Blackfalds welcomes Canada Winter Games Torch Relay

Blackfalds, Alberta (January 22, 2019) – Blackfalds is gearing up to welcome the Canada Winter Games as the MNP Canada Games Torch Relay arrives in Town on Tuesday, January 29, now on its final leg prior to the games in Red Deer from February 15 to March 3. We encourage you to join us, with the runners, to celebrate the spirit of the games together.

Six local runners will carry the Torch through the town of Blackfalds on January 29th along with dignitaries from MNP and Canada Winter Games along with Waskasoo, the Games Mascot.

Here’s the schedule at Abbey Centre (4500 Womacks Rd):

Torch Relay – 3:30 pm

Ceremony – 4:30 pm

For the first time in the Canada Games’ 52 year history, the torch will make its way across Canada stopping in nearly 50 communities along the way. The torch relay embodies the Canada Games’ motto of Unity through Sport as Canadians from coast to coast have engaged in torch relay activities in their communities.

Prior to its run through Alberta, the Torch Relay has visited over 20 communities across the nation. The spirit of the torch relay is being shared with Albertans and Canadians to celebrate the significant accomplishments of the torchbearers who are outstanding leaders in youth, sport and community development.

In Blackfalds the MNP Canada Games Torchbearers are:

Heather Buelow, Byron Hackett, Chris Overacker, Robert Thompson, Rachel Weppler and Richard Poole.

For the complete MNP Canada Games Torch Relay schedule and information of torchbearers, please visit www.canadagames.ca/2019/mnptorchrelay.

For further details visit the Town website by clicking here.

Each torchbearer will run between around 200 m to 1km and the torch design is light enough to be carried even by children.

Torchbearer bios January 29 – Blackfalds

Heather Buelow

Heather Buelow has owned Dancer’s Edge Studio for the past 16 years. With over 500 students enrolled at the studio, she enjoys spreading her love of dance and interacting with all the students. The studio is very community driven and you can quite often find them volunteering or performing at different events. Miss Heather gives back to her community whenever possible and loves what the town of Blackfalds stands for.

Byron Hackett

Byron Hackett moved to Red Deer in 2016 and has been welcomed by the sports community with open arms. As the sports reporter at the Red Deer Advocate, Byron has taken great pride in telling the stories of up-and-coming central Alberta athletes and sharing their accomplishments with as many people as possible.

Chris Overacker

Chris Overacker has been involved in his community, Blackfalds, since moving here 15 years ago. He served on the Minor Hockey board for 8 years, where he was President and Coach/Player development representative. Currently, Chris is the President of minor baseball and started AA baseball in Blackfalds; he has coached both for the past 14 years. He has also been a volunteer badminton and basketball coach.

Robert Thompson

Robert Thompson raises his family, and lives and works in central Alberta. He is involved in his four children’s activities including soccer, pond hockey, pee wee football, skiing, 4H, skating and other interests. At 54, Robert’s life changed. After suffering from a heart attack, he saw that he needed to lead a healthier life, so he began to exercise and eat healthier. Through running, he has inspired others.

Rachel Weppler

Rachel Weppler resides in Blackfalds with her husband and daughter. She is a member of the M’Chigeeng First Nation and is a teacher at Ermineskin Elementary School in Maskwacis. Growing up in a First Nations community, Rachel knew she wanted to work with indigenous youth. Since she began teaching at Ermineskin Elementary school, she has been involved with the sports programs.

Richard Poole

Richard Poole has represented the Town of Blackfalds for over a decade as a Councillor and as Mayor. He continues to volunteer at many Town functions and is committed to encouraging sports and volunteerism within his community. Mayor Poole is proud to know many of the citizens who are offering their assistance in the upcoming Games.

Click here for more stories about the 2019 Canada Winter Games.

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2019 Canada Winter Games

Gift that keeps giving: 35 Alberta non-profits funded through the 2019 Canada Winter Games Legacy Fund

Published on May 18, 2021

Todayville

From the Canada Games Council

LEGACIES OF THE 2019 CANADA WINTER GAMES CONTINUE TO GROW

Legacy Fund Society awards legacy funds to not-for-profits across Alberta

The 2019 Canada Winter Games Legacy Fund Society has awarded the financial legacy from the 2019 Games to not-for-profit sport and community organizations across Alberta.

“The Legacy Fund Society is pleased to announce that we have awarded $655,000 in grants to 35 not-for-profit sport and community organizations across Alberta,” said Guy Pelletier, Legacy Fund Society Chair. “The grants support a wide variety of projects across the province. These organizations and their respective projects build on the numerous legacies of the 2019 Games.”

Through a grant application process in early 2021, the Legacy Fund Society received and reviewed funding requests for 200 projects from nearly 150 organizations at a value of over $7.1 million.‍

“The response to our call for applications was phenomenal. There was no shortage of meaningful and innovative projects,” said Pelletier.

“The 2019 Canada Games in Red Deer were truly transformative and continue to foster meaningful legacies across Alberta,” said Kelly-Ann Paul, Senior Vice-President of Host Relations at the Canada Games Council. “These legacy grants will enrich and uplift organizations and communities as we strive to strengthen the fabric of Canada through the power of sport.”

Requests for funding were reviewed and evaluated based on their alignment with the values of the 2019 Games and distributed 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.

The following is a listing of the organizations who were awarded funding:

‍

2019 Canada Winter Games

2019 Canada Winter Games Chair Lyn Radford Wins STC Sport Event Volunteer of the Year Award

Published on March 5, 2021

Todayville

From the Canada Games Council

Lyn Radford, Chair of the 2019 Canada Winter Games, has been named the recipient of the 2020 Sport Tourism Canada (STC) Sport Event Volunteer of the Year Award.

The presentation of the 2020 PRESTIGE awards, postponed from last year, were hosted virtually as a gala on-line production. The presentation was hosted by Olympian, World Cup medallist and CBC Broadcaster Kelly VanderBeek.

The STC Sport Event Volunteer of the Year Award recognizes the outstanding contributions of an individual’s volunteer efforts during the hosting of one or more sport events in Canada in 2019.

Lyn Radford Background and Accomplishments

-Lyn Radford served as the Chair of the 2019 Canada Winter Games Host Society from 2014 – 2019

-Lyn oversaw the leadership, planning, execution, governance, and fundraising of the 2019 Canada Games, while serving as the primary spokesperson for the organization

-She is the first singular female Chairperson of a Host Society in Canada Games history

Lyn has volunteered her time to other major events throughout Red Deer and Alberta including the following:

2003, 2006 and 2007 Bid Committee member for Alberta & Western Canada Games
Committee member for 2013 Memorial Cup Bid
Chair of the 2006 Alberta Summer Games
Directed the 2010 Olympic Torch Celebration
Served as a Director for 1998 Alberta Winter Games
Served as a Director for the 2004 and 2012 Scotties Tournament of Hearts
Served as a Director for the inaugural 2013 Tour of Alberta cycling race
Served as Capital Campaign Chair for Red Deer’s Ronald McDonald House
Founding member of both the Alberta Sport Development Centre – Central and the Red Deer Leadership Centre
Served on the Alberta Sport Connection as the Provincial Games Chair
Served as a Director on Red Deer College’s Board of Governors

Lyn has been recognized through various other awards including:

2005 Alberta Centennial Medal for Volunteer Service
2006 Toyota Never Quit Award
2007 Mayors Award of Distinction for Volunteer Service
Red Deer’s 2009 Citizen of the Year
2011 Women of Excellence Lifetime Achievement Award winner
Governor General of Canada 2012 Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
2019 City of Red Deer Lifetime Achievement Award
2019 honorary bachelor of interdisciplinary studies degree

Quotes

“The 2019 Canada Winter Games were an incredible event that showcased our nation’s top amateur athletes and left behind a legacy of infrastructure, sustainability, and community pride in Red Deer. Lyn Radford was the driving force behind how successful these Games were, and we are grateful for the years of hard work and dedication she invested in the 2019 Canada Winter Games. The Canada Games are stronger than ever because of Lyn, and we’re thrilled that she’s being recognized for all of her accomplishments.”

Evan Johnston, Chair, Canada Games Council

“Congratulations to Lyn on being recognized by Sport Tourism as the Sport Event Volunteer of the Year. What a well deserved honor. Lyn has worked tirelessly as a volunteer for all of her adult life. No task is too small or too large for her to tackle. But the legacy of her volunteerism goes deeper than just her own involvement in a myriad of activities and events. She leads, motivates, encourages, cajoles and celebrates in such an infectious manner that the result is literally thousands of people who are giving back to their community because of her passion for commitment. The 2019 Canada Winter Games was just one of many opportunities for her to lead others to impact our community. I am sure all of the nominees have been involved in their events because of an intrinsic motivation to make a difference. And Lyn was no different. Her motivation is never about self but about transforming community and people. During one day in the preparation for the Games, Lyn made an important presentation to our political leaders in the morning, helped with the orientation of volunteers in the afternoon and then was found hanging ornamental snowflakes from the light posts of main street in the evening. She exemplifies the saying ‘life is short-do stuff that matters-for and with others.”

Hugh McPherson, Vice Chair, 2019 Canada Winter Games Host Society

“Thank you to Sport Tourism Canada for recognizing the 2019 Canada Winter Games, and the hard work of our “force-to-be-reckoned with” Chair, Lyn Radford. This award recognizes the leadership, strength and fortitude demonstrated by our Chair, Lyn Radford and CEO, Scott Robinson, and the more than 5,000 incredible community volunteers. We made this once-in-a-lifetime moment ours, as individuals, as a community, and as a country in pursuit of possibilities. Congratulations Lyn on this prestigious award.”

Tara Veer, Mayor of Red Deer

About the Canada Games

Held once every two years, alternating between winter and summer, the Canada Games are the largest multi-sport event in Canada for up and coming amateur athletes. Each Games features two weeks of competition, between 16 – 19 sports, approximately 3,400 summer and 2,350 winter athletes, and over 4,000 volunteers. Hosted in every province at least once since their inception in Quebec City in 1967, the Games are proud of their contribution to Canada’s sport development system in addition to their lasting legacy of sport facilities, community pride and national unity.

The organization of the Canada Games is made possible thanks to the contribution and support of the Government of Canada, provincial/territorial governments, host municipalities and the Canada Games Council.