OLDS — Town council has approved a request to make the town’s Sunshine Bus available to Para Olympics Canada for the National Wheelchair Rugby Championships.
Administrative staff will co-ordinate that move.
The Sunshine Bus provides wheelchair accessible transportation within the town for seniors over the age of 50 and for people who have mobility issues.
The National Wheelchair Rugby Championships will be held May 17-20 in Calgary. Buses, including the Sunshine Bus, will be used to transport athletes between the airport, hotels, and the venue.
“The event is hosted by Para Olympics Canada and will involve local athletes,” a request for decision in a December council agenda package said.
“Wheelchair Sports Alberta last hosted this event in 2018. It’s exciting for athletes from our town/ county to compete at this high-level event so close to home.”
Wheelchair Sports Alberta (WSA) director Gord Krebs, who is also a Mountain View County councillor, made the request for use of the Sunshine Bus on behalf of WSA during an appearance before council in the fall.
"For those of you that missed the previous discussion with council on the Sunshine Bus we’ve been assured that those are times that it’s not going to be used,” mayor Judy Dahl said.
“If there’s any further updates, I’m sure that our CAO (chief administrative officer) would advise (us).”
Krebs noted that his son is a quadriplegic having suffered a broken neck during a motor vehicle accident in July 2022.
The former hockey player was introduced to wheelchair rugby and loves it. He started playing full-time in November 2022.
In February he made the provincial team and last May, he went to the national championships in Moncton, N.B.
"It is full contact; very entertaining to watch,” Krebs said.
Coun. James Cummings was among the councillors who expressed full support for Krebs’ request.
Cummings noted that he's a member of a military organization for disabled veterans.
He suggested that Krebs also look into possibly using buses utilized by Horizon School, a facility for students with special needs.
Krebs said he’d like to organize a demonstration of the sport “somewhere in the county.”
“I really believe that we would be highly interested in attending that,” Dahl said.
