Let the games begin: B.C. Winter Games in Greater Vernon officially underway
It may be a year late, but the wait has only heightened the excitement for the province’s premier sporting event.
The 2022 BC Winter Games in Greater Vernon are officially underway with the Opening Ceremony for the Games taking place on Thursday evening, March 23rd at Kal Tire Place.
The stadium was packed with athletes, coaches and officials on the floor and hundreds of spectators in the stands.
Global News Okanagan’s Jamie Tawil hosted the event. Tawil introduced the various zones participating in the games, saving the Thompson-Okanagan home zone for last.
“These games are about the development of young athletes from across the province. For many of you, this is the first multisport game you’ve competed in, and it could be the first step on the ladder to ever higher levels of achievement,” Tawil said.
The ceremony included a series of speakers encouraging the athletes while thanking the more than 1,500 volunteers who make the Games possible.
Vernon Mayor Victor Cumming called on athletes to remember that the most important aspect of the Games is fun.
“Come and play and make sure you have fun together. Everything else is secondary,” Cumming said.
Nicky Dunlop, President of the Greater Vernon Winter Games, thanked Syilx artist and Okanagan Indian Band member David Wilson for creating 15 “incredibly beautiful” pictographs, one for each sport in the games.
“I can’t believe we’re finally here. It has been an immense amount of work over the last few years by over 1,500 volunteers to get us here. I’m so grateful to be part of such a dedicated and phenomenal team,” said Dunlop.
Lana Popham, BC’s Secretary of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, confided to the audience that she qualified as an alpine skier for the BC Winter Games in 1985, but fell and broke her arm a week before the games began, which she did could not contest.
“I’ve waited 38 years to come to the BC Winter Games,” she said.
“As a former sportsman, I know how important these games are and I know how important sport is. Sport builds trust, builds connections and builds communities. It brings people together and inspires everyone around us to get involved and play,” added Popham.
Athlete Ambassador Mike Shaw, from Vernon, recounted his harrowing experience of injuring his spine while freestyle skiing and said doctors told him he would never run again. Just by pacing the stage – not to mention his impassioned speech – he served as an example of what can be achieved through hard work, focus and determination. He guided the athletes and everyone present through a meditative practice focused on gratitude.
At the end of the ceremony, three athletes formed a relay team to light the Winter Games torch, officially ushering in the Games. First up was Kelowna judo athlete Jorrdyn McRoy, who passed the flame to Vernon Ski Club athlete Olivia Lahey, who in turn passed the flame to biathlete Sierra Munroe, who lit the ceremonial torch in front of the main stage.
Mitchell Robertson, a greenbelt at the Lake Country Judo Club, opened the ceremony by reading the athlete’s oath while Allen Louis, Okanagan Indian Band councilman, led the audience through a prayer.
Between the speeches there were performances by the dance crews from Accents Dance Studio Vernon and the Birch Creek Singers performing the Okanagan Welcome Song and the Travel Song.
Athletes from across the province compete in 15 sports this weekend: alpine skiing, archery, artistic gymnastics, badminton, biathlon, cross-country skiing, para-cross-country skiing, curling, figure skating, freestyle skiing, judo, karate, rhythmic gymnastics, ringette, and snowboarding wheelchair basketball.
Over 900 athletes from across the province will compete Friday through Sunday.
The event has been postponed in 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the flooding that affected the province over the past year.
Brendan Shykora
BC Games Vernon Winter