The NAIT Ooks women’s futsal team and the Lakeland College Rustlers men’s squad weren’t the only big winners at the recent Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference futsal regional qualifier hosted in Lac La Biche by the Portage College Voyageurs futsal teams.

The community also saw the benefit of the college-level event weekend that drew teams from across northern Alberta, says Voyageurs soccer program head coach Macky Singh.

Although neither of the Portage teams registered wins over the weekend event, the community still came away as a big winner, says Singh.

“The opportunity to host something like this has a lot of benefits for the community, said the veteran coach, who appreciates the College's agreement with the Lac La Biche County council to use the Bold Centre for events that can draw a crowd. “You see people’s faces as they look around – they are impressed – and it helps to spotlight the entire community to those visitors.”

Portage communities

That spotlight, he explained, shines on communities across northeastern Alberta where Portage College campus events can draw visitors.

“For this futsal event in Lac La Biche, for example, we had about 200 people visiting with the teams, so the economic benefits, the hotels, the food, restaurants, for three days, and showing off our community … it was a great opportunity.”

Not only was there a direct impact on the local economy from the weekend, he said, but also a long-term, indirect promotion of the community.

“The games are live-streamed, so it doesn’t just have to be the connection of people coming here from the region or the province, it can be seen from out of the province and across the country and overseas. We’ve got international players, so their families are watching as well,” said Singh.

College connections

Lac La Biche County spokesperson Jihad Moghrabi says events like the recent ACAC Futsal Regionals bring opportunity to the local economy and can help to promote the many unique features of the community.

“We’re a small but mighty community, with top-tier amenities and sport infrastructure like the Bold Centre, along with a huge number of community events,” said Moghrabi, explaining that sport-tourism continues to be a focus area of corporate marketing strategies. “Lac La Biche County is putting major efforts into sport tourism and attracting more large events like the ACAC Futsal Regionals, not just for the economic spin-off, but because seeing our facilities busy and used to capacity enhances the spirit and vitality of our community.”

Connecting with Portage College in particular, said Moghrabi, is also part of an overall marketing plan for the Lac La Biche Region, connecting tourism, industry and the College.

“Lately, our senior leadership has placed a lot of emphasis on building our community into both a resort area and college town,” Moghrabi said, explaining the goal will highlight the community as an “educational hub” for industry and others looking to invest and develop in Lac La Biche County.

Including businesses and organizations in the overall plan, Moghrabi and Portage College officials say more details – and more events will be unveiled shortly.

“Look for more on this to come in 2025,” Moghrabi said.