Summer Envy

This past week Tracy Cobb of WinSport Canada provided the writer with a first hand look at construction of the $231 million athletic and ice complex on Canada Olympic Park. Construction is approximately 60% complete but already one can see the opportunities the facility will provide for the future of Canada's Winter Olympic Athletes.

Upon completion, the 500,000 square foot facility will contain two international size arenas, two NHL size arena's, a national high performance training centre, a public sport development centre, and a public market cafe. A 100,000 square foot office building overlooking the ice surfaces will be the home of Hockey Canada and other national sport organizations. The facility will also include a public school operated by the Calgary Board of Education allowing athletes to attend high school without having to leave the facility. Meeting and banquet rooms serving the needs of sport groups will be on site. And if not enough the entire facility will be built to the highest standard of environmental sustainability - LEED silver.

The athlete and ice complex, however, is just part of WinSport Canada's impact on Winter Sport development here in Canada. Athlete facilities managed by WinSport Canada on Canada Olympic Park include a 22 foot Super Halfpipe that is home to Canada's national snowboard team, a Freestyle Aerials and Moguls Course that is considered the most challenging on the world cup circuit, a Ski Jumping Training Centre - that is dubbed the best facility in North America, an Olympic Bobsleigh, Luge & Skeleton track that plays host to World Cup events on a regular basis, the Bob Niven Training Centre and Cross Country Ski Trails.

Then there are the facilities that WinSport manages away from Canada Olympic Park including the Olympic Oval - home of the world's fastest ice, the Bill Warren Training Centre home to Canada's cross country ski teams in Canmore, Alberta, the Spray Lakes Athlete Village, the Beckie Scott high performance centre on Haig Glacier and Camp Green on Farnhum Glacier.

Canada Olympic Park is a sports haven for our Winter Olympic athletes but after saying good-bye to Ms. Cobb sports envy started to set in. As one who is actively involved in the development of summer athletes here in Canada it became apparent that our athletes are offered little in comparison to what is offered in Calgary, Alberta. Canada's Summer Olympic Programs are scattered across the country, many who don't even provide a national training centre. The result is that the different sports are unable to learn from one another and the supportive services that are required to be successful are sorrily lacking.

Perhaps this explains why Canada won 14 Olympic gold medals in Vancouver, and Canada's Summer Olympic athletes won 12 Olympic gold medals in Beijing, Athens, Sydney and Atlanta......combined. Summer envy indeed