The ending was bittersweet, but St. Albert once again proved that when it comes to hosting significant events like the Alberta 55 Plus Winter Games, there are few communities that can do it better.
The four-day competition of individuals 55 years of age or older featured the best from each zone in the province in 13 activities, some of which might not even by viewed by the public as particularly competitive. But watching the competitors proved that neither age nor activity matters — when you are committed to something, it becomes important not just to you, but to the people around you.
With three years of planning, the 55 Plus games committee proved its commitment to besting the previous competition held in Lethbridge two years prior. With more than 1,000 athletes descending on St. Albert and numerous venues for the different events, the committee did a remarkable job preparing the community by planning out accommodations, meals and transportation and numerous other responsibilities, and making sure the venues were ready to go.
And as the community has come to expect with every event St. Albert hosts, residents turned out in droves to volunteer. More than 800 individuals, not all of whom came from the city, helped in every capacity, performing tasks too numerous to mention. It is the spirit of volunteerism that propels the community forward each time another event comes to town and cements our reputation as being one of the best in the province, if not the country, when it comes to playing host.
The death of 68-year-old Marvin Klein during a hockey game on Saturday cast an unfortunate pall over the rest of the event. It is not the first time a competitor has died during a 55 Plus Winter Games — a table tennis player died in Lethbridge in 2009. While it was tragic, it should not overshadow what was an efficiently run event that brought a segment of the province together. Mayor Nolan Crouse has promised a review of the circumstances surrounding Klein’s death, but added from what he has heard to this point the system functioned superbly in responding to the situation.
With these games and January’s exceptionally well run Continental Cup behind us, there is no reason to expect that the rest of the events planned for this year — the Esso Cup and the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Arts Awards — and next year with the 2012 Special Olympics Canada Winter Games, will produce anything less than the best from our community. While many of this year’s events were secured because of the visibility of our 150th anniversary, the continued success of each and every event to date only adds to our reputation as a premiere community that can come together to offer the best possible experience. Our dedicated volunteers who continue to support whatever comes the city’s way play an enormous role in building that profile. In this, St. Albert’s 150th year, that reputation might be the greatest anniversary gift we can give ourselves.
