On the podium at Lake Mildred, just prior to the medal presentations, speed skating chair Don Hayes called them future Olympians. While not every young athlete that came to Jasper for the weekend will make it to the biggest sports extravaganza of them all, they have all left our town with memories of an event well-organized, strongly supported and blessed by Mother Nature.

Jasperites can take no credit for the final item in the preceding list, but as for the rest, there is little to say save for congratulations, and thank you. An event like the Winter Games takes months of preparation and thousands of dollars in local support, but it is over in what seems like a heartbeat. Occasions like the Alberta Winter Games present themselves once in a very long while. Jasper’s most recent experience as a host community for something like this came more than a decade ago, when several events of the 1995 Canada Games were held here. With competitors and supporters from all over Alberta in town for a few days, this was Jasper’s time in the sun. And it shone.

Standing on the sidelines of the outdoor skating oval at the Jasper Park Lodge, the conversation amongst the spectators was dominated by discussions of the venue. Some focused on the arresting beauty of the scene, late on a Saturday afternoon, with the warming sun showcasing Pyramid and the Whistlers in all their glory. Others were in awe that the ice was of such remarkable consistency and quality throughout the competition. The general sentiment was best expressed by a parent from Calgary who took a moment from cheering on her medal-winning club to say a quick word to the Fitzhugh.

“They did an awesome job,” she said. They being not only Hayes and the other red-vested volunteers that staffed the venue for two long days, arriving in the cold, dark morning and staying until well after the final race had been run, but also to the staff of the Jasper Park Lodge who devoted time and energy to maintaining the ice and pointing people in the right direction.

This was mirrored across town, where people crowded into the high school gym to witness the fencing finals and where volunteers directed traffic in a hectic Activity Centre. 

Everything was scheduled, even the showers, and there were locals giving their time and energy every way you looked.

There was glory in competition for Jasper as well, as 12-year-old Tianda Carroll captured a gold and a bronze medal in the alpine skiing events at Marmot Basin. 

From a competitive point of view, these Games belonged to her. In our opinion, the Games belonged to Jasper, and the 363 volunteers who worked so hard to make them happen.