The Tour of Alberta will happen in Olds after all, with both the town and county approving contributions this past week of up to $15,000 each to host the race in the area.
Now in its fourth year, the Tour announced its host communities on April 15. Mountain View County and Olds will be the finish for Stage 2 on Sept. 2. This leg of the race starts in Kananaskis.
"It's global recognition. Not only that, but we are totally an athletic community. It opens doors for every age group to see and feel that excitement and perhaps even participate in that area," said Olds mayor Judy Dahl.
"When it comes to health and wellness and recreation, we need to be a leading municipality in that area. If we could brand Olds to continue to be focused on the health and well-being in recreation and sports, that's my goal. That would be great because we already have so many partners in town that already do that."
Olds College will be one of them, approving a $10,000 contribution of its own. The Olds Institute for Community and Regional Development approved its $10,000 contribution as well.
"It is a well-recognized event with very elite athletes … I think it's going to bring a lot of interest, a lot of spectators, a lot of excitement to our community. I also think it will bring some international recognition and awareness to our community as well," said Tanya McDonald, acting Olds College vice-president of advancement.
"And of course, Pomeroy is a major sponsor. That's a strong link from a college perspective as well."
There were a few factors that put the prospect of hosting the Tour back on the table. In March, council declined an offer to host the Stage 4 start.
Assurance from Tour of Alberta that each party would only be responsible for its own share of the $150,000 total hosting fee was the most significant.
Tour of Alberta would be responsible for the balance of the hosting fee, said chief operating officer Doug Wagstaff.
Also, community groups like Uptowne Olds and Communities in Bloom that would have participated in the annual Harvest Festival have decided to scale back their efforts to focus on Oldstice, freeing up volunteer capacity, he said.
Festivals for finish points are also easier for communities to host than starts, he said. Tour of Alberta comes ready with stages, vendors and sponsors, though communities are encouraged to add a local flavour to it.
"It was always an interesting opportunity. Something we were interested in. We just had to make sure it was the right time and situation to do it," Wagstaff said.
The next step will be to assemble a local organizing committee to recruit volunteers for event planning.
“We see a great opportunity here to involve the community in a world-class sporting event that sees tremendous international exposure,” said Mitch Thomson, executive director at the Olds Institute.
“We recognize the community has an active cyclist group and we're looking forward to engaging those passionate enthusiasts in this great event.”
"It's global recognition. Not only that, but we are totally an athletic community. It opens doors for every age group to see and feel that excitement and perhaps even participate in that area."JUDY DAHLOLDS MAYOR
