Western Canada Games

(Fort McMurray, Alberta – September 21, 2012) – The organizing Committee of the 2015 Western Canada Summer Games is thrilled to announce the hiring of veteran Games organizer, Kim Rizzi, as their General Manager.

Rizzi comes to the 2015 WCSG from the Canadian Deaf Sports Association, where she led the Association as their Executive Director, in a role that primarily prepared Team Canada for various international competitions by building a stronger national program.

A Games and Sport Administrator for 25 years, Rizzi has extensive experience in leadership roles with multi-sport Games host organizations including the Olympic Games, Pan American Games, Canada Games and Arctic Winter Games. Her call to multi-sport Games came after an illustrious athletic career at Brandon University, where she began work with the Manitoba Games program. 

“Kim is joining our organization and will play a pivotal role in the next 33 months organizing, staging and hosting the largest multi-sport event ever brought to Fort McMurray.  Her leadership, games experience and savvy business manner will lead our organization in hosting the best ever games in the Wood Buffalo region,” said Jeff Fitzner, Chair of the 2015 Western Canada Summer Games.

“I am honoured to have the opportunity to lead the 2015 Western Canada Summer Games host organization and community, and to be part of this event. I will use my unique perspective to build on hosting a most successful Games and look forward to engaging the dynamic community of Fort McMurray and showcasing the city, through the Western Canada Summer Games,” Rizzi added.

In 1997, Rizzi was the Director of Sport for the Brandon Canada Summer Games.  Rizzi was the Sport Manager for the 1999 Pan American Games  and the General Manager of the 2002 Arctic Winter Games, the first ever multi-sport Games hosted in the Nunavut Territory.  After the completion of the games in Iqaluit, she was the Director of Economic Development for the City of Iqaluit. In 2006, she moved to Montreal to be the first Executive Director of the Canadian Deaf Sports Association, where she has since built on the vision and operational plans of the Association, leading them to be one of the most respected and successful organizations in international sport.

Rizzi will begin her new position in Fort McMurray on October 1, 2012.

The Wood Buffalo 2015 Western Canada Games has advertised for the postion of Games Manager.   Applications for this key position are due by July 18th.   More information can be found in this release:

• Games Manager Posting

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.