The Chefs de Mission and their assistance from Canada’s 13 provinces and territories paid a visit to Red Deer this week, to take a look at all the preparations that are going on for the 2019 Canada Winter Games.

A Chefs de Mission is someone in charge of a national team during big sporting events, there to help athletes and coaches prepare for the games.

Chefs de Mission for Team Alberta Pat Lechet says this is not only a huge opportunity for Red Deer, but the entire province.

“I think that if we get people from across Alberta involved, volunteering and being part of this whole movement, I think it is a win-win for our province.”

Lechet says they were able to head down to the future athletes village at Red Deer College, where they inspected their future dwellings, as well as tasted some of the food that will be provided.

So far so good, says Lechet: “It’s a beautiful facility, and I think it’s going to be really good for our athletes.”

The responsibilities of a Chefs de Mission go beyond the sports competitions, and include the overall organization of the games, dealing with things like logistical planning, transportation, food services, and athlete services, such as providing sports psychologists and media training.