Dear editor,
I moved to Airdrie three and a half years ago, and I enjoy the slower pace of life after spending 47 years in Calgary. But one thing I've noticed in Airdrie – a city of 75,000 people – is the lack of a nice arena.
Yes, I know we have three arenas in Airdrie, but if you've been to Okotoks or Camrose, which are each smaller than Airdrie, you'll notice they have beautiful arenas. Okotoks also has a beautiful baseball stadium.
An arena with a seating capacity of 5,000 would help put Airdrie on the Alberta sporting map, and help make the city more than just a place you pass through on your way to Edmonton or Calgary. Such an arena could host curling events like the Scotties or the Briar, and maybe a junior A hockey team. I know there are a lot of families here who would support such a team. If Olds, Canmore, and Brooks can each have junior A hockey teams, why not Airdrie?
I know everyone says we live too close to Calgary to have these amenities, and that's why we will never get a new hospital, for instance. That may be true, but I'm not going to drive to Calgary to watch junior hockey or other big sporting events that we could host right here in Airdrie. The money generated would stay in the community and Airdrie would become more than a place people drive past.
Lloyd Meyer
Hillcrest
