The City of Grande Prairie has been named the host city for the 2024 Alberta Winter Games.
Minister of Culture Ron Orr says it’s a feather in the cap for the region, which will host hundreds of athletes aged 11-17 who will compete in 18 different sports as part of the competition.
“Young athletes will experience healthy competition, individual achievement and teamwork as they engage with others from different backgrounds and experiences, representing communities from all across Alberta,” he says.
“Sports events such as these make our communities better, and we are ready to provide a memorable experience for athletes, coaches and sports fans to our city and region.”
Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton says while the event is still over two years away, the excitement of getting the proposal over the finish line is something the city can truly be proud of. She says the city also has a stellar record of hosting similar-style events, and she believes the community will come together to continue to build on that legacy.
“It’s truly exciting…being a games city is a priority of council, and our history has led us to doing very successful games. We are extremely excited that the volunteer team and council [were] in support of this and we just look forward to the 2024 Games,” she says.
“Canada Winter Games, Arctic Winter Games, Alberta Summer Winter games, Special Olympics… we really get behind our community events, whether cultural or sporting, things like local tournaments, provincial tournaments, national tournament, our community really embraces that through volunteer and corporate financial support.”
The event, which comes to Swan City after a four-year absence overall, could generate upwards of $3 million in revenue for the region.