The final legacy of the 2019 Canada Winter Games will have a long-lasting impact across the province.
The 2019 Canada Winter Games Legacy Fund Society announced Wednesday a legacy fund of $650,000 that will provide support for not-for-profit sport and community organizations in Alberta. The society will be accepting applications until April 2 for the funding.
Requests for funding will be reviewed based on their alignment with the values of the 2019 Games and accepted in four categories: athlete and coach or official development; infrastructure or equipment development or acquisition; sport development capacity building; and non-sport or discretionary projects, said Guy Pelletier, Legacy Fund Society chair.
According to a news release, the original intention of the Legacy Fund Society was to disburse the financial legacy during one granting period. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on sport and community organizations, future grant allocation opportunities may be necessary, the society states.
During two weeks in the winter of 2019, Red Deer hosted some of the top young winter athletes from across the province.
In addition to the new legacy fund, the Games left a legacy of new and enhanced sport facilities like the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre and Servus Arena, as well as volunteer and leadership development.
These legacies include investing $14.5 million across five capital projects.
The Games helped collect over $500,000 in sport equipment and assets to over 40 local and provincial sport organizations and not-for-profits. It also built a strong, trained volunteer base for future events and helped secure 3,000 pairs of mittens and toques, as well as thousands of meals, for the Mustard Seed.
The Games also supported $110.3 million in economic activity in Alberta.
“Red Deer is stronger for having hosted the 2019 Canada Winter Games. It ignited our community spirit, transformed our city through new and upgraded infrastructure, and it now brings us a legacy fund to continue to help future generations and community organizations with sustainable funding,” said Mayor Tara Veer in a release.
“We are grateful for the outstanding support from our partners, the corporate sector, our 5,000 incredible volunteers, staff and our community as a whole for positioning our city for a prosperous future in sport, culture, recreation and community life.”
Applications can be sent to 2019legacyfund@gmail.com and more information on the funding criteria can be found on www.canadagames.ca.