Western Canada Games

Two recent awards were recently presented for the 2011 Western Canada Games. 

• The Kamloops Sports Council named Henry Pejril (President of the Host Society) and Doug Smith (General Manager) Sportsmen of the Year at the Kamloops Annual Sports Hall of Fame (link).
• The Western Canada Games received the President's Trophy for a regional Games at the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance 6th Annual Prestige Awards in Richmond on April 19th.   Henry Pejril accepted the award on behalf of the Host Society (link).

Congratulations to the Kamloops 2011 Western Canada Games Society from Western Canada Games Council.

Western Canada Games Council (WCGC) met in Kamloops in October and invited representatives of the Host Society to discussions and a meeting of minds from all western provinces and territories.

A debriefing on all facets of the 2011 Games led to discussions of best practices, standards, policies, and goals for the future.   Kamloops set a very high standard, helping to shape the future of the Games, passing on the "torch" to future hosts.

A great deal of discussion followed on how Western Canada Games Council can steer the Games movement to renewed goals and greater support for hosting communities.   A plan has been developed and action items are underway starting this fall and will continue into next year.  

The Western Canada Games would like to thank and acknowledge Chris Graham from B.C. for chairing Games Council from 2007 to 2011.   Chris worked closely with Council, committees, sport organizations, and the Host Society and in his role as Chair, was one of the major contributors to the success of the 2011 Games.   Chris will continue to sit on WCGC as the B.C. rep as Council looks ahead to the build-up for the 2015 Games in Wood Buffalo.

An announcement will be forthcoming for the new chair of WCGC, who will be from Alberta.

Kamloops and the Province of BC are "wrapping up" after  the Games:

• Equipment is being inventoried and prepared for disubursement.
• Bills are mostly paid and accounting of the Games is well-underway.
• A legacy plan is in development.
• Many thank yous have been sent out.
• A Transfer of Knowledge Program has begun.

Western Canada Games Council will meet in Kamloops in October to look back at the 2011 Games and ahead to the 2015 Games.   What went well?   What standards have been set?  What direction should the Games take for the future?   How can we "ride the wave" to future successful Games?

Wood Buffalo has started with the first steps in preparation for the 2015 Games, and Western Canada Games Council wants to move the Games forward in a collaborative and transparent process that involves all 7 provinces and territories and the 18 partner sport associations.  

Chef de Mission Scott Fraser welcomed Team Alberta to their kick-off event:

"This past weekend we held our Team Alberta Staging Event.  It was extremely well received with approximately 500 attending (athletes, coaches/managers, mission staff & parents).  Everyone is truly looking forward to the Games in Kamloops."  

Press Release – July 9_Team Alberta Staging WCSG

Congratulations to Fort McMurray and the Regional Muncipality of Wood Buffalo in winning the right to host the 2015 Games.  

• Link to Wood Buffalo's Bid Video
• Press Release
• Wood Buffalo's Bid Site

Registration for the 2011 Games is underway for the "Games Family":

• Of 2300 participants, 650 are now registered.
• Of 300 technical offcials, 60 are registered.
• About 100 VIPs are expected to register.
• About 80 Observers and Sport Observers are expected to register over the next month.
• Over 1300 volunteers of 2000 are already registered.
• Over 40 registered working media are now registered.
• 200 Sponsors and Friends of the Games are now registered.

Most of these register on-line through a portal.   The Host Society manages the registration processes through ViewTeam software.    Every registrant will be contacted to complete the registration, communicating, accreditation, and in-person check-in process.   By the end of July, 5000 people will be registered and all accreditation badges will be waiting for the Games family on arrival.

The Kamloops Host Society has now opened its Participant Registration portal and the first registrants for the 2011 Western Canada Games have started to register themselves on-line.   The first few registrants were from Team Saskatchewan.    Six Mission staff have already registered.   Team Manitoba was soon to follow.    As the days go by, 2300 athletes, coaches, managers, and team staff will register on-line for the Games.  

Some of Canada's top athletes of the future will attend the Games this summer.   Did you know that athltes like Steve Nash and Sidney Crosby are Canada Games alumni?  Did you know that for the Beijing Olympics, over 115 of the athletes of the Canadian team had earlier competed in the Canada Games and a good proportion of those were also Western Canada Games athletes?    Which stars of the future will compete in this year's Games?

The Kamloops 2011 Western Canada Games Society recently redeveloped its website and it is now available:

http://www.2011wcsg.com

Western Canada Games Council and the Western Provinces and Territories congratulate Kamloops on the new site.

Chefs and Assistant Chefs de Mission met in Kamloops from April 11-14 to meet with the Host Society, reviewing plans for the Summer Games to be held ion August, 2011.   Overall, the Chefs agreed that Kamloops shows good preparation.   A list of items to be addressed was developed and are being followed up over the next month.   Chefs attend Conference Calls with the Host Society staff each month and Action Items are discussed.  

Provincial and Territorial teams are in the process of working with their provincial and territorial sport organizations to have their athletes, coaches, and managers chosen for their P/T teams.   Once these participants are chosen, they will register for the Games through the Host Society's web portal.   In support of the participants will be Mission staff who oversee team transportation, uniforms, media services, liaison to medical needs, information technology, and team support.   Each Chef will have a team of 10-20 Mission staff to support the participants before and during the Games.  

The Host Society and the Chefs work collaboratively on their separate, but interdependent plans to prepare for the Games.   Everyone is gearing up for the Games, now just 108 days away!

Some of us were able to travel to the 2011 Canada Winter Games in Halifax.    Halifax was awarded the Games in 2006 and in a little more than a week, the Games will be completed and part of Canada Games history.   The next Canada Games is in August of 2013 in Sherbrooke, Quebec, followed by the Winter Games in Prince George, B.C.   The Games alternates summer then winter with a new host province every two years.

The Western Canada Games is a summer Games only, modeled on the Canada Games.   It was developed by the four western provinces and territories to provide additional development opportunities for young athletes.    The sport age classes are chosen in such a way to allow P/T athletes a chance to compete in the Western Canada Games, then two years later in the Canada Summer Games.   The athletes who compete in the 2011 Games in Kamloops also may be chosen to compete in the 2013 Games in Sherbrooke.

Athletes like Steve Nash (Kamloops, 1993) and Sidney Crosby (Chaleur, 2003) competed in the Canada Games and many athletes of their caliber across the 19 sports will compete in the Western Canada Games, then the Canada Games before going on to Pan Am Games, Commonwealth Games, and the Olympics.