Your Mascot Choices: Spruce the Moose, Fraser the Eagle, or Nanguz the Fox       courtesy 2015 CWG

Prince George, B.C. – The decision is now in the hands of the voters…

A call for Mascot submissions for the 2015 Canada Winter Games conjured up almost 400 responses from elementary school students from across northern BC.  After careful consideration, a panel made up of representatives from the 2015 Canada Winter Games, the Canada Games Council, Two Rivers Art Gallery, YMCA and Athlete Approved Kids selected three finalists:  Spruce the Moose, Fraser the Eagle, and Nanguz the Fox.

Voting to select the mascot which best represents the region began on Saturday at the official opening of the newly renovated Kin 1 Arena and Complex.

City residents lined up to learn the 'stories' behind the three finalists from Canada Winter Games volunteers, before casting their ballots.

While their full biographies are available on the 2015 Canada Winter Games' website, here are some highlights:

Spruce is like all moose – 'well adapted to our winters because they have long legs to help them through the deep snow'.  He loves to snowboard, snowshoe and cross country ski.  He is wearing a forest green jacket, black snow pants, red gloves, and blue snowboard boots that match his multi-hued blue snowboard.

Fraser, the Eagle, was often made fun of because he was born with three markings on his tail, so he travelled to a place of peace – where the Fraser and Nechako Rivers meet.  Eventually his friend, the salmon, taught him the markings represented strength, courage, and leadership.  He likes to practise freestyle skiing.

Nanguz the Fox feels he's lucky to live in the north 'because there is lots of beautiful snow-capped mountains to downhill ski on, huge open fields to cross country ski and big ponds and lakes to skate, curl and play hockey on'.  His favourite colours are 'red, just like my fur coat, blue like the northern lights in the night sky, and green just like the evergreen trees in the forest'.

To read more and cast your ballot for your favourite mascot, click here.

Voting runs until March 1st, with the winner to be announced March 11th.  All three of the finalists are rewarded for their effort:

1st Prize:  The Student becomes a 2015 Games torchbearer, has a class pizza party with the mascot this year and wins a games gear package.

2nd Prize: Gets a class pizza party with the mascot this year and a games gear package.

3rd Prize: Wins a games gear package.