The impact of the 2019 Canada Winter Games will not be soon forgotten in central Alberta. 

Not only was the event a great economic success for the region, but it was also historic in the fact that there were many new ideas - such as inclusion policies, proclamations and a national relay - and a renowned recognition of community in the process. 

During the Games, over 3,600 participants, 4,600 volunteers and 26,000 visitors flocked to Red Deer to take in everything that the Games are made of, from the actual sporting events to immersive cultural entertainment and experiences.

“A gold medal performance, really that’s what it was. The collaboration that happened in this community was phenomenal, but it was nothing less than what I thought that it was going to be - it was even more than I thought it was going to be,” said Lyn Radford, Board Chair of the 2019 Winter Games Host Society. 

“This community has a history of pulling together and that’s exactly what we did.”

The journey to hosting the games started back in 2011, and thanks to many years of support and enthusiasm in the community, that journey turned into a successful bid and eventually, the biggest event that Red Deer has seen. 

The 2019 Canada Winter Games Host Society invested $14.5 million across five capital projects and other facility and equipment investments for sport and cultural facilities to support the hosting of the 2019 Games. 

Following the Games, over $500,000 in sport equipment and assets were distributed to over 40 local and provincial sport organizations and not-for-profits. 

As well, with over 4,600 volunteers involved in the Games, Red Deer and central Alberta are left with a wide volunteer base, and world-class facilities that will likely bring forward many more events to the region. 

“I think the lasting legacy is certainly infrastructure but it’s also community spirit that we can do it - we can be a national city. We can host national and perhaps even international events here. We have the confidence to do that. I think that’s the thing we will take away going forward in the future,” said Scott Robinson, CEO of the Canada Winter Games Host Society. 

Another way that the 2019 Games elevated the experience from past events is throguh the emphasis on diversity and inclusion that was brought forward by the Red Deer Host Society and the local community.

The national torch relay was the first of it's kind for the Games, as was level of attention brought towards inclusivity in the games. Catriona le May Doan, Olympic Gold Medalist and Vice Chair of the Canada Games Council, said there were a number of special additions that will help to cement the legacy of Red Deer's 2019 Canada Winter Games. 

"Inclusiveness was incredible. We had mainstream athletes, para-athletes, special olympics atheltes. We had the gender inclusion policy, we had the apprentice coach program, we had the Indigenous female coach program and the Red Deer Proclamation, which truly is about stating that everybody is to be part of the games," she said, adding that Red Deer set a standard for what would become acceptable going forward. 

The Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance has completed a detailed report on the economic impact of the Games. Highlights include that the 2019 Games supported $110.3 million in economic activity in Alberta, including $92.4 million of economic activity in Red Deer and $19.6 million in visitor spending at Games time through 26,000 visitors.

To read the full report, head to canadiansporttourism.com.