(Prince George, B.C.) In 100 days, the largest multi-sport and cultural event in the nation will begin in Prince George. From February 13 until March 1, 2015, the 2015 Canada Winter Games will welcome over 3,400 athletes, officials and coaches to Prince George and northern BC.
“The 2015 Canada Winter Games will transform Prince George and northern BC,” says Stuart Ballantyne, CEO of the 2015 Canada Winter Games. “The 2015 Games will be a unique and magical event for all participants, sponsors, visitors and residents. Today, as we celebrate 100 Days Out, we hope residents will join us for a sneak peek of the magic that will occur over the 18 days of the 2015 Games.”
Today, the 2015 Canada Winter Games celebrate 100 days out with a free community celebration and the first leg of the Illuminate the North 2015 Canada Winter Games Torch Relay from 5:00 pm until 8:30 pm at the renamed Canada Games Plaza in Prince George. The 2015 Games Torch Relay will start at the YMCA of Northern BC at 5:00 pm and arrive in Canada Games Plaza at 7:00 pm. During the 2015 Games Torch Relay, the 100 Days Out pre-show, starting at 5:00 pm, will feature entertainment at the Canada Games Plaza and will also air the Torch Relay live.
From 7:00 pm until 8:30 pm the 100 Days Out celebration will feature live entertainment, a festival site, food and merchandise vendors and will conclude with a fireworks display and a performance by Bright City Heights,
an indie rock band from Prince George.
The complete 100 Days Out event schedule is available at www.canadagames2015.ca.
Quotes
The Honourable Bal Gosal, Minister of State (Sport):
“The excitement is really starting to build with only 100 days to go until the Prince George 2015 Canada Winter Games. The Canada Games is one of the first major events taking place during the Year of Sport in Canada and we look forward to seeing our young Canadian athletes excel as we kick off this year-long celebration of sport in this country.”
The Honourable Coralee Oakes, Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development:
“In just 100 days we will be welcoming thousands of 2015 Canada Winter Games participants and supporters to Prince George and northern BC, and we look forward to sharing the best of what this region has to offer. So
many people have been working hard to make sure the first ever winter edition of the Canada Games in BC is an unforgettable experience and I congratulate them all on their efforts.”
Mayor Shari Green, City of Prince George:
“It is truly invigorating to say that we are now 100 days out from the biggest sporting and cultural event to arrive in Prince George since the city’s incorporation nearly 100 years ago,” says Mayor Shari Green of Prince George. “To mark this monumental day, the City of Prince George officially opened the Canada Games Plaza, providing residents and visitors a community square that will live on in our city long after the 2015 Games have concluded. Today is a celebration for Prince Georgians and the entire northern region of British Columbia.”
Chief Dominic Frederick, Lheidli T’enneh First Nation:
“Having the Roly McLenahan Torch arrive in Lheidli T’enneh territory is very exciting. We have anticipated this for many years and are welcoming the torch, all of the torchbearers, dignitaries and citizens to join us in the lead up to the 2015 Canada Winter Games.”
Tom Quinn, Chairman of the Canada Games Council:
“The 100 Days Out event is such a special and exciting time for each Host Society as they inch closer and closer to hosting the Canada Games. This landmark event will kick off the northern BC leg of the Torch Relay and consequently kick start the homestretch preparation phase prior to the 2015 Canada Winter Games. We couldn’t be more excited to see how all of northern BC will host the entire nation come February 13, 2015, when the 2015 Canada Winter Games will write a northern story that is sure to captivate us all.”
About 2015 Canada Winter Games
The 2015 Canada Winter Games will be the largest multi-sport and cultural event to ever be held in Prince George and northern British Columbia and is forecasted to generate an economic impact of over $90 million while building champions and inspiring dreams amongst Canadian youth. Athletes from 10 provinces and three territories will compete in 19 sports with the dream of becoming Canada’s next champions. In 2015, choose your
path, leave your tracks, and journey with the 2015 Canada Winter Games as we host the nation and share a northern story with all of Canada.
About the Official Host First Nation
The traditional territory of the Lheidli T’enneh stretches 4.3 million hectares from the Rocky Mountains to the Interior Plains, and includes the City of Prince George. The word, Lheidli, means, “Where the two rivers flow
together,” referring to the Nechako and Fraser Rivers, and T’enneh means, “the people”. Downtown Prince George and the surrounding neighborhoods now sit on the site that was originally the Fort George Indian reserve,
established in 1892. The history of the Lheidli T’enneh is a big part of the history of the City of Prince George and the entire region.