The team is assembled and ready for the challenge. Work is underway as the members of the Penticton 2016 BC Winter Games Board of Directors have been appointed.
“Let the Games begin, again,” said Bill Bidlake, President of the 2016 BC Winter Games Organizing Committee. "We are so excited for the Games to return to our great city. Penticton has so generously hosted the BC Summer Games in 1978 and 1995, in addition to hosting the BC Winter Games in 1990. Next year will be the fourth time that our citizens will have hosted the BC Games. The volunteers in this community are amazing."
Appointed members of the 2016 BC Winter Games Board of Directors are:
Bill Bidlake – President
Doug MacMillan – Vice-President
Doug Gorcak – Director of Accommodation
Carla Relvas - Director of Administration
Kevin Webb - Director of Ceremonies
Paul Johnston – Director of Food Services
Michael Yates – Director of Medical Services
Michael Brydon – Director of Registration & Results
Bob Maier – Director of Security
Bill Murray – Director of Special Events
Bo Boxall - Director of Sport
Kristi Patton – Director of Promotions
Brian Wilman – Director of Communications
Ret Tinning – Director of Transportation
TBA – Director of Friends of the Games
TBA – Director of Protocol
The Board, organized into 14 planning areas, brings together committee chairs to lead as many as 2000 volunteers responsible for planning and staging the Games in each community. The organizing committee will also work closely with City Liaison Lori Mullin, First Nations Liaison Dustin Hyde, and School Board Liaison Bruce Johnson.
"We are looking forward to the Games coming to Penticton and the community coming together once again to show what Penticton has to offer," said Doug MacMillan, Vice-President of the 2016 BC Winter Games Organizing Committee.
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.” Established in 1977, 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. For more information, visit
www.bcgames.org or contact Bill Bidlake at 250-490-5376.