SPRUCE MEADOWS READY FOR‘ FUN’ YEAR
Megan Singer gives horse Pater Noster a drink Tuesday, a day before the opening of the National, the first big show-jumping event of the season for the Calgary facility.
She runs a world-class equestrian facility beloved by the world’s top riders and oversees an ambitious organization offering an increasing number of year-round events for the community.
This week, Linda SouthernHeathcott is busy preparing for Spruce Meadows’ 41st season of international competition with the National, as well as a host of new events to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday.
Yet, when we meet Tuesday morning, the first thing Spruce Meadows’ president and CEO wants to do is share some happy family news.
“Nancy is a grandmother and mom’s a great-grandma,” she says proudly of her elder sister, Nancy Southern, the president and CEO of ATCO Ltd. Two weeks ago, Nancy’s daughter, Kelly Koss-Brix, welcomed baby Olivia into the family fold, the first grandchild for her sister and the first great-grandchild for Spruce Meadows’ matriarch, Marg Southern.
“Yes, we’re pretty excited about little Olivia,” Southern-Heathcott says with a beaming smile as her corgi, Cala, and Tulsa, her four-month-old Australian shepherd, sit at her feet. “In our group, she’s a pretty big deal.”
Family, after all, is what’s behind the incredible success story of how an international show jumping venue ended up on the southerly outskirts of Calgary. The year 2016 was a tough one for the Southerns, with the death of Ron Southern, who with his wife, Marg, made their dream of Spruce Meadows not only come true but continue to grow 41 years after its start
“We still miss dad,” says Southern-Heathcott, who on this day is also welcoming local, national and international media on the eve of its first big tournament of the season, this one running from Wednesday to Sunday (for info on tourneys and all other events, go to spruce meadows. com). “But we’re finally seeing some of the spaces finished that he wanted, so that feels good.”
What also feels good is announcing a wide variety of events and attractions this year to complement the competitions, many of them not only celebrating Canada’s 150th birthday but also focusing on the Southern family’s aim since Day 1: to make Spruce Meadows a most unique phenomenon, a place where world-class athletes, community and business leaders, and ordinary moms, dads and kids all feel at home.
Some of the highlights over the coming months include a “Salute to First Responders” during the Masters; a blockbuster, free-admission Canada Day with a Heroes Behind the Heroes fundraising run for military families, along with an evening performance by the Rocky Mountain Symphony Orchestra; dog and breeder shows; and a weekly movie night where, for $20 a vehicle, families can sit in the park and watch films on a blow-up screen.
“We’re going to have an online poll to help decide which movies people want to see,” says Southern-Heathcott. “It’s just one of the great ideas our 150th committee came up with,” she says, part of their Soak Up the Summer series of activities cosponsored by ATCO, the group of companies founded by her late father.
It all adds up to what she calls a banner 2017 for Spruce Meadows and its thousands of visitors, one that honours her parents’ commitment to make their facility a place for all.
“The economic downturn has been tough on so many people, so we want to keep reminding them that they can enjoy so much here for very little,” says SouthernHeathcott. “We want them to think of Spruce Meadows as a place that is unique, enjoyable and affordable.”
Another big push this year, of course, is to make Spruce Meadows one of the top places for locals and visitors alike to commemorate Canada’s 150th birthday.
“We’re celebrating the diversity of Canadians and Canada,” says Southern-Heathcott, who’s working to get a Canadian citizenship ceremony to take place on the grounds this fall. “We’re hoping Spruce Meadows is the melting pot that brings everyone together.”
Together with a summer that will see such celebrity Canadian riders as Ian Millar, Eric Lamaze and Tiffany Foster compete with other top international competitors, Southern-Heathcott is confident that 2017 will be another one for the record books.
“It’s going to be a really fun, engaging year,” she says with a smile. “I can’t wait.”