Rocky Mountain House and Clearwater County were successful in their bid to host the 1st ever Alberta Masters Games in 2019.

The Alberta Sport Connection made the announcement today, with the games set for August of 2019, expected to attract 12 hundred participants plus families and spectators to central Alberta.

As Alberta Games and Marketing Director Don Wilson explains, the Masters Games will replace the former Alberta 55+ Games which were last held the summer of 2015 in Strathmore.

“What we wanted to do was broaden the base of participation and so we moved it to what is known as a Masters Games so basically we’ll be targeting athletes ages 30 and above and now the age does change a little bit depending on the sport and we’re just putting the sport preferences together”.

On that note, Wilson does say they are considering adding some winter events to the games.

“We’re working with our friends at Rocky Mountain House and the County of Clearwater to ensure adequate facilities for the sports that we wish to offer, but things like curling and hockey, which obviously are traditionally winter sports, because of indoor arenas and indoor curling rinks we’ll probably give consideration to those types of events as well as athletics and golf and pickle ball, those types of outdoor events”.

Wilson says they were very pleased with the bid, and he says the West Country is a perfect fit.

“It’s in the center of the province; I mean there will be a lot of hype after the 2019 Canada Winter Games in Red Deer.  It really will be a family games, that’s the other big thing that we looked at when moving it to a master’s concept, mom or dad may participate but we’re hoping that they bring the family and make a weekend of it, it’s an absolutely beautiful area, and it’s just before the long weekend in August”.

Games registration will likely open to athletes in the spring of 2019.


 https://lacombeonline.com/local-sports/rocky-clearwater-county-submit-bid-to-host-ab-masters-games