta Senior Citizens Sport and Recreation Association, has invited the City of Cold Lake to consider hosting the 2019 Alberta 55 Plus Winter Games. The City has accepted the invitation, confirms Mayor of Cold Lake, Craig Copeland, “we’re going to go ahead and host them!” The City will also contribute $30,000, as seed money, to put on a successful event.

“We feel it’s going to be a good economic boost to the area and the City, for sure,” Mayor Copeland anticipates that 1,200 athletics will visit Cold Lake during the games. “It’s pretty exciting!” The games will be held over three days, one for registration and two for competitions.  Participants pay an entry fee of $65, which assists the host community with the expenses associated with hosting the event.

According to the City of Cold Lake’s Council Agenda, for February 13th, 2018, “The Association’s board feels that games should be held with no cost to the host community and has provided a sample budget which they feel can leave the host community with a legacy fund to use as it sees fit. The Association estimates that the direct economic benefit to the community from a games with 1,000 participants would be about $177,000.”

Participants’ expectations are that the event will consist of:

• An opening ceremony/registration day
• 14 core sports held over two days of competition
• Medal presentations either directly after competition or at a closing ceremony
• A banquet held one evening over the course of the event
• Bagged lunches provided on competition days

*Source City of Cold Lake

“We’re going to be calling on volunteers shortly, who will be champions of the Games,” Mayor Copeland says the community will be a big part in the operations of the event. “We’re looking at somewhere in February or March of 2019 to host the Games.” The 2019 Winter Games could be held as late as March 2019, provided the venues for skiing in the area could support competition that late in the season.