TRAIL-ROSSLAND, February 25, 2025 — Excitement is building in the Kootenays as the official countdown begins for the Trail-Rossland 2026 BC Winter Games. In just one year, the region will welcome as many as 1,200 of British Columbia’s top young athletes, along with coaches and officials, for five days of elite competition and community celebration from Wednesday, February 25 to Sunday, March 1.
“The Kootenays are a beautiful part of BC, especially in winter, and its communities are well known for their hospitality,” says Brian Stefani, president of the Trail-Rossland 2026 BC Winter Games. “We look forward to welcoming the province’s best young athletes and their families for an exceptional experience.”
Trail and Rossland have a rich history of winter sports and events, including the BC Winter Games in 1982 and 2006. Known for their world-class ski terrain, passionate sports culture, and dedicated volunteers, these communities are poised to deliver an unforgettable multi-sport event.
The 2026 BC Winter Games Host Society is led by President Brian Stefani and Vice President Barb Stanley, supported by a Board of Directors, and powered by 1,600 volunteers who will ensure every aspect of the Games is a success. Volunteer recruitment will begin in earnest in the fall, and community members are encouraged to get involved in this milestone event.
“The BC Winter Games provide an important stepping stone for young athletes as they progress in their sporting careers,” says Andy Morel, Mayor of Rossland. “Trail and Rossland offer outstanding venues and a passionate sporting community that will help create a truly inspiring competition.”
“We are honoured to welcome the BC Winter Games back next year, bringing significant economic benefits to our community,” says Colleen Jones, Mayor of Trail. “This event will invigorate local businesses, boost tourism, enhance local infrastructure, and strengthen community spirit. It’s also an exciting opportunity for residents to get involved through volunteering and showcase the hospitality of Trail.”
KEY DATES FOR THE 2026 BC WINTER GAMES: – Opening Ceremony: Thursday, February 26, 2026 – Competitions: Thursday, February 26 – Saturday, February 28, 2026
FUN FACTS: – More than 900 medals will be awarded across 15 winter sports. – Volunteers will prepare and serve over 18,500 meals during the Games.
Media Contacts Andras Lukacs Director of Marketing Trail-Rossland 2026 BC Winter Games andras@bcwintergames.ca
Andres Marquez-Velasco Marketing Coordinator BC Games Society andresmv@bcgames.org
https://staging.bcgames.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/BlueNews.png563509David Conlinhttps://staging.bcgames.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/bc-games-logo.svgDavid Conlin2025-02-25 16:30:062025-10-28 16:48:28Countdown to Trail-Rossland 2026 BC Winter Games begins
ROSSLAND, January 22, 2025 — The Board of Directors for the Trail-Rossland 2026 BC Winter Games, scheduled to take place from February 25 to March 1, 2026, has been finalized. A nominating committee, led by the Mayors of the City of Rossland and the City of Trail, guided the selection process.
The Games will be led by President Brian Stefani and Vice-President Barb Stanley, supported by 14 additional community leaders, each taking responsibility for specific portfolios. The Board will be supported throughout the planning process by the BC Games Society.
The cities of Trail and Rossland and surrounding areas will welcome as many as 1,200 athletes and 600 coaches and officials, competing in 15 sports. The Games will kick off with an Opening Ceremony on Thursday, February 26, 2026 followed by four thrilling days of competition, culminating on March 1. Venues for sport competitions and special events will be announced as details are finalized. The complete Sport Package for the Games can be found here.
The BC Winter Games showcase the best young developing athletes in the province, supported by certified coaches and officials. With over 1,600 volunteers required to stage the Games, this event is expected to infuse as much as $1.6 million into the local economy. Registration for general volunteers will open in the fall of 2026.
“Trail is incredibly excited to co-host the 2026 BC Winter Games”, said Trail Mayor Colleen Jones. “This is an opportunity to celebrate our region’s passion for sport, showcase our breathtaking mountain environment, and welcome thousands of athletes, coaches, officials, and volunteers to our world-class facilities.”
“Rossland is proud to co-host the 2026 BC Winter Games,” said Rossland Mayor Andy Morel. “This event not only will bring together the province’s top youth athletes, but also provide a platform to showcase our vibrant communities and celebrate the spirit of sport.”
“Barb and I are honoured to lead this talented group of Directors, who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to their portfolios,” said Games President Brian Stefani. “The Directors are now in the recruitment phase as they look to fill 80 Chair positions with volunteers who will lead specific Games planning areas. Together, we’re excited to begin this journey and deliver an exceptional event.”
“Trail and Rossland have a remarkable legacy of hosting sporting events and fostering volunteerism,” said BC Games Society President and CEO, Alison Noble. “Games participants can expect exceptional support from experienced volunteers and the opportunity to compete in world-class facilities. The entire BC sport community is looking forward to February 2026 with great excitement.”
For more information contact:
Andras Lukacs Director of Marketing Trail-Rossland 2026 BC Winter Games andras@bcwintergames.ca
David Conlin Marketing and Communications Manager BC Games Society davidc@bcgames.org
https://staging.bcgames.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/BlueNews.png563509David Conlinhttps://staging.bcgames.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/bc-games-logo.svgDavid Conlin2025-01-22 12:00:002025-10-28 16:49:14Board of Directors in place for Trail-Rossland 2026 BC Winter Games
The BC Games Society will celebrate 50 years of competition in 2028 by returning to the roots of the Games, as original host communities Kamloops and Penticton have been announced as the hosts of the 2028 BC Winter and BC Summer Games.
The announcement was made today at a pair of events in Kamloops and Penticton. The communities were invited to apply to host through a sole bid process in recognition of their pivotal roles in shaping the history of the Games.
The BC Winter and BC Summer Games are British Columbia’s biennial celebration of sport and community, bringing together B.C.’s top emerging high-performance athletes, trained coaches, and certified officials for four days of competition. The inaugural BC Summer Games were held in Penticton in 1978 with the first BC Winter Games taking place the following year in Kamloops.
The BC Winter Games will take place in February 2028 and held primarily on Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc territory, situated within the unceded ancestral lands of the Secwépemc Nation. The Games will be the fourth Games in Kamloops after the community hosted the 1979 BC Winter Games, 2006 BC Summer Games, and 2018 BC Winter Games. The bid for the 2028 Games was supported by the City of Kamloops Kamloops-Thompson School District No. 73 with Sun Peaks Resort committing as the host venue for snow events. Known internationally as Canada’s Tournament Capital, Kamloops has a strong reputation as a centre for sporting events. The community hosts well over 100 cultural and sporting events each year and offers world-class facilities, a strong athletic culture, expertly trained officials, and an enthusiastic volunteer base.
Since hosting the inaugural BC Summer Games in 1978, Penticton has played home to the 1990 BC Winter Games, 1995 BC Summer Games, and 2016 BC Winter Games. Hosted on the traditional and unceded territory of the Syilx People in the Okanagan Nation, the BC Summer Games will be held in July- 2028 and are supported by the City of Penticton and School District No. 67. With a strong and engaged base of over 5,000 active volunteers, Penticton is a destination for year-round events in sport and beyond. The community is home to major annual sporting events and festivals and is recognized as one of Canada’s top wine regions and tourist destinations.
The BC Games Society is the organization responsible for setting the ongoing policy and direction of the BC Winter and BC Summer Games and supporting Team BC at the Canada Games. Originally established in 1977 by the Provincial Government under the Societies Act, the Society has become a key part of athlete and sport development in the province.
The B.C. government contributes more than $2 million annually to the BC Games Society to support the BC Summer and Winter Games and Team BC. The Province recently provided an additional $2 million in 23/24 to the BC Games Society to support operations and keep the cost of the Games affordable for Host Communities and participants. This is part of $50 million invested annually by the Province into the B.C. sport sector.
Please visit www.bcgames.org for more information about the BC Games.
Quick Facts:
To date, more than 40 communities have hosted BC Winter and/or BC Summer Games.
These Games will mark the 35th BC Summer Games and 34th BC Winter Games.
The estimated economic benefit for host communities is $2 million for the summer games and $1.6 million for the winter games.
The official sport package for the Games is determined through the BC Games Society’s Core Sport Policy and will be announced in the fall of 2026.
Competitors at the Games represent eight geographic zones: Kootenays (Zone 1), Thompson-Okanagan (Zone 2), Fraser Valley (Zone 3), Fraser River (Zone 4), Vancouver-Coastal (Zone 5), Vancouver Island-Central Coast (Zone 6), North West (Zone 7) and Cariboo-North East (Zone 8).
Quotes:
Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sports, Lana Popham “The BC Games are a celebration of sport and community, providing positive sport experiences for youth while generating social and economic benefits to B.C. communities. Bringing these games back to Kamloops and Penticton highlights a significant milestone and underscores the BC Games Society’s contributions to building a strong and thriving sport sector.”
President and CEO of the BC Games Society, Alison Noble “We are excited to celebrate a half century of the BC Games in 2028 and there’s no better way to do so than returning to our original hosts in Kamloops and Penticton. The 2028 BC Winter and Summer Games will be an opportunity to recognize the contributions and accomplishments of our volunteers and participants over our first 50 years, and to look ahead to the stories that are still to come beyond 2028.”
Mayor of Penticton, Julius Bloomfield “We are thrilled to welcome the BC Summer Games back to Penticton as the event marks 50 years of celebrating athletics and community. The ethos that was created back in 1978 of providing opportunities for athletes to develop, bringing communities together and sparking a life-long commitment to healthy living is alive and well in Penticton. We’re known as being a community that embraces competition at all levels across a broad spectrum – and for a spirit that infuses all those events with energy and passion. We’re looking forward to welcoming athletes, coaches, trainers and supporters in 2028.”
Chief of the Penticton Indian Band Chief, Greg Gabriel “As stewards of our heritage and advocates for celebrating all athletes, volunteers and organizers, we at PIB are honoured to welcome the BC Summer Games once again, marking five decades of athletic excellence and community building. This milestone not only celebrates the rich sporting legacy but also underscores our ongoing commitment to fostering a culture of inclusivity, resilience and healthy living.”Deputy Mayor of Kamloops, Kelly Hall “We are extremely proud to be selected as the host for the 2028 BC Winter Games. Kamloops is synonymous with event hosting, and we look forward to welcoming athletes from across the province to Canada’s Tournament Capital.”
MEDIA CONTACT
David Conlin Marketing and Communications Manager BC Games Society davidc@staging.bcgames.org/ O: 250.356.5254
Website FAQs
How can communities bid to host the BC Winter and Summer Games? All communities will be invited to bid for the 2030 BC Winter and Summer Games when the process opens in early 2027. More than 40 communities from every region of B.C. have already played host to the Games since 1978. From 2010 to 2026 alone, hosts will represent seven of the eight BC Games geographical zones, demonstrating the far-reaching impact that the Games continue to have on communities across the province.
Why were Kamloops and Penticton chosen to host the BC Games in 2028? The 2028 BC Winter and BC Summer Games will be a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the BC Games and we are excited to recognize the occasion by returning to our first host communities. Penticton hosted the inaugural BC Summer Games in 1978 and Kamloops the inaugural BC Winter Games in 1979.
What sports will be in the BC Games in 2028? The official sport package for each BC Winter and Summer Games is determined through the BC Games Society’s Core Sport Policy and will be announced in the fall of 2026. Each accredited Provincial and Disability Sport Organization (PSO and DSO) has the opportunity to demonstrate how the BC Games fit into their sport development plans and how they use the Games as an integral part of their athlete, coach, and officials’ development models. Sports are granted inclusion into one Games and are evaluated against the Core Sport policy after the Games to determine their inclusion in the next Games.
Will there be an opportunity to invest in local sport infrastructure (venues etc.) ahead of the Games?
In 2017, the BC Games Society created the Powering Potential Fund as a vehicle to strategically invest in projects that further the development of athletes, teams, sport organizations and communities in B.C.
A program from the Penticton 1978 BC Summer Games, the first-ever BC Games.
00David Conlinhttps://staging.bcgames.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/bc-games-logo.svgDavid Conlin2024-05-27 15:03:142025-10-28 15:48:082028 Host Cities Announced as BC Games Return to Roots for 50th Anniversary
The 19 sports named will bring over 3,500 athletes, coaches, and officials to Maple Ridge, which has hosted the BC Summer Games twice previously in 1983 and 1998. The city was set to host the 2020 BC Summer Games before the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2024 BC Summer Games will mark the debut of the sport of Ultimate at the Games. The BC Ultimate Society (BCUS) boasts a strong participant base from every corner of the province and has built a strong culture around the principles of inclusion, respect, and accessibility.
Inclusion in the Games is determined by the BC Games Core Sport Policy, which outlines the criteria that provincial sport organizations must meet and ensures that the Games continue to deliver exceptional experiences through sport to young athletes from all over the province.
The BC Winter and BC Summer Games are British Columbia’s biennial celebration of sport and community. Since 1978, the BC Games have had over 350,000 participants and volunteers, plus thousands more attend as spectators and supporters.
To learn more about the Maple Ridge 2024 BC Summer Games, visit staging.bcgames.org/.
2024 Summer Games Sport Package
AGES
SPORT
ATHLETES
COACHES
OFFICIALS
TOTAL
U13
3×3 Basketball-Boys
80
16
8
104
U13
3×3 Basketball-Girls
80
16
8
104
11–17
Artistic Swimming
56
16
17
89
14–15
Athletics
288
32
41
361
12–40
Athletics-Special Olympics
16
4
1
21
15U
Baseball
128
24
22
174
U14
Basketball-Boys
80
16
11
107
U14
Basketball-Girls
80
16
11
107
18U
Beach Volleyball
32
16
8
56
15–16
Box Lacrosse
152
32
14
198
13–16; U19
Canoe/Kayak
104
32
25
161
13–18
Equestrian
48
24
16
88
12–30
Equestrian-Para
10
9
3
22
14–15
Field Lacrosse
152
32
14
198
12–16
Golf
48
16
15
79
U17; U19
Rowing
88
24
12
124
U17
Rugby-Girls
96
24
12
132
U15; U19
Sailing
72
16
7
95
U15
Soccer-Boys
144
24
16
184
U15
Soccer-Girls
144
24
16
184
U16
Softball-Girls
120
32
12
164
U15
Swimming
160
16
30
206
13–30
Swimming-Para
8
3
1
12
12–40
Swimming-Special Olympics
24
6
1
31
10–17
Towed Water Sports
64
16
20
100
15–17
Triathlon
52
16
8
76
13–15
Ultimate
96
16
0
112
15U
Volleyball-Boys
112
16
6
134
15U
Volleyball-Girls
112
16
6
134
14–17
Wrestling
136
16
14
166
TOTALS
2782
566
375
3723
Quotes
Alison Noble, President and CEO, BC Games Society “The sports in the BC Games are held to a high standard through our Core Sport Policy, and their inclusion is a result of the hard work that provincial sport organizations are doing to grow their sports and develop inclusive and positive cultures. We are excited to welcome BC Ultimate into the fold for the first time in the history of the Games and to watch the sport grow with this opportunity.”
Brian Gisel, General Manager, BC Ultimate “BC Ultimate is excited to be included in the 2024 BC Summer Games. This opportunity comes after a continued effort to grow the sport in schools for the past 20 years. This spring, we were thrilled to have more than 120 High Schools in BC playing the sport under the BC School Sports umbrella. The sport is also growing in popularity among Elementary and Middle schools. Inclusion in the BC Summer Games will help promote the game and continue the growth of disc sports among junior athletes around the province.”
Non Ha, Executive Director, BC Wrestling “The BC Games are a valuable stage in the development of athletes and coaches in pursuit of excellence. Many successful wrestlers have benefited from BC Games experience and progressed to prestigious international multisport events, including Olympic Gold Medalist Carol Huynh. BC Wrestling and our participants celebrate the spirit of the Games, and we are excited to continue to contribute to a positive, respectful, inclusive, and accessible environment through sport.”
–30–
Media Contact David Conlin Communications Manager BC Games Society 250.356.5254 davidc@bcgames.org
00David Conlinhttps://staging.bcgames.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/bc-games-logo.svgDavid Conlin2023-06-05 13:34:382025-10-28 15:57:44BC Games Society announces sport package for Maple Ridge 2024 BC Summer Games
Coaches are integral to a positive Games experience. Over 270 head coaches, assistant coaches, mentor and apprentice coaches, and adult supervisors will be part of the Games in Greater Vernon March 23-26, 2023. These Games coaches will support the over 893 athletes at the Games.
Not only do they prepare their athletes for the Games and support them in competition, but they are are also expected to supervise their athletes throughout the Games. This includes traveling with their athletes on buses or flight to and from the Games and and staying with their team Games accommodation. It’s a big commitment that goes ’round the clock for 4 days! For many coaches this is different from coaching at their sport’s events where their “job” is mostly during competition.
Head coaches and assistant coaches are required to complete NCCP training in their sport, which includes completing the Make Ethical Decisions module. Many have more advanced NCCP training in their sport. Adult supervisors as a minimum must complete the CAC Safe Sport Training prior to the Games. For more information about the coaching requirements for each, see the technical package and the sport’s Provincial Advisor.
The multi-sport Games experience for our province‘s best young athletes would simply not be possible without the passionate and caring coaches who step up and take on these roles.
THANK YOU COACHES!
https://staging.bcgames.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/bc-games-logo.svg00David Conlinhttps://staging.bcgames.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/bc-games-logo.svgDavid Conlin2023-02-19 19:59:452025-10-28 16:42:18Coaches Make the Games Possible
