City marks anniversary of Canada Games

The City of Lethbridge will be flying a flag to mark a special anniversary.

As it celebrates its 50th anniversary, the Canada Games flag was in Lethbridge Friday morning in its journey across Canada celebrating past hosts before arriving at its destination in Winnipeg for the 2017 Games at the end of July.

In a special presentation at city hall, Lethbridge not only was able to celebrate 50 years of the Canada Games, but its own part in the history of the event as the 1975 hosts.

“Being of the Across the Nation Flag Relay for the Canada Games is always a great pleasure for us," said Susan Eymann, executive director of the Lethbridge Sports Council. "It brings back all the good memories from 1975 and it celebrates the athletes who are currently training for the games this summer Winnipeg as well as on our home turf in Red Deer (as the winter hosts) in 2019.”

The Friday morning event featured speeches from Mayor Chris Spearman — who recalled the communities and volunteers that took part in the 1975 Games — as well as Olympic boxer and recent Alberta Sports Hall of Fame inductee Rick Duff.

Afterwards, the assembled crowd went out front of city hall to fly the commemorative flag with a helping hand from members of the Lethbridge Boxing Club.

“We had Rick and the mayor raise the flag and it’ll be on display until Wednesday as well as the Canada Games Hall of Fame that is on display in the foyer at City Hall,” said Eymann.

The 2017 Canada Games Flag Relay officially launched Feb. 11 in Quebec City, the host of the first Games in 1967.