The final push was on this week for North Battleford to try to win the 2018 Saskatchewan Winter Games.
The City of North Battleford along with Destination Battlefords have been backing the bid, and the selection committee was due to be in North Battleford for the final evaluations this week.
City Director of Leisure Services Bill Samborski updated members of council Monday about the activities during the week. He noted a major pep rally was scheduled during the day Wednesday.
“It’s really coming down to a choice between two communities,” said Samborski. He said the selection committee would be in Lloydminster on Tuesday to evaluate their bid.
Those officials would be in North Battleford the following morning on Wednesday, he told council, arriving at the CUplex between 9:30 and 9:45 a.m.
The plan was to pack the CUplex with supporters waving placards in support of the games. The committee would then get on a bus and tour the venues starting at 10 a.m., and then get back to the CUplex around noon for another rally there.
Samborski believed it would ultimately come down to which community showed the most support for the Winter Games.
“All bids being equal, what it comes down to is a show of community support,” said Samborski.
Samborski expressed confidence about the bid and about the facilities and venues North Battleford offered, but added, “We cannot be complacent in this.”
“We really do feel that there’s no place in the province that could compete with us right now at this point in time,” said Samborski. But “it needs to come down to community support.”
The leisure services director also made it known to council that a decision was expected to be announced very quickly on the winning bid.
“We hope to know whether we were successful by the end of the week,” said Samborski. “So it won’t be a drawn-out affair.”
If successful, “the fun will start,” Samborski pledged.
“We’re ready for this,” said Samborski, who noted there have been major improvements to the landscape since the last time North Battleford and area hosted the Winter Games in 1974.
Councillor Ryan Bater, executive director with Destination Battlefords, which has also been behind the bid effort, was also enthusiastic.
“The community hasn’t seen an event like this in over 30 years, just in terms of size,” said Bater, referring to the Saskatchewan Summer Games held in 1984.
“The economic impact will be tremendous. For an entire week in 2018 a couple million dollars will be generated in our community.”
He, too, expressed confidence about the bid and the facilities.
“I think we’re going to be representing the community well,” said Bater, but nevertheless said it came down to community support.
