The Province of British Columbia is once again hosting a major, international sporting event. The inaugural Americas Masters Games (AMG) are taking place in Vancouver and thousands of athletes have arrived from the Pan-American region to rekindle their love of competitive sport.

Designed as a companion to the World Masters Games, this is an opportunity to be a part of history as the AMG get underway with more than 20 sports at Vancouver’s most iconic venues and locations, including: Stanley Park, Kits Beach, Trillium Field, UBC, Empire Field and the Vancouver Convention Centre.

The Government of British Columbia contributed a total of $400,000 in funding towards the AMG. This includes $50,000 from the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development for general hosting and $350,000 from the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training through the Tourism Events Program (TEP) – designed to support events that increase global recognition for the province.

The Province welcomes more than 5,000 athletes and coaches to British Columbia and wishes them the best of luck in their respective sports. The Games begin Friday, Aug. 26, 2016, with the opening ceremony taking place Saturday evening at the Jack Poole Plaza and will wrap up with the closing ceremony on Sunday, Sept. 4.

Quotes:                                

Peter Fassbender, Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development –

“On behalf of Premier Christy Clark and the Province of British Columbia, I welcome all athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers and fans to the inaugural Americas Masters Games taking place in Vancouver. With B.C. as host of yet another marquee event, we are proud to showcase our success in hosting international events through our outstanding amenities set against the backdrop of our scenic and natural environment.”

Shirley Bond, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour –

“This is a remarkable time for sport tourism in British Columbia. The Americas Masters Games is one of a number of major sporting events attracting visitors from around the world to our province. Last year was a remarkable one for tourism and 2016 is shaping up to be another great year with over 2.3 million visitors in the first six months - a 12% increase over 2015. These increases create year-round jobs, not just in hosting cities but in every region of our province.”

Quick Facts:

• Anyone over the age of 30 can participate in the Games.
• Sport BC is the Games’ organizers and work in close partnership with the Provincial Sport Organizations (PSOs) in British Columbia.
• The AMG 2016 is supported by four key stakeholders: The City of Vancouver, BC Pavilion Corporation, Tourism Vancouver and the Vancouver Hotel Destination Association.

Learn More:

To learn more about the Americas Masters Games, visit: https://www.americasmastersgames2016.com/

To learn more about the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/ministries/community-sport-and-cultural-development

To learn more about the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/ministries/jobs-tourism-and-skills-training