Assembly discusses hosting Arctic Winter Games in 2024

PALMER — The Arctic Winter Games may be held in the Mat-Su Borough, pending the preparation of a bid that will be submitted to the Mat-Su Borough Assembly on Nov. 17. Deputy Borough Manager Russ Krafft presented new information about the possibility of hosting the Arctic Winter Games for the sixth time in Alaska.

“As it turns out the Borough is the only party that expressed interest in hosting the games in ‘24, so essentially the games are ours if we want them,” said Krafft.

Krafft initially presented the possibility in August, and most recently addressed the Assembly on Oct. 6. Arctic Winter Games is an athletic competition of nearly 2,000 athletes from Arctic nations held once every two years for amateur athletes. The Arctic Winter Games will be held in Grand Prarie, Canada in 2022 and were last hosted by an Alaska city in Fairbanks.

“We believe that the borough has with the exception of potentially a biathlon range, all of the required infrastructure to host the games. We have the ice, we have the nordic and we have the cross country skiing, we have plenty of gymnasium space in the schools to host all of the associated games. The largest challenge that we see with the games will be the funding of the games,” said Krafft.

Kraft said in August that the proposed economic impacts of hosting the games was valued at $37.7 million to the Northwest Territories in Canada in 2018. Krafft estimated that the Borough would need to provide approximately $5 million to fund the games, much of which can be raised through merchandise, fundraising and ticket sales during the games. Currently, a $2 million payment from the state would be distributed over four years and a $50,000 endowment that Fairbanks retained after hosting their last Arctic Winter Games would be provided. Krafft said that Fairbanks had proposed a budget of $8.2 million but ended up only spending $4.7 and that the budget for the upcoming 2022 games was $5.2 million. Krafft mentioned that previous plans had included Arctic Valley Ski Area, but would be able to utilize Skeetawk Ski Area in Hatcher Pass for the 2024 games. Krafft said that a nonprofit would partner with the Borough to run the games.

“I think that venues such as Big Lake or Willow would be prime spots to have this kind of activity so I’d certainly think that it would do very well for tourism here in the future and it should be something that we would pursue,” said Assemblyman Dan Mayfield in August.

Krafft met with Lieutenant Governor Kevin Meyer, who invited the Borough to submit a bid and the Arctic Winter Games International Committee on Sept. 29. The issue will next appear before the Assembly on Nov. 17.