Prince George, B.C. – Saturday was Sports Day in Canada and the role sports plays in the development of the individual and the community was brought to the forefront.

The City of Prince George, Northern Health, the YMCA and PacificSport Northern BC teamed up to host a celebration of sports at Duchess Park school. Families were invited to take part in a number of sporting activities in the school’s gyms.

Incoming Mayor Lyn Hall was on hand, as were Canada Winter Games CEO Stu Ballantyne and PacificSport Northern BC Executive Director Leslie Wirth. Hall noted that “it’s a real treat to be back in here. I was on the school board at the time when we built Duchess Park and what a phenomenal facility. It’s going to be great for the Winter Games Stu. I remember when you brought the group through to take a look at the facility and my comment was, it really needs no sales pitch. And here it is, one of the best facilities in the province.”

Hall noted that his daughters played ringette before they got into soccer. “The participation by children in sports is so important. My kids started out in school sports and they are where they are today because of sport, and I couldn’t be more proud of the path they’ve travelled. If you can get children and students involved in sports at an early age, it is a real bonus that will carry them well throughout their life.”

Hall thanked the sponsors of the event “on behalf of her worship Mayor Green and the rest of council, thank the school district and everyone who is putting this day on.”

Games CEO Stu Ballantyne noted “I, too, have a massive connection to this facility. It was the selling point to bring a 16-year-old girl up from Vancouver to come and work here and take on this role. I grew up in the sport system in British Columbia, I competed for Team BC, I competed for Canada.”

“We sit 75 days out from the Canada Games opening ceremonies. I can’t say enough about what our table tennis and our wheelchair basketball athletes from across this country are going to get to experience here. Not just that but all twenty-four hundred athletes and a thousand coaches that are going to take part in all the facilities across Prince George. It’s a great legacy, not only from the Games but there was already tremendous sports facilities here and the upgrades that have been done will allow for more sport hosting, hopefully more kids to come into sport and to make sure that the sports system here in northern BC grows and is very healthy for years to come.”

Ballantyne says “I hope that for years to come people will remember what happens in February of this coming year. Over fifteen thousand visitors will come to this region and get a chance to see who the next Catriona Le May Doan, Hayley Wickenheiser, Sidney Crosby, Steve Nash, all these kids have competed at the Canada Games level and definitely the 2015 games will host an athlete or athletes that will become of that stature internationally at some point in time.”

“We’re really encouraged that the community has embraced not only the chance to host but to even have the guts to bid. It’s not an inexpensive proposition and the city has been a phenomenal partner, as has the province, federal government and all of our sponsors.”

Leslie Wirth of PacificSport (left) says “we know that doing something good for your body is also doing something very good for your brain and for you spirit. We all need to be physically active and participate in sport throughout our lives. We encourage fair play, positive thinking and most importantly, having fun.”