Fort McMurray/Wood Buffalo to host Alberta Summer Games in 2028

Traffic moves along in Fort McMurray, Alta., on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

A northeastern Alberta community will host the province’s top youth athletes two summers from now.

Andrew Boitchenko, the Alberta government’s minister of tourism and sport on Wednesday named Fort McMurray and the surrounding Municipality of Wood Buffalo the host of the 2028 Alberta Summer Games.

The province is supplying $1.15 million to the Summer Games’ host society to help it plan and deliver the event that is expected to see more than 2,600 athletes, coaches and support staff as well as family and friends visit the region.

Athletes aged 11-16 compete in sports such as baseball, rugby, swimming, mountain biking and beach volleyball, among others, after qualifying through zone competitions held across the province.

Fort McMurray/Wood Buffalo last hosted the Alberta Summer Games in 1985. The area hosted a provincial Winter Games eight years ago.

The Alberta Games have been staged in communities across the province since 1974. The Summer Games are the province’s largest multi-sport event.