A Celebration of Sport and Community
The BC Winter and BC Summer Games are British Columbia’s biennial celebration of sport and community, bringing together British Columbia’s best emerging high performance athletes, trained coaches, and certified officials for four days of competition.
The event provides an opportunity for the development of athletes, coaches, and officials in preparation for higher levels of competition, and the multi-sport environment helps promote interest and participation in sport and activity, individual achievement, and community development.
About the BC Games Society
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.
Based out of Victoria, the Society works in partnership with governments, businesses and not for profit organizations, in and out of the sport sector, in the planning and staging of the Games. The organization serves as a leader in multi-sport event and volunteer management.
Following the philosophy of Helping Others Lead, BC Games staff conduct an extensive transfer of knowledge program provides tools, resources and templates to the Host Society to assist volunteers to create and implement a high quality event.
We strive to inspire exceptional experiences through sport.
The BC Games Society is the leadership organization that guides the BC Winter and BC Summer Games and prepares Team BC for national multi-sport Games. We build on the expertise and support of partners to create development opportunities for athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers, and communities.
Integrity, trust and respect are the core of our game plan.
Dedicated – committed to the goal
Accountable – embracing responsibility
Collaborative – fostering dynamic teams
Evolving – adapting the game plan
Excellence – achieving personal bests
History of the BC Games
The BC Games were originally a vision of Premier W. R. Bennett who believed in providing “an opportunity to bring all parts of BC together, large and small communities, in the spirit of sport and friendship”. Mr. Bennett’s vision for the BC Games has provided a substantial foundation and structure on which excellence in sport and community has been and continues to be built.
Established in 1977 by the Provincial Government under the Societies Act, The original mandate of the BC Summer and Winter Games Society was to provide an opportunity for all British Columbians to compete in an organized sports festival that promoted physical fitness, individual achievement, and community pride. The very first BC Summer Games were held in Penticton in 1978 with the first BC Winter Games taking place the following year in Kamloops.
In 1994 the mandate of the organization, now named the BC Games Society, shifted from participation-focused event to become a key part of athlete and sport development in the province.
Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Hub
We are proud to have been part of the journey for our BC Games and Team BC alumni who are set to attend the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Many B.C.-based athletes and staff competing for Canada on the world stage began their pursuit of sport through the BC Games and Canada Games. These early multi-sport experiences provide quality coaching, strong competition, and inspiration to pursue sport to the highest level.
Olympic and Paralympic Tradition
We are proud to have a long tradition of BC Games alumni representing Canada on the world stage, including at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Check out our lists of alumni from recent Games.
Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games
Eight of the 126 athletes who will represent Canada at the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games from August 28 – September 8 got their start at the BC Games or with Team BC at the Canada Games.
Of those eight athletes, seven competed at the BC Games, five attended the Canada Games, and four took part in both events.
See the full list of Team Canada athletes competing at the Paralympic Games.
Athlete Tracker
Follow along with BC Games and Team BC alumni at the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games.
Nathan Clement
Para Cycling
2010 BC Summer Games
(Para Swimming)
Mel Pemble
Para Cycling
2014 BC Winter Games
(Para Alpine Skiing)
2015 Canada Winter Games
(Para Alpine Skiing)
Arianna Hunsicker
Para Swimming
2016 BC Summer Games
2017 Canada Summer Games
Sebastian Massabie
Para Swimming
2022 Canada Summer Games
Bo Hedges
Wheelchair Basketball
1996 BC Winter Games
2000 BC Winter Games (HCH)
2002 BC Winter Games (MGR)
1999 Canada Winer Games
2003 Canada Winter Games
Joel Ewert
Wheelchair Rugby
2014 BC Winter Games
2016 BC Winter Games
2018 BC Winter Games
2020 BC Winter Games (ACH)
2022 BC Winter Games (HCH)
2015 Canada Winter Games
2019 Canada Winter Games
2023 Canada Winter Games
Byron Green
Wheelchair Rugby
1997 BC Summer Games
Trevor Hirschfield
Wheelchair Rugby
2002 BC Summer Games
Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games
Meet the BC Games and Team BC alumni going to the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games.
Medalists
GOLD
Jerome Blake
Athletics
4x100m Relay
2017 Canada Summer Games
GOLD
Camryn Rogers
Athletics
Hammer Throw
2014 BC Summer Games
GOLD
Ethan Katzberg
Athletics
Hammer Throw
2016 BC Summer Games
SILVER
Avalon Wasteneys
Rowing
Women's Eight
2012 BC Winter Games
2017 Canada Summer Games
SILVER
Caroline Crossley
Rugby Sevens
2012 BC Summer Games
SILVER
Shalaya Valenzuela
Rugby Sevens
2016 BC Summer Games
Athlete Tracker
Get to know our alumni who qualified as athletes for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games.
Jerome Blake
Athletics
4x100m Relay
2017 Canada Summer Games
Evan Dunfee
Athletics
20km Race Walk
Marathon Race Walk
Relay Mixed
2004 BC Summer Games
Malindi Elmore
Athletics
Marathon
1994 BC Summer Games
1995 BC Summer Games
Rowan Hamilton
Athletics
Hammer Throw
2014 BC Summer Games
Ethan Katzberg
Athletics
Hammer Throw
2016 BC Summer Games
Adam Keenan
Athletics
Hammer Throw
2008 BC Summer Games
2013 Canada Summer Games
Cameron Levins
Athletics
Marathon
2004 BC Summer Games
2009 Canada Summer Games
Kieran Lumb
Athletics
1500m
2012 BC Winter Games
2017 Canada Summer Games
Olivia Lundman
Athletics
Marathon Race Walk
Relay Mixed
2018 BC Summer Games
Jasneet Nijjar
Athletics
4 x 400m Relay
2016 BC Summer Games
2017 Canada Summer Games
Camryn Rogers
Athletics
Hammer Throw
2014 BC Summer Games
Reegan Yee
Athletics
3000m Steeplechase
2010 BC Summer Games
2013 Canada Summer Games
Sarah Van Dam
Cycling
Team Pursuit
2017 Canada Summer Games
Shaul Gordon
Fencing
Sabre Individual
Sabre Team
2013 Canada Summer Games
Zachary Clay
Gymnastics
All-Around
2006 BC Winter Games
2011 Canada Winter Games
Shallon Olsen
Gymnastics
All-Around
Vault
2011 Canada Winter Games
2015 Canada Winter Games
Avalon Wasteneys
Rowing
Women's Eight
2012 BC Winter Games
2017 Canada Summer Games
Caroline Crossley
Rugby Sevens
2012 BC Summer Games
Shalaya Valenzuela
Rugby Sevens
2016 BC Summer Games
Emma Bugeja
Sailing
Kite
2012 BC Summer Games
2017 Canada Summer Games
Julia Grosso
Soccer
2012 BC Summer Games
2017 Canada Summer Games
Jeremy Bagshaw
Swimming
4 x 200m Freestyle Relay
2006 BC Winter Games
2009 Canada Summer Games
Mo Zhang
Table Tennis
Singles
2004 BC Winter Games
2015 Canada Winter Games
Brodie Hofer
Volleyball
Indoor
2017 Canada Summer Games
Ana Godinez Gonzalez
Wrestling
Freestyle 62kg
2016 BC Summer Games
2017 Canada Summer Games
Justina Di Stasio
Wrestling
Freestyle 76kg
2009 Canada Summer Games
Building an Accessible Games
The BC Games Society strives to inspire exceptional experiences for all participants by fostering an accessible, positive, respectful, and inclusive environment for all participants.
The Society has developed a BC Games Accessibility Plan, which outlines the guiding principles and protocols to ensure an inclusive and accessible Games experience for all participants.
Host Societies
When a community is awarded the Games, through the bidding process, a nominations committee, led by the local mayor, identifies community leaders to form the Board of Directors. The Board for each BC Winter and BC Summer Games then forms its own Society.
The Board is organized into 14 planning areas (Directorates). The work in the Directorates is overseen by a Director and managed by committee chairs (75+ chairs in total). Collectively the Directors and Chairs lead as many as 3,200 community volunteers as they undertake to plan and stage the Games.
Find out more about each Host Society on the respective Games pages.
