To recognize the BC Games Society for enriching the lives of people and communities through sport, Lisa Beare, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, has proclaimed 2018 The Year of BC Games.

“The Games have brought people together in communities throughout B.C. and have positively influenced the lives of young athletes for 40 years,” said Beare. “The Games’ athletes, coaches and volunteers are role models, not only for excellence, but for the value of contributing to communities and our province.”

The BC Winter and Summer Games were established in 1978 to bring the province together in the spirit of sport and friendship. Over the past 40 years, the Games have been held in 38 communities, involving more than 350,000 participants and volunteers.

The BC Games Society is hosting community celebrations in six communities throughout the province this year to mark the 40th anniversary and recognize the importance of community hosts. The celebrations bring together past participants, volunteers, and supporters and will include special greetings from Olympic athletes who are BC Games alumni.

“The Games have inspired thousands of British Columbians to become athletes, coaches and volunteers,” said Ravi Kahlon, Parliamentary Secretary for Sport and Multiculturalism. “By participating in the Games, individuals and communities have gained skills that extend beyond sport and last a lifetime.”

Many former BC Games competitors have moved on to participate in national and international competitions, including the Canada Games and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. This year, thousands of B.C.’s best young athletes, along with coaches and officials, will gather in Kamloops for the BC Winter Games in February and in the Cowichan Valley for the BC Summer Games in July.

“This is an important year for the BC Games Society to celebrate our 40th anniversary,” said Kelly Mann, president and CEO of the BC Games Society. “The tremendous contributions of the volunteers and enthusiasm of participants have made the BC Games an impactful community and sport development endeavour. Returning to our past host communities is an important way to bring people together to remember and recognize successes, and renew friendships.”

The Province invests close to $50 million in sport annually, including $2 million to the BC Games Society to support the biannual BC Summer and Winter Games, and to prepare Team BC for the Canada Games.

Quick Facts:

• The Province provides $2 million to host biennial BC Winter Games and BC Summer Games and to prepare Team BC for the Canada Games.
• The 29th BC Winter Games will take place in Kamloops from Feb. 22 to 25, 2018. This is the third time Kamloops has hosted the BC Games. Kamloops was the host of the inaugural BC Winter Games in 1979, as well as the 2006 BC Summer Games.
• The 2018 BC Summer Games will take place in the Cowichan Valley from July 19 to 22. This is the second time that the region has hosted the BC Games.
• BC Games community celebrations were held in Abbotsford, Jan. 31, 2018; and will be held in Penticton, March 15, 2018; Prince George, April 2018; Nanaimo, May 2, 2018; Trail, Sept. 6, 2018; and Terrace, October 2018.

Learn More:

2018 The Year of BC Games Proclamation: http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/proclamations/proclamations/2018YrBCGames2018

To learn more about the BC Games Society, visit: www.bcgames.org