BC sport sector experiences positive benefits from 2010 Winter Games

For Immediate Release:

BC sport sector experiences positive benefits from 2010 Winter Games

BC amateur sport releases information on participation and performance advancements in sector one year later

Vancouver, BC (February 10, 2011) – The BC Sport Alliance, consisting of 2010 Legacies Now, BC Games Society, Canadian Sport Centre Pacific and Sport BC, announced key areas of impact as a result of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in advance of the one-year anniversary on February 12.

While the full impact of hosting the Games in British Columbia will not be completely measured for several years, B.C.’s sport sector is already experiencing notable positive trends, including:

• Significant growth in membership for the majority of winter Provincial Sport Organizations leading up to the Games;
• Increase in the number of B.C. athletes on national teams with opportunities to achieve success;
• Increased international sport volunteer, which have provided growth and depth to B.C.’s sport volunteer workforce;
• Recognition of sport’s impact on community building and preventative health care leading to sustained government investment; and
• New and improved sport facilities, which offer a legacy for B.C. communities and the sport sector as a whole.

“A key component of Vancouver’s bid for the 2010 Winter Games was to ensure lasting benefits for B.C.’s sport sector, through investments in sport participation, sport performance and sport hosting,“ explained Bruce Dewar, CEO of 2010 Legacies Now. “With the valuable support of the Province of B.C. and together with our partners, we achieved that goal and we continue to ensure our provincial sport system has the tools and resources it needs to drive sport benefits for people of all ages.”

“Canada has finally embraced the idea of winning, and it is imperative we ensure this newfound hunger becomes a permanent part of our culture. To continue winning on the world stage, we must invest in the daily training environment we surround our high performance athletes with,” said Wendy Pattenden, CEO of Canadian Sport Centre Pacific. “People, places and programs define our path to the podium. With world-class facilities now in Victoria, Whistler and Vancouver, we have an opportunity to not only invest in today’s athletes, but build British Columbian champions for generations to come.”

“B.C.’s Provincial Sport Organizations made a huge contribution to the success of the Games by providing skilled technical volunteers and staff to participate in the Sport workforce,” said Tim Gayda, Sport BC’s president and CEO and former VANOC VP of Sport. “Within VANOC there was a workforce in Sport of close to 5,000 people largely made up of British Columbians who obtained their technical training by volunteering countless hours, days and years in B.C.’s amateur sport sector. These volunteers and staff have gone back to their community clubs, associations and sport organizations, and continue to donate their free time to make sport happen in the province.”

“Canadian athletes and volunteers alike pursued and achieved their personal bests at the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games,” said Kelly Mann, president and CEO, BC Games Society. “A significant number of Olympic and Paralympic athletes had previously competed at the BC Games and Canada Games, and now inspire a new generation of athletes to dream of their podium moment. The BC Games have long been a training ground for athletes and volunteers and we have seen a renewed enthusiasm for sport and community celebration continuing the remarkable spirit generated across the country last February.”

The BC Sport Alliance is working with B.C.’s sport sector and the Province of B.C. to develop a new vision for the sector that ties together the positive effects sport has on healthy living and health outcomes. This new vision highlights and capitalizes on the contributions sport makes to the social and economic well-being of British Columbians and their communities.

A fact sheet and several story-starters, including testimonials from Provincial Sport Organizations, are available in the background material.

Media Links

Story Starters – BC Amateur Sport and Olympic Games

Fact Sheet – Amateur Sport and Olympic Games

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Media Contacts:

About Sport BC:

Sport BC believes everyone is an athlete – whatever their sport, whatever their level.  Our passion for sport is a passion for building strong, healthy communities by giving everyone in BC the opportunity to be the athletes they are. We are the engine driving amateur sport in BC, inspiring participation and supporting its activation through the 64 Provincial Sport Organizations who bring sport to life in BC. For more information, please visit SportBC.com

About Canadian Sport Centre Pacific:

In partnership with the national network of Canadian Sport Centres and provincial network of PacificSport Centres, Canadian Sport Centre Pacific delivers sport performance programs to help athletes and coaches win medals for Canada. Working in support of our national and provincial sport partners, Canadian Sport Centre Pacific is creating a stronger system for the development of athletes, coaches, integrated support teams and sport performance facilities. For more information, please visit www.cscpacific.ca.

About BC Games Society:

The BC Games Society is responsible for staging BC’s largest multisport events, the BC Summer and BC Winter Games.  Since 1978, the BC Games have taken place in 38 communities and involved over 350,000 participants and volunteers from every corner of the province.  The BC Games foster the development of athletes, volunteers and communities and promote the pursuit of active healthy living for all British Columbians.  For more information please visit www.bcgames.org.

About 2010 Legacies Now:

2010 Legacies Now was established as an integral component of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and successfully leveraged the Games to create lasting legacies in communities throughout British Columbia. Building on its international recognition as a leader in social innovation, 2010 Legacies Now is evolving its business model to further its work in creating positive and lasting social change. Visit 2010LegaciesNow.com or 2010andBeyond.ca for more information.