In 100 days, Airdrie will welcome competitors from across the province for the 2020 Alberta Winter Games.
More than 2,600 participants, their families, spectators and supporters are expected to attend the games, Feb. 14-17, 2020. The games offer Albertans aged 11 to 17 an opportunity to compete in a provincewide multi-sport competition.
“As the minister responsible for sport in Alberta, I am proud of our government’s commitment to sport development and support for young athletes across the province through events like the Alberta Winter Games. Airdrie has been planning and preparing for nearly two years and I know they will do an outstanding job as host.”Leela Sharon Aheer, Minister of Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women
“Bringing the Alberta Winter Games to Airdrie is an incredible opportunity for residents and visitors to come together and celebrate the province’s exceptional athletes. We are excited to welcome these young athletes, coaches and their families to Airdrie and showcase our passion for sport and culture that we pride ourselves on.”Peter Brown, mayor, City of Airdrie
“We are thrilled to be hosting the Alberta Winter Games. Our team has cultivated a community-focused Games society that is rich in organizational excellence and committed to providing inclusive opportunities that will highlight Airdrie’s vibrant culture for residents and visitors alike. We are ‘focused on the future’ and plan to leverage our Games experience to bolster volunteerism and foster civic pride for future sport and event tourism opportunities in Airdrie.”Shauna Quinn, chair, 2020 Airdrie Alberta Winter Games Society
The event is coordinated by Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women in partnership with the host society.
Alberta’s Winter Games include a wide variety of sports from cross-country skiing, hockey, biathlon, curling and speed skating to artistic swimming, fencing, artistic gymnastics and volleyball. Participants earn the right to participate in the event by qualifying through zone playoffs throughout the province which are held for each sport.
The Alberta government provides $420,000 to support the 2020 Alberta Winter Games, including a cultural grant of $70,000. The event generates about $3 million in economic impact for host communities.
More than 40 athletes who have participated in the Alberta Winter Games have gone on to represent Canada at the Olympics, including:
- Speed skater Gilmore Junio
- Three-time Olympian world figure skating champion Kurt Browning
- Olympic gold medallist cross-country skier Chandra Crawford
- Olympic gold medallist mogul skier Jennifer Heil
- Thirteen-time paralympic gold medallist cross-country skier Brian McKeever, who has the most medals of any Canadian paralympian