Businesses thrive during event

To the editor, Recognizing a great opportunity to showcase local talent and a small group’s willingness to devote countless volunteer hours to seeing it come to life on an international stage, has had a major economic impact on this region.

From July 22 to 24, Pleasant Valley Motosport Park, near Brookfield, played host to the Canadian Motosport Racing Corps. (CMRC) Round 7 of the Rockstar Energy Motocross Nationals series.

From the outset, this event was expected to attract more than 7,000 drivers and spectators from across North America. The track action was live streamed around

the world and interviews with riders filmed during the event will be broadcast in the near future garnering international awareness for this region.

Mitchell Cooke and his family, supported by community volunteers, deserve recognition for identifying and seizing an opportunity to bring a national event to their family track. The event was well promoted and organized, drawing international attention and contributed an estimated $1.5 million to the economy of the region.

Restaurants, accommodations, service stations and convenience stores experienced an increase in business as event spectators and participants convened in the area.

Cooke, who had been lobbying CMRC to bring the event back to Pleasant Valley for years, made

the pitch to officials earlier in the season when Ottawa was taken off the schedule. This is the first time in 14 years the national event has been held in Pleasant Valley, one of only two Maritime venues to host it. Riverglade MX, near Moncton, will host Round 8 of 10 on July 31.

The event also gave local rider Tyler Medaglia the chance to reach the podium in front of a hometown crowd finishing third in the second MX 1 moto.

On behalf of the Truro and Colchester Chamber of Commerce and its 425 member companies, we congratulate Medaglia and thank Cooke for taking a risk, which in return benefited many businesses.