Sports & Recreation(Archives)
WESTERN CANADA SUMMER GAMES: Two Years and Counting
In just two years, Fort McMurray will host the 2015 Western Canada Summer Games (WCSG)! Kim Rizzi, veteran Games organizer, has been hired as the General Manager of the 2015 Western Canada Summer Games Host Society. Rizzi comes with a long resume of experience in the field; having worked with the Olympics, Pan Am Games, Canada Games, and Arctic Winter Games.
HOSTING THE WCSG MEANS more than providing athletes with world-class sports facilities and recreation fields; the games are a platform for changing international perceptions of Fort McMurray. With an anticipated 14,000 visitors to the region over a ten-day period, and national host broadcasting, all eyes will be on Fort McMurray!
“This is the first event of this scale to be hosted within our Region; the opportunity to showcase our community on a world stage in a very positive way is enormously exciting! Often, news stories regarding our area have been negatively driven; the Games will be exploding that bubble with positivity! We will be presenting how strong our people, cultures, and industries are, while proving our dedication to sustainability and environmental responsibility. Fort McMurray is a vibrant, family-oriented community that is extremely diverse; the reputation of being a transient boomtown is an inaccurate depiction. We should all be very proud to be hosting the games here, in Fort McMurray.”
Venues such as MacDonald Island Park, Syncrude Sports and Wellness Centre, Syncrude Athletic Park, Timberlea Athletic Park, and the Fort McMurray Golf Club are anticipated to be the stomping grounds for the WCSG.
The competitors for the WCSG consist of athletes from the four Western Provinces; British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba as well as the three Territories; Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. Qualifying for the WCSG starts with provincial and territorial try-outs in team sports. Coaches then select team members accordingly to represent their province or territory. The age range associated with the WCSG is 11-20 years old.
Featured games include gymnastics, tennis and soccer to name a few. “Beach volleyball, canoe/kayak, baseball and basketball will most likely attract the largest audiences”, says Rizzi.
