M.D. of Taber endorses SASG bid

Sport: M.D. council pledges $25,000

By Nikki Jamieson
Vauxhall Advance
njamieson@tabertimes.com

The M.D. of Taber has thrown its support behind the Town of Taber’s bid to host the 2018 Southern Alberta Summer Games.

During their regular June 13 meeting, the Municipal District of Taber council met with Aline Holmen, director of recreation for the Town of Taber, to discuss their bid for the 2018 SASG.

The County of Lethbridge was supposed to be hosting the 2018 SASG, but has withdrawn its bid. Letters have gone out to different communities inquiring as to their interest in hosting the Games in which interest has been piqued in the Taber/M.D. of Taber communities.

The Taber region has hosted the SASG three times since 2005, the most recent being 2013. The Taber Recreation Board had passed a motion during their June 1 meeting to recommend to Taber town council to put in a bid for the games. Holmen says there are a lot of people willing to help run it who have done so at the past three Games, and they could ” probably pull it off, one more time, again”.

“Facility wise, we’re actually set up quite good, which is why it’s a good opportunity to host again,” said Holmen.

“One area we are a little bit weak in is our track and field equipment — it got beat up pretty bad since 2005. So that’s probably one area where equipment would be required. But other than that, a lot of our fields are good, in the M.D. you got the regional shooting facility, the beach volleyball courts, we’d like to possibly use Barnwell School, just to possibly spread it out a little bit.”

M.D. Reeve Brian Brewin inquired wheather they were planning on adding back in shooting disciplines to the Games. Holmen said it was possibility, but they would need to find a sports chair for it. However, people have already contacted her ready to commit to the Games.

The Town of Taber council is putting forward $25,000 for the games, with Alberta Sports Connection putting in $20,000, should the bid be successful, and they also get $2 per athlete back. They are asking for the M.D. to match the town’s donation, noting that although they don’t actively fundraise, any money donated to the Games would lower the amount pledged by the two councils. Brewin said that the cost of t-shirts, which the M.D. has provided sponsorship for in the past, would be on top of any monetary commitment.

Holmen did stress to council that this bid would be for the 49th annual games, and not the 50th, saying “I honestly don’t know if we’ll get that anyways”.

Brewin also inquired if they’ll be utilizing the baseball diamonds in Vauxhall.

“We tried to use Vauxhall last time, so I think we’ll try to spread it out as much as we can. The M.D. has great facilities, and if we can use them, we will,” said Holmen. “Definitely the campgrounds, all those things will be busy. We’ll try to incorporate some outdoor movies and things at the campgrounds like last time, so anything that we can get to get people seeing what our communities and areas are about, see what facilities we have out there, is a great thing.”

Council passed a motion to support the town’s bid for the 2018 SASG and to provide an up to $25,000 commitment, if needed, and to supply the t-shirts.

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