Bring on the games

Bring on the games.

That’s the message the Town and County of Barrhead will be sending to a small selection committee representing the Alberta Sport, Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation responsible for choosing the site to host the Alberta 55 Plus Games. The County of Barrhead, Town of Barrhead, Town of Westlock and Westlock County will host a tour on March 23 for a selection committee evaluating the Barrhead-Westlock bid for the 2013 Alberta 55 Plus Summer Games. The committee is scheduled to arrive at the Westlock Airport at 2 p.m. and will spend 4.5 hours touring facilities and meeting with elected officials, bid organizers and volunteers working to bring the games to Barrhead and Westlock.

Town Mayor Brian Schulz said he was taken by surprise when he received a phone call informing him of the pending arrival of the selection committee. The committee wants to know the spirit is alive, the enthusiasm between the two communities is there, and that Barrhead and Westlock are working together on this, he said. It’s a preliminary tour, he said, and if local business owners see some strangers walk into their store on March 23, smile and be courteous.

“Our businesses do a fantastic job of that anyway, so really it’s just business as usual,” he said. “Both communities strive to make customer satisfaction the No. 1 priority, and we’re proud of our businesses. It’s going to be a fantastic experience because of the fact we get all four governing bodies – the towns and counties of Barrhead and Westlock – working together without a hitch.”

He said that partnership is going really well, and he commends the other municipalities for stepping up.

“Everyone has stepped up when we needed them to, so we’re really looking forward to a good showing for the nomination committee,” he said. “We think this is going to be a tremendous economic boost for our communities in 2013. With 1,100 visitors to our area, how could it not boost our restaurants and shops? Just about every business in town stands to benefit from this.”

County Reeve Bill Lee said the games will be a big deal for Barrhead and Westlock, and it’s an event that’s going to bring together the entire area. He called it a precedent-setting event, because the Town and County of Barrhead and the Town and County of Westlock working together in this magnitude has never before been done.

“There are going to be very positive spinoffs from this partnership,” Lee said. “The synergies that will result from this will be advantageous not only for the municipalities, but for our businesses, as well. We have a place here that most people don’t know just how beautiful it is, and this is a great opportunity for us to showcase our community. People will be coming here who have never had a reason to come here before, and they’ll be going back to their hometowns and telling others they need to go to Barrhead and Westlock.”

There is a very good group of volunteers in this community, Lee said, and added he is certain they will step up to bat to make the games a great success. Both communities have some great facilities that will cater to the needs of the games.

One of the things the selection committee will be evaluating is the leadership capacity and community enthusiasm for hosting the games, said Town of Westlock Manager Darrell Garceau. As such, he said the town needs to ensure the selection committee leaves knowing how much both communities want the games, and how hard everyone is willing to work to ensure the games are a success.

The public has, so far, been supportive of the bid. They recognize the benefits the communities can expect to share as hosts of the games, he said. For instance, the estimated economic activity generated by the 2011 Alberta 55-Plus Winter Games, held in St. Albert in February, is upwards of $2 million.

As the province’s premier multisport event for athletes aged 55 and over, Barrhead and Westlock can expect to host 1,100 athletes and 300 guests and spectators over four days in July, 2013 should the games be awarded. A final announcement as to the successful bid is expected from Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation Minister, Cindy Ady, by the end of May.

The Alberta 55-Plus Games, formerly called the Alberta Seniors Games, are co-ordinated by the Alberta Sport, Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation with support from the Alberta 55-plus group. The games are a provincial initiative to encourage Albertans to be active, and are made possible with the assistance of dozens of corporate sponsors, a host committee and the Alberta government. For more information about the Alberta 55-Plus Summer Games, visit www.albertagames.com.

Schulz said he is happy with the way the Barr-head Leader has also stepped up to provide coverage of this process. The media plays an important part of any bid, and the delegation has requested that media be present during their tour, he said.

“When I called (Barr-head Leader publisher) Carol Farnalls, she was immediately willing to provide that support. Too many people take that for granted, and we do appreciate the Barrhead Leader.”

Farnalls said the Leader and its staff are excited about the potential to cover an event like the Alberta 55-Plus Games.

“This is an exciting opportunity for Barrhead and Westlock, and we look forward to seeing more than 1,100 visitors to our town, who will be utilizing our great facilities,” Farnalls said.