Community Partnerships

In March of 2006 the City of Kimberley was fortunate to receive $ 3.9 million from the Provincial Government for the development of a Paralympic Training Centre under the 2010 Major Sport Infrastructure fund. The vision for the Paralympic Training Centre was for Kimberley to become the only place in North America where disabled athletes could train for all four winter disciplines – Alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, Sledge Hockey and Wheelchair Curling – within one community. This project also included the development of a Paralympic Centre which would be a location for disabled athletes and coaches to work on dryland training. In January of 2008 the City of Kimberley received $2 million from the Federal and Provincial Governments through the Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund to construct a conference centre increasing Kimberley’s capacity to support business and tourism opportunities. The City of Kimberley proposed co-locating the Athlete Training Centre and the Conference Centre, one on top of the other, in the village core of the Kimberley Alpine Resort. The City felt that this was truly the best location for both facilities and that the two facilities compliment each other.

The development of this conference centre will allow Kimberley the opportunity to extend into the shoulder seasons making the community a true four-season destination which will act as a catalyst in the development of a strong, sustainable, year round economy that will encourage a diverse mix of businesses and services that will in turn improve the local tourism product. The development of a conference centre will increase hotel occupancy rates, which in turn, will increase resort revenue share, as well as the total amount collected from the 2% hotel room tax allowing the City of Kimberley to reinvest in tourism. With 76% of Kimberley’s current tourism market coming from Alberta, there is a real opportunity for Kimberley to attract a large percentage of Alberta’s growing corporate meeting and conventions market. Kimberley’s reputation in the market for world class tourism product and its geographical location make this market more than a potential.