The 2018 Kamloops B.C. Winter Games Feb. 22 to Feb. 25 will feature various sporting events, including speed skating.

Image Credit: Contributed/Kamloops Long Blades

KAMLOOPS – The best amateur athletes in the province will be bringing their talents to Kamloops next month for the B.C. Winter Games and there are some things you should know about the event.

Kamloops hosted the very first B.C. Winter Games, and Games Society president Kelly Mann says it's fitting the event returns to the Tournament Capital from Feb. 22 to Feb. 25 as part of the 40th anniversary celebrations.

Overall there will be over 1,700 people participating in the games, including around 1,200 athletes, over 300 coaches and almost 200 officials, according to a media release. Kamloops will have 87 hometown athletes and officials at the games.

There will be a mix of both summer and winter sports, from speed skating and wheelchair basketball, due to qualifying and trial dates for the various sports.

Nicole Beauregard, the sport development coordinator with the City of Kamloops, says the sports included in the Winter Games depend on tournaments, how qualifying for the particular sport works, and the timing leading up to the Canada Games or the Olympics.

Snowboarding is making its B.C. Winter Games debut in Kamloops.

“Snowboarding is brand new to these games. This will be the first time snowboarding is involved in any B.C. Winter Games,” Beauregard says. All snowboarding and skiing events will be taking place at Sun Peaks Resort.

During the games some of the city's arenas will be closed to the public.

“The Sandman Centre is the figure skating venue, as well as hosting opening and closing ceremonies,” Winter Games vice president Maureen McCurdy says. “It won’t be open to the public during that time.”

The Tournament Capital Centre will be used for diving, so the pool will be closed during those events. The fieldhouse will be used during the games. Other than that, the Capital Centre will remain open as usual.

At McArthur Island they are using the two rinks for speed skating and ringette so those venues will be taken up during the games.

The Kamloops Curling Club downtown will be hosting the curling event, so there will be no public use during the games.

The games shouldn't create any major traffic problems but residents should expect traffic volume to increase during certain events downtown, McCurdy says. The trouble spots will be around the Sandman Centre for the opening and closing ceremonies.

The city will be bustling all weekend with people visiting from all over the province.

“We’re expecting the city to be pretty full,” McCurdy says. “When Penticton was hosting their games back in 2016, they had 95 per cent occupancy rate in their hotels. I would expect it to be quite busy that weekend.”

McCurdy expects the economy in Kamloops will benefit to the tune of roughly $1.6 million by hosting the B.C. Winter Games.

For more information on the B.C. Winter Games, check out their website here.

For schedules of the events, see the B.C. Winter Games schedule webpage here. The sports schedules will be finalized two weeks before the events.

If you are interested in volunteering go here.

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News from © iNFOnews, 2018