Some excitement among High River's hot air balloon community over the weekend with the official opening of their new launch port just off Centre Street.
High River Balloon Events Committee member Jamie Kinghorn, says they were able to bring everything together fairly quickly.
"We've been working with the Town for the last three or four months, getting all the permits in place and all the sign permits and all that sort of stuff. A lease, we've got a long term lease with the Town for five years. So, we're pretty excited about it, it's been used quite a bit in the last year or so and we're just hoping for more."
The launch port is an empty piece of land between Wallaceville and Eagleview Estates along Centre Street.
Kinghorn says it's pretty much open to anyone with a hot air balloon.
"It's for any balloonist that comes to our area, whether they're local or come from Calgary or Ontario or wherever, if they come to High River they now know there's an approved port that they can go and launch from and they're all excited about it. I've had it up on Facebook and I've had tons of hits, I think 80 or 90 pilots have sent me messages."
Kinghorn says it'll be for recreational launches only, and won't be used during September's Balloon Festival and competition.
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Fri, May 17, 10:43 AM
Labour
