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Olympic Series Part Three...A Learning Experience

By Ben Meisner

They actually were closer to the Olympics in Calgary than we are to Vancouver’s 2010, but they grabbed a page out of their book. 

Mayor Wayne Aeland of Grande Prairie says "We sat back and watched our peers in Calgary pull off a major event and thought, we can do that also. We in Grande Prairie can host a big event like that and we went out and got the Canada Winter Games in 1995,which has left the city a $1 million dollar legacy . We also will be hosting the Women’s World Curling next year and the World Cup of luge in 18 months."

Aeland says there is little doubt that the after effects of the Calgary Olympics were phenomenal."We have now been able to prove to the people and with their help, that we in a city of 45,000 people can stage anything we want and that is what the Calgary Olympics gave us. The Calgary Olympics proved that the people of Alberta can do a good job and it was that spirit which was the driving force that we took to Grande Prairie. Look at it, we are the first Canadian City to host the world cup of luge."

There are more positive notes for Grande Prairie says  Aleand, "We have looked at were our trading area of around 250,000 people and we have capitalized on it. “. 

"We are the Hub of the Peace and that takes in everything from Whitehorse and Yellowknife in the north down to Tumbler Ridge in the South and includes Ft. St. John and Dawson Creek. We're not about to stop either" says the Mayor.  Grande Prairie will be hosting the Ford World Women’s curling in Grande Prairie  giving the  Albertan city another opportunity to show case that City and the region.

Did the Calgary Olympics give a direct benefit to Grande Prairie?  Residents are  quick to answer with a  simple but  firm "No."  They are quick to  add, 
"But we sure learned from it!"
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