Young participants try out ringette at the SportZ Xtravaganza underway at Duchess Park     250News photo

Prince George, BC – From ringette to wheelchair basketball, yoga to Zumba, it's an afternoon of activity for kids at Duchess Park…

PacificSport Northern BC is hosting its 4th annual SportZ Xtravaganza.  It's the 3rd year the day has been run in conjunction with the CBC's Sports Day in Canada.  Coordinator, Kimberley Bennett, said, "It's a great way for kids to celebrate having fun and love of activity."

"The city really is a community full of recreation and sport and opportunities to participate," said Mayor Shari Green at this morning's Xtravaganza launch.  "It's an important thing in every community that we've got an opportunity to promote a healthy lifestyle."

2015 Canada Winter Games CEO, Stu Ballantyne, said, "Today is a big celebration right across the country – it's important that sport is a part of a culture and a part of our lifestyle."

He said he appreciates all the agencies working to promote sport and the Winter Games is doing its part, pointing out that in just 440 day, city residents will be able to enjoy 19 sports over 18 days.  Duchess Park will serve as one of the venues, hosting table tennis and wheelchair basketball.  A participant in the 2012 Winter Games, local wheelchair athlete, Avril Harris, is hosting a one-hour session for kids wanting to try the sport, starting at noon.  The Xtravaganza runs until 2pm.

At a session hosted by the Prince George Ringette Association, kids got to try their hand at the sport on solid ground, but Association President, Janine Gervais, says a free 'Come Try Ringette' ice session is planned for between 4:30pm and 5:30pm this afternoon at the Coliseum.

Gervais says the event is part of a Ringette Canada program aimed at promoting the sport across the country.  Bring your skates and a CSA-approved helmet – a bike helmet will do.  Ringette is for both boys and girls.

"Currently, we have 121 skaters and we have our largest number of boys registered this year – 21 boys – so every team has three or four boys on it."

Gervais says ringette places a huge emphasis on skating skills, and many choose the sport over hockey because there is less contact involved.  "It's definitely a physical game – you grab the ring and skate, skate, skate – but there's no hitting, no checking, nothing like that."

"We have some really high level skaters and some brand new skaters on every team."  The teams range from under-9 to an open division that is 18+ and is make up, primarily, of university students.