By Sheldon Spackman and Troy Gillard

River Bend enhancements officially open

Feb 23, 2018 | 2:27 PM

Upgrades to of one of Red Deer’s marquee parks venues were celebrated Friday afternoon.

Enhancements at River Bend Recreation Area were declared officially open, with residents invited to try their hand at cross country skiing and snowshoeing to mark the occasion.

“River Bend is one of our jewels, obviously,” said Sarah Cockerill, Director of Community Services for The City of Red Deer. “Not only in winter, but in summer – there’s biking opportunities as well as recreational opportunities, not just international calibre events. River Bend has a lot to offer and we hope the community embraces it.”

Work took place over the past year to upgrade River Bend in order to meet technical requirements for cross country skiing and biathlon events for the 2019 Canada Winter Games. Select trails were widened, a stadium, media centre and timing cabin were all built, and the existing biathlon range was renovated.

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“Biathlon venues are not easy to build, and they’re not common,” noted Scott Robinson, CEO for the 2019 Canada Winter Games. “Having one here in Central Alberta, which is a great destination anyway, is already proving to be something that everybody is looking forward to.”

With biathlon being a complex sport with a lot of intricacies, Robinson said it was important to have River Bend ready well ahead of time in order for important test events to take place. The biathlon range at River Bend is hosting the North American Cup, Western Canadian Championships and Calforex Biathlon Cup events this weekend.

“As one of Red Deer’s most utilized parks, the modernizations made to the River Bend Golf and Recreation Area have already have demonstrated benefit for Red Deerians and Central Albertans who seek year-round recreational opportunities,” said Mayor Tara Veer. “We are also proud to welcome our country’s athletes and visitors to River Bend for cross country skiing and biathlon for provincial and national events.”

Total cost for the enhancements was approximately $930,000, according to Cockerill, split between the City and 2019 Games Society.

More information on the new and improved River Bend Recreation area can be found at reddeer.ca/riverbend