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1994 Royal Bank Canadian Figure Skating Championships

The 1994 Royal Bank Canadian Figure Skating Championships was held in Edmonton in order to prepare the city for hosting the 1996 World Figure Skating Championships. Though usually held in smaller cities and venues, the Canadian Figure Skating Association and the local organizing committee for the World Championships agreed that holding Canada's figure skating championships in Edmonton, the city and the organizing committee would gain practical experience and some insight into hosting a major figure skating event. The 1994 Canadian Championships was essentially a practice run for the 1996 World Championships. Nevertheless, despite being slightly overshadowed by the world event still two years away, the Canadian Championships generated a great deal of enthusiasm and momentum for the Canadian team during an Olympic year. Competition was intense with Elvis Stojko challenging Kurt Browning for the Canadian men's championship and with the woman's championship largely an open competition. 1994 was also a growth year for international figure skating in general. The controversy that developed following the US Figure Skating Championships had increased the profile of North American figure skating, and there was also considerable excitement in Canada about the prospects of either Browning or Stojko potentially winning the Olympic championship. With the increasing attention on figure skating, the 1994 Royal Bank Canadian Figure Skating Championships was largely considered to be the most successful Canadian championships to date. With a half a million dollar profit and record crowds, Edmonton and the local organizing committee demonstrated that they were nearly ready to host the world in 1996.

1995 Grande Prairie Canada Winter Games Host Society

  • SPRA-0603
  • Corporate body
  • 1993-1995

The Canada Games started in February 1967 and are held every two years, alternating between summer and winter games. The 1995 Canada Winter Games were held in Grande Prairie, Alberta from February 19 to March 4, with some additional venues in Jasper. At the time, Grande Prairie was the smallest city to ever host the Games and only the second Alberta city (after Lethbridge in 1975) to do so. Twenty-one sports were featured at the games with 2517 athletes, 617 coaches and managers, 8000 volunteers, and 115 staff. The theme for the Games was “Capture the Vision”.

In January 1989, the federal government announced that the 1995 Games would be held in Alberta. Tom Thompson and George Keen started putting together a bid, enlisting the help of Games consultant Ian Howard and bid volunteers. A Site Evaluation Day was held on September 18, 1990 with representatives of the Canada Games Council and federal government visiting Grande Prairie and Jasper. On November 9, 1990, it was announced that Grande Prairie had won the bid.

The 1995 Grande Prairie Canada Winter Games Host Society incorporated as a not-for-profit organization with a mission: “We are dedicated to creating a positive climate for an unparalleled celebration of sport and culture which will leave the athlete and all those touched by their involvement in the 1995 Canada Games with a legacy rich in memories, new opportunities and pride as Canadians.”
The Host Society Board of Governors was led by Mayor Gord Graydon of Grande Prairie and was composed of the mayors, reeves, and chief executive officers of all cities, town, villages, municipalities, Indian bands, counties, and improvement districts in northwestern Alberta and northeastern BC. The Board of Governors met at least once a year to advise the Host Society on the spirit and values of the Games and to communicate between communities and Society.

The Host Society Board of Directors was also led by Mayor Gord Graydon and was composed of local and regional government representatives, education representatives, venue representatives, and Host Society Management Committee members. The Board of Directors met quarterly to support and advise the Host Society Management Committee in Games preparations and administration and to approve the Society’s capital and operating budgets.

The Host Society Management Committee was led by President H. J. (Tom) Thompson, Senior Vice President Alex Figel, and General Manager Kerry T. Moynihan. The Management Committee had fifteen divisions, each led by a vice-president: Administration/Volunteer Services (Judy Laughy), Athletes’ Village (John Webster), Culture (Carol-Lee Eckhardt), Facilities (George Keen), Finance (Fred Estlin), Friends of the ’95 Games (Bill Bowes and Turk Taylor), Health and Medical Services (Dr. Hilary Wynters), Jasper (Roger Smolnicky), Language Services (Marie Stevens), Legal Counsel (Lyle Carlstrom), Logistics (Bill McCubbin), Marketing (Wayne Jobb), Protocol and Ceremonies (Grant Menzies), Special Projects (Perky McCullough), and Sport (Rick Hryciuk). The Management Committee also included the Executive Assistant to the President (Debbie Smith), Alberta Community Development representative (Dwight Ganske), Federal Government Representative (Sandra Green), and Canada Games Council representatives and met monthly. Divisional volunteers and staff met monthly until January 1995, weekly thereafter, and daily during Games.

The Host Committee obtained $2 million each from the federal, provincial, and municipal governments. They also had additional federal support from the Department of Canadian Heritage, Human Resources Development (Unemployment Insurance Job Creation Program), Department of National Defence, Translation Bureaus, and for Canada House; additional provincial support from Environmental Protection, Public Works (Supply and Safety), Transportation and Utilities, Alberta Health, Alberta Community Development and Alberta Foundation of the Arts, and Alberta Lotteries; and additional municipal support with facilities, venues, services, and capital funding for the Canada Games Arena. Major Sponsors and Official Suppliers included Pepsi/Gray Beverages Inc., Xerox Canada, Sun Ice Ltd., Weyerhaueser, AGT Ltd., AGT Mobility, AGT Directory, County of Grande Prairie, General Motors of Canada, Air Canada, Alberta Tourism Education Council/Alberta Best, IGA, CBC/SRC, UNISYS, Daily Herald Tribune, Bowes Publishers Limited, The Calgary and Edmonton Suns, Alberta Power/Northwestern Utilities/ATCO Ltd., Canada Post, Dairy Farmers of Canada. Numerous other businesses and individuals also contributed on a smaller scale to make up a total of $3.35 million plus $3.8 million in gifts in kind.

The Canada Games Arena and Wapiti Nordic Ski Centre were constructed as venues and renovations were also made to the Johnny MacDonald Arena and Grande Prairie Regional College. A temporary Athlete’s village was also constructed.

Week One of the Games started with the February 19, 1995 Opening Ceremonies, including song and dance presentations, several addresses from dignitaries, lighting of the flame, and Colin James concert. Week One sports included Alpine Skiing (Jasper, Marmot Basin), Badminton (GPRC), Cross Country Skiing (Wapiti Nordic Ski Centre), Fencing (St. Joseph Catholic High School), Freestyle Skiing (Jasper’s Marmot Basin), Men’s Hockey (Canada Games Arena, Dave Barr Arena, Sexsmith Civic Centre, Wembley Rec-Plex), Judo (Grande Prairie Composite High School), Rhythmic Gymnastics (GPRC), Ringette (Beaverlodge Arena, Dave Barr Arena, Johnny MacDonald Arena), Shooting (Crystal Park School), Short Track Speed Skating (Johnny MacDonald Arena), Long Track Speed Skating (outside Leisure Centre Oval), and Wheelchair Basketball (Jasper Activity Centre).

Week Two sports included Artistic Gymnastics (GPRC), Biathlon (Wapiti Nordic Ski Centre), Boxing (Bowes Family Crystal Gardens), Curling (Grande Prairie Curling Rink), Figure Skating (Canada Games Arena), Women’s Hockey (Dave Barr Arena, Johnny MacDonald Arena), Squash (Grande Prairie Fitness Centre Squash Courts), Synchronized Swimming (Leisure Centre), Table Tennis (Grande Prairie Composite High School), and Weightlifting (GPRC Theatre). Week Two wrapped up with the Closing ceremonies at Canada Games Arena, including dignitaries, the Parade of Athletes, the Legend of the Northern Lights production, singer Michelle Wright, special awards, and the passing of the torch to Brandon, Manitoba as the next Host City.

1996 Alberta Winter Games Society

  • LETH
  • Corporate body
  • 1993-1996

In November 1993, the City of Lethbridge submitted a bid to the Alberta Sport Council to host the 1996 Alberta Winter Games. A group of seven people, including two employees of the City of Lethbridge, formed the Bid Committee which organized the 1996 Alberta Winter Games Society. Dr. Gary Bowie became chairman of the Society for the duration of its existence from 1993 to 1996.

1996 World Figure Skating Championships

With a television audience of an estimated 177 million viewers, the 1996 World Figure Skating Championships was the largest international sporting event held in Edmonton since at least the 1978 Commonwealth Games. In addition to the approximately 220 athletes and 600-700 international media, the local organising committee expected that there would be 15-20,000 visitors to Edmonton during the week of March 17 to 24, with an economic spin-off of approximately $50 million. The effort to bring the World Championships to Edmonton began soon after Halifax hosted the 1990 World Championships, when local skating supporters proposed to the Canadian Figure Skating Association (CFSA) that Edmonton be the next Canadian city to host the event. Once the Edmonton organising committee, a voluntary body chaired by Don Sprague, won the endorsement of the CFSA, it was only a matter of time before the city would host the World Championships. Nevertheless, it was still up to the International Skating Union (ISU) to decide when Canada would be next in the rotation. Though the Edmonton committee bid for the 1994 and 1995 Worlds, it was really interested in 1996: it was a non-Olympic year, but skaters were beginning to gear up for the next Olympics. Because Edmonton had been selected to host the 1994 Canadian Championships in anticipation of hosting the worlds, it was no real surprise when, in 1993, the ISU finally announced that the city would host the 1996 World Figure Skating Championships. The CFSA and the ISU saw the Canadian championships as an opportunity for the city and the organising committee to test their plans, work out the bugs, and identify potential problems and opportunities. Following the 1994 Olympics, the popularity of international figure skating had skyrocketed to the extent that the scale of the World Championships was to far exceed what the Edmonton committee or the CFSA expected when they began the bid process for the event in 1990. Therefore, the local organising committee had little precedent to guide their planning. Building on their experience with the 1994 Canadian Championships, the local organising committee designed the event as a huge festival to showcase both skating and the city. The demand for tickets was phenomenal, with the main events selling out in 72 hours, a full year before the event. In order to keep up with this demand, the committee organised associated activities throughout the city, with the main focus of the events remaining downtown and at Northlands. The skating competition added to the excitement. Canadian Elvis Stojko was heavily favoured to win the men's championship on home-soil, and the women's event still had a tint of scandal associated with it. Once the championships ended, Edmonton had set attendance records for the worlds and was widely credited with staging excellent World Championships.

19th Alberta Dragoons

  • paa

The 19th Alberta Dragoons had its beginning on December 1, 1905, when three independent squadrons of the Canadian Mounted Rifles were organized. These included "A" squadron at Edmonton, "B" at Strathcona, and "C" at Fort Saskatchewan. It thus became one of the early militia groups in the province. A fourth squadron was established at St. Albert in 1907 and in the following year the government designated it as "a four squadron regiment" named the "19th Alberta Mounted Rifles". The four squadrons then received the well known title of 19th Alberta Dragoons on January 3, 1911. The 19th Alberta Dragoons and the Alberta Mounted Rifles were amalgamated on February 16, 1936 as the 19th Alberta Dragoons. On April 1, 1946, the 19th Alberta Dragoons and the 101st Regiment Edmonton Fusiliers were amalgamated and redesignated "19th Alberta Armoured Car Regiment (Edmonton Fusiliers)". It was further redesignated "19th Alberta Armoured Car Regiment" on February 4, 1949, "19th Alberta Dragoons (19th Armoured Car Regiment)" on November 1, 1954, and back to "19th Alberta Dragoons" on May 19, 1958. During the First World War, (1914-1919) the 19th Alberta Dragoons served in France and Flanders. During the Second World War (1939-1945), the 19th Alberta Dragoons served in the Reserve Army.

19th Alberta Dragoons

  • glen

The Department of National Defence was created in 1923 by the National Defence Act which established one civil department in place of the previous Department of Militia and Defence, the Department of the Naval Service and the Air Board. The Canadian Forces Reorganization Act in 1968 unified the Royal Canadian Navy, the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force into a single service called the Canadian Armed Forces. The Department is responsible for the control and management of the Canadian Armed Forces, and all matters related to national defence establishments and the defence of Canada. The 19th Alberta Mounted Rifles originated in 1908, and was formed from four independent squadrons of mounted rifles. It was redesignated 19th Alberta Dragoons in 1911, but served in France and Belgium in the First World War as "A" Squadron, Canadian Light Horse. In the Second World War it served in Canada and its various units disbanded in 1943 and 1945. One battalion served in the reserve army. In 1936 it absorbed the Alberta Mounted Rifles, and in 1946 the Edmonton Fusiliers. The Alberta Mounted Rifles was originally authorized in 1908 as the 23rd Mounted Rifles, and redesignated the 21st Alberta Hussars and later the Alberta Mounted Rifles. The Edmonton Fusiliers was originally created as the 101st Regiment (Edmonton Fusiliers) in 1909; it provided troops for the 9th Battalion, CEF in the First World War, and was split into the Edmonton Fusiliers and the Edmonton Regiment (later the Loyal Edmonton Regiment) in 1924.

19th Alberta Dragoons

The 19th Alberta Dragoons were organized in Edmonton on 1 Feb 1908, originally as the 19th Alberta Mounted Rifles. It was renamed as the 19th Alberta Dragoons on 3 Jan 1911. The Dragoons saw service in World War I with the 1st Division, Canadian Corps. It was not deployed overseas in World War II.

In 1946 it was amalgamated with the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, the Edmonton Fusiliers. It was redesignated as the 19th Alberta Dragoons in 1958. But by 1965, it was reduced to nil strength and placed on the supplementary order of battle. In 2006, the 19th Alberta Dragoons were amalgamated with the South Alberta Light Horse and retained that designation.

1PPCLI Wives' Club

  • ppcli
  • Corporate body
  • ca. 1970-ca. 1987

The Women's Auxiliary of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Regimental Club of Toronto was formed in 1919 by a group of widows of men killed in action. Similar women's organizations formed in other cities. In Winnipeg and Victoria where PPCLI garrisons were located, the Women's Auxiliary revived in the late 1930s as an organization for wives of active servicemen. It was also known as the Ladies' Auxiliary. During the Second World War and the Korean War it was active in several cities and was involved in sending comforts to the men overseas. In 1963-1964 the Jubilee Wives' Club was organized to help commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Regiment, and in the 1970s and 1980s the 1PPCLI Wives' Club was active in Calgary. By 1987 it was also known as the P.P.C.L.I. Auxiliary Society. In 1989 it was known as the Patricia Wives Association

202nd Canadian Infantry Battalion

  • GLEN
  • Corporate body
  • 1916-1920

The 202nd Canadian Infantry Battalion (Edmonton Sportsmen Battalion) was organized in 1916. Once overseas it was absorbed by the 9th Reserve Battalion to provide reinforcements for the Canadian Corps in the field. An unidentified member of the battalion's brass band kept a photo album during the First World War. The battalion was disbanded in 1920 and was perpetuated by the 19th Alberta Dragoons.

2nd Battalion, Calgary Highlanders

  • high
  • Corporate body

The 2nd Battalion (Bn.)of the Calgary Highlanders was authorized to be formed on 22 June 1940 as a part of the Reserve Army. The primary purpose of the Canadian Army's Reserve Units was to prepare soldiers for active service in the regular force. Recruits participated in two parades each week, with extra parades for officers and non-commissioned officers(NCO). A two-week training camp was held in the summer months at Camp Sarcee. Other training included Vernon Battle Drill School and Small Arms School at Gordon Head, B.C.. In May 1942, the 2nd Bn. was incorporated into the 41st Reserve Brigade of the Pacific Command. The 2nd Bn. sponsored Highland Flings to raise funds to provide the soldiers overseas with additional comforts and extra training equipment. By mid 1943 constant turnover in the reserve unit caused a recruiting crisis and as a result many veterans chose to volunteer again for reserve duty with the 2nd Bn.. The battalion organized homecoming festivities for the returning Highlanders on 24 November 1945. On 1 April 1946, the 2nd Battalion Calgary Highlanders was disbanded and redesignated as the Calgary Highlanders.

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