The Province and Legacies Now are providing $150,000 in funding to support the nine major national and international sporting events in the Callaghan Valley this winter.
The funds provided through Hosting BC grants are earmarked to support provincially based organizations as they bid for, secure, and host events in B.C. communities. The primary goal of Hosting B.C. is to attract national and international level sporting events to establish B.C. as a world leader in event hosting.
"This is a very exciting time for people living in this region," said West Vancouver-Sea to Sky MLA Joan McIntyre Friday (Jan. 16). "These events not only raise awareness of these sports locally and bring in tourists to support the local and regional economies, but also allow us to showcase, in advance, some of the amazing venues in place for 2010."
This round of grants from Hosting BC supports 26 summer and winter sports including biathlon, freestyle skiing, curling, cycling, para cross country skiing and wheelchair basketball.
"These events will have a lasting legacy and events such as the World Cup this weekend puts us on the map for Nordic skiing," McIntyre said. "We are very appreciative of all that Hosting BC is doing because the economic benefits that accrue to the local communities cannot be understated."
The nine events supported in the Callaghan Valley includes the 2009 Nordic Combined World Cup (cross-country skiing and ski jumping); the 2009 Ski Jumping World Cup; the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Para Nordic cross country and Biathlon; the E.On Ruhrgas IBU Biathlon World Cup; the Viessmann Luge World Cup; Canadian Junior Championships; IPC Alpine World Cup Finals; as well as the Federation Internationale de Ski (FIS) Continental Cup Nordic Combined (cross-country and ski jumping) and the 2009 Ladies Ski Jumping Continental Cup events held in December, 2008.
"The public funding is critical to the success of these events and for smaller sports, the support is critical," said Brent Morrice, chairman of Ski Jumping Canada. "These events help us build a legacy so that surrounding communities can enjoy top level international competition for many years to come."
Along with the added funding boost, Morrice also congratulated the residents of Squamish and Whistler for stepping up and volunteering.
"We could not possibly host a world cup event without the support of the 400 local volunteers signed up," Morrice said.
Since 2004, Hosting BC has distributed a total of $2.6 million to support 188 events in 34 communities, including Canadian championships, World Cups and qualifying tournaments for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The application deadline for the next round of Hosting BC funding is March 1, 2009. For more information on Hosting BC, please visit www.2010LegaciesNow.com
