Fellow members,

Another year has come and gone (almost) and there were several events scheduled around the province. Additionally, there are more planned and some happening right now this winter and in the spring of 2024. Of course, all these events will be qualifiers for the Canada 55+ Games in Quebec City. Please continue to visit the provincial website to read about all the upcoming events in your area.

There was great enjoyment at the Alpine Skiing event back in February and our Ice Hockey Qualifying Tournament in April held at Cardel Rec Center South was a huge success. The planning that it takes to organize 500+ hockey players, and too many games to count, is no small undertaking. Kudos to Laura Lee Goetjen and Harvey Poon for a job well done.

We held our AGM in Red Deer in May and sadly, we said goodbye to two long standing Board members: Pat Covington and Caroline Anker. They are sorely missed, and their combined 50 years of experience is impossible to replace. That being said, the need to continue with a full Board is imperative. We held elections at our AGM and two new members were elected to fill the vacancies. Richard Walliser was named as the new Technical Director North to replace Caroline and John Usher was named as the new VP North to replace Pat.

There was another Board member who stepped down from his duties as Past President. Wayne Davies, another member with a ton of experience who certainly was one of my mentors when I took over, retired from the Board. It becomes increasingly difficult to replace these members who have served as representatives of both their respective Zones as well as the Provincial Board. We continue to beat the drum…

The Provincial Summer Games that were held in Brooks this past August proved a big hit with those that attended. All results from those games can be found on the provincial website. There were close to 1000 members (and family) in attendance at the games and although there were some hiccups (isn’t there always) Brooks managed to stage a great event. Without a doubt, the smash hit of the Games was the entertainment, a cover band called The Beatles. I’ve never seen anything quite like it and a truer testimony was the number of people who not only dressed up in retro clothing, but stayed and danced until close to midnight. An absolute first for me to witness. Congratulations to Brooks for a great Games experience.

By now, all of the qualifying medalists from the Brooks Games have received an invitation to participate in the Canada55+ Games being held next August in Quebec City. Currently, we are sitting at approximately 400 potential members who have been invited and there will be another 200-300 from the various Winter Games qualifiers. There is a very good chance that Alberta will be sending over 500 participants to Quebec. The CSGA Games are slated to run from Monday, August 26^th thru Friday, August 30^th. As you can imagine, there has been a whirlwind of activity surrounding the games and everything that goes with that.

I would be remiss if I didn’t share that not everything is rosy with the CSGA Games. There have been some changes (good and bad) that me and Alberta as a province, have very little control over (or none at all) I will however continue to advocate for Alberta55 plus and ensure that our collective voices are heard at the next CSGA AGM. It’s a small consolation for some of you and I appreciate that, but please know that I will push for changes. Changes that encourage participation at all age and skill levels.

In closing, several thank-yous are in order:

Thank you for supporting Alberta55 plus…

Thank you for supporting your respective zones…

Thank you for being involved at so many levels…

Thank you for staying active and engaged…

And thank you for continuing to beat the drum…

Till next time,

Dave

Alberta 55 plus 2024 Winter Provincial Games

The Summer and Winter Provincial Games are two vitally important events for Alberta 55 members.  They provide members with the opportunity to participate in their activity of choice as well as to socialize with new and old friends from across Alberta.  They also serve as the basis to form the Alberta team for the Canada 55+ Senior Games.  In Calgary, we held the Provincial Hockey tournament where men and women competed for the opportunity to take part in Quebec City next August and shortly our members will compete at the Brooks Newell Summer Provincial Games to claim a spot on the Alberta team.

The table on the Winter Games pdf summarizes the information that has been confirmed, to date.  Each event will be hosted and run on a cost recovery basis whereby there is a zero balance when the event is over.  What this means for members is that depending on the event you participate in the fees could be different.  Each event has come up with a proposed budget to the Provincial Board for approval.  All efforts have been made to minimize the costs for participants.  Events which do not yet have a confirmed date, will be scheduled to avoid a conflict with an already scheduled event.

As early as possible, (a minimum of 8 weeks in advance) posters will be distributed for each event – with specific information on the date, location, format, registration date and fee for each event/location.  All posters will be on the Alberta 55 plus website. 

We continue to await a number of decisions from the Canada 55+ Games Committee on issues re optional events, age groups and rule changes and are committed to communicating   new information as quickly as possible.   A reminder that it is your age as of Dec.31^st 2023 for the Summer Provincial Games and this will determine your age group for the 2024 Canada Senior Games. 

Check the Alberta 55 plus website regularly for updates and as always, your Zone President, Activity Director or Kevin Worth, the Provincial Coordinator will be ready to address your questions or concerns.

2024_Winter_Provincial_Games.pdf

Continue to Beat the Drum and Good Luck!

Congratulations to all of our participants and winners!

Full Results

Our hockey tournament was featured on CTV Calgary news!

55 plus provincial hockey tournament in Calgary | CTV News

Find the schedule on the event page

Provincial Hockey Tournament

Important Notice to all Alberta 55 plus Members

The 2023 Annual General Meeting will be held on

10:00 AM, MONDAY, MAY 8th, 2023 at

Red Deer Resort and Casino

3310 - 50 Ave., Red Deer, Alberta

2023 Membership is required at Registration

Coffee and lunch will be served.

For more information contact

Kevin Worth, Provincial Coordinator

403-700-0454

info@alberta55plus.ca

Fellow members, 

With 2022 in the rear view mirror and 2023 now in full swing, we can now set our sights on both winter and summer games qualifiers taking place across the province as we speak. 

The summer games are being held in Brooks and the County of Newell from August 17-20 and preparations are well underway. The community is excited at the prospect of hosting over 1000 people for the games. On a side note for the summer games, we are actively recruiting experienced judges for all the events. If you have been a judge in previous games and would like to do so again, please contact me directly with your interest. Not everyone who submits their name will be selected however. There are only so many spots available and previous experience is an asset. 

The winter games, as you know, are being held in various zones across the province. With no one singular community bidding for the entire winter games package, we forged ahead and developed a plan whereby each zone, if interested and able, could propose a place their respective zones to host one or several events. I'm happy to report that all zones stepped up and all winter games events will take place. These events will take place in both 2023 and early 2024 (some may have already happened) Watch for more details as they become available.

It has been announced that the 2024 Canada 55 Games will be held in Quebec City, Quebec and a list of all anticipated sports/events will be posted very soon. We have a CSGA AGM in late March where there will be an announcement about this. They are still in the process of identifying what optional events will get the go-ahead. Should be a great time in la Belle Province. 

Closer to home, we are nearing the date for the Alberta55 plus AGM which will take place in Red Deer, Alberta on Monday, May 8th. Stay tuned for the location and start time as it has not been set yet. I hope that we have a good turnout for this AGM as there are several key vacancies on the Provincial Board that need filling. Please consider letting your name stand, we need good people with fresh ideas and new perspectives.  

In the mean time, please continue to beat the drum to support and promote Alberta55 plus. Your provincial Executive Board and your Zone Boards are working continuously and tirelessly to plan, stage and organize many events across the province. If you see them make sure to extend a heartfelt thanks for everything they are doing for you and for Alberta55 plus. 

Till next time, 

Dave

https://brooksnewellgames.ca/

Sports & Activities

Qualifying events coming soon!

https://brooksnewellgames.ca/

Our 2023 memberships are now available! The membership fee for 2023 will be increasing to $40.

Alberta 55 plus is committed to offering sporting and social events for our members. Over the past year we have held two very successsful provincial games, the Winter Games in Edmonton and the Summer Games in the Peace Region. In the upcoming year, the Summer Games will be held in Brooks, and a hockey provincials in Calgary.  The zones throughout the province will continue to hold local events including qualifiers for the provincial games.

Alberta 55 plus greatly appreciates your membership and continued support. If you have any further questions or concerns regarding the membership fee, please do not hesitate to reach out. We are more than happy to discuss the situation with you.