Silver Star Resort will host snowboarding, freestyle and downhill skiing events for the BC Winter Games March 23-26. (Photo credit: BC Games)

By Pete McIntyre

Countdown is on

No snow, no problem for Greater Vernon Winter Games

Mar 6, 2023 | 5:00 AM

While they are the Greater Vernon BC Winter Games, winter weather is not required for the fast approaching provincial event to be a success.

And that’s a good thing as there is currently very little snow around Vernon, and by the time the Games are held, March 23-26, there could be even less.

But local organizers are not concerned as they are confident there will be snow where it’s really needed.

“Silver Star [Mountain Resort] has been having so much snow and that’s really great for all of the snow events that are going to be happening there and at Sovereign Lake,” Cindy Masters, vice president of the local organizing committee, said. “We have had an incredible snowfall at Silver Star and they are still getting snow and having POW [fresh powder] days virtually every day, so we have no anticipation there will be a problem.”

Silver Star received 175 cm of snow in February, bringing the snow height to a new 10 year, second highest base record of 257 cm, and allowing the season to be extended.

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Alpine and freestyle skiing, along with snowboarding, will be held at Silver Star with cross country skiing and biathlon at the Sovereign Lake Nordic Club.

Local organizing president Nicky Dunlop (left) and Vernon Mayor Victor Cumming pose with the Games’ torch in November 2022. (Photo credit: BC Games)

About 900 athletes in 15 sports will complete in the four-day event, along a few hundred coaches and officials.

Click here for the schedules and venues.

Masters is hoping the weather is nice for the event which is being held during spring break for schools around B.C., saying it will be good for local tourism.

The economic spinoff from the Games is estimated at $1.2 million.

The athletes will stay at local schools and have their meals provided, while the coaches, officials and parents will stay at local hotels and motels and eat at local restaurants.

The opening ceremony will be held at Kal Tire Place on the evening of Thursday, March 23, which usually includes a high-profile member of the B.C. government.

Masters is not aware of who will be coming for that.

“But wouldn’t it be nice if Premier [David] Eby was here because he has been here a few times, but we have not yet heard which person from government will be coming.”

Masters said the person who will light the Games’ torch hasn’t exactly been decided, other than by one of the athletes, and there will also be a torch relay to bring the torch to Kal Tire Place.

Mike Shaw, son of local businessperson Pippa Shaw, will be the keynote speaker for the ceremony, talking about his amazing story of perseverence to walk again after suffering an accident.

The closing ceremony on Sunday, March 26 will be a virtual event with pre-filmed material that the participants can watch on YouTube as they are departing.