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Historic sports video archive launched in Red Deer

200 videos from former RDTV now available on digital archives collection
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Many moments of Red Deer’s sports history can now be relived on publicly accessible videos through the Red Deer Archives. (Advocate file photo)

The Red Deer Rebels’ Memorial Cup win and other momentous moments in local sports history can now be relived through publicly accessible videos.

Many hours of sports history have been added to the City of Red Deer’s publicly accessible online digital archives collection. These are available to view, free of charge, at reddeer.access.preservica.com/.

The Rene Rondeau Sports Video Collection includes 200 digitized videos of sports coverage from CKRD/RDTV between 1987 and 2009, when the station went off the air. Rondeau, who worked as a reporter, host and news producer, captured these stories when RDTV was central Alberta’s only television channel.

The video footage will allow residents and history enthusiasts to learn more about the important role sport has played in the Red Deer area, and to relive key moments — such as the Red Deer Rebels winning the Memorial Cup in 2001.

Stories of local Olympians and national sporting events held in the city are on these videos. From local tournaments to hosting the 2019 Canada Winter Games, “it is very exciting to have a piece of this history that can be preserved and shared with the community,” said Jillian Staniec, coordinator of the Red Deer archives.

Rondeau, who preserved this sports content when the station was closed, transferred it to a format that allows others to view it. He said, “It’s my pleasure to share the collection… so the public can access it any time they wish to revisit the past and reminisce over our community’s sport history.”

Red Deer Archives encourages anyone with organizational records, photos or videos related to local sport organization or athlete history to consider donating these items to the collection.

For more information, visit www.reddeer.ca/archives.