In the midst of a Prince George community celebration marking two years until the 2015 Canada Winter Games, Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond and Prince George-Mackenzie MLA Pat Bell announced a $390,000 Northern Sport Strategy designed to benefit residents throughout northern B.C.

Bond and Bell made the announcement on behalf of the Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development Bill Bennett.

The Northern Sport Strategy will target funding toward sport development programming across the North. The multi-pronged strategy will:

• Ensure that more children and youth in the North have the opportunity to try new sports through participation programs.

• Benefit high-performance athletes through targeted programming designed to ready them for the 2015 Canada Winter Games.

• Support coaches and officials through education and development programs.

• Enable community organizations and First Nations bands to access sports equipment through an equipment grant program.

• Support strength and conditioning centres at the University of Northern British Columbia and the Fort St. John Athlete Training Centre.

Healthy, active lifestyles are a key priority for government. The Northern Sport Strategy will leave a sustainable legacy of sport infrastructure and development in northern B.C. that will enable sport and physical activity to flourish.

Quote:

Bill Bennett, Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development -

"With the Northern Sport Strategy, we are building on the momentum of the 2015 Canada Winter Games in the biggest multi-sport competition ever held in the North. This important program will ensure access to sport programs and equipment for B.C. families and communities, and will support high-performance athletes in their preparation for competition."

Quick Facts:

• Sport development funding for the Northern Sport Strategy is administered by viaSport and Pacific Sport Northern BC.

• The closing date for equipment grant applications is March 4, 2013. Local sport organizations and Aboriginal bands located in BC Games Zones 7 and 8: http://www.bcgames.org/dotnetnuke/Games/Zones/tabid/209/Default.aspx - can apply at: http://viasport.ca/NSS.php

• Eighteen athletes from the North competed at the 2011 Canada Winter Games and brought home eight medals.

Learn More:

Northern Sport Strategy: http://www.viasport.ca/NSS.php

Contact:

Matt Gordon
Communications Director
Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development
250 896-4923