Huge crowd at 2020 BC Winter Games Closing Ceremony

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – It is easy to start viewing Fort St. John as just your average small town, especially in February when residents are stuck right in the thick of winter.

The 2020 BC Winter Games being hosted here in our small town was an excellent reminder of just how much spirit and ambition everyone here has.

It was said there were around two thousand volunteers who gave up their time this weekend to help make this amazing event happen, that is 10% of Fort St. John’s population!

While this weekend was so cool to see, as the saying goes ‘all good things must come to an end,’ the games wrapped up on Sunday February 23rd with the Closing Ceremony at 1:30 p.m.

The ceremony took place in the North Peace Arena where over 1,000 athletes, 300 coaches and 190 officials were marched in. In total the 1,500 participants filled the entire hockey rink space.

To kick off the event, the combined three bands and choirs from around the Peace Region played the national anthem.

Following this there were several speeches from Board Director Members as well as our Mayor, Lori Ackerman, thanking everyone for their support and the athletes, volunteers and coaches for their participation.

“The participants will leave the BC Games with new friendships, with successes, and with a new a determination to chase a dream that is truly within their grasp,” said Alison Noble in her speech, she is President and CEO of the BC Games Society. “We look forward to seeing the future success of these athletes, coaches, and officials who performed so well this weekend.”

The Coast Capital Savings Leadership Bursaries were then given out to 16 athletes (a male and female from each of the 8 zones). This award recognized the athletes selected with a $500 bursary.

The Presidents award was also given out to one outstanding athlete in the games, Benjamin Konwicki, who is a speed skater from local Zone 8 and was given the $2,500 bursary!

Konwicki was chosen because he stood out as an athlete, having won 4 medals this weekend, as a student who is consistently on the honor roll and for his time spent volunteering within the community.

After the awards were given out a slideshow of photos taken over the weekend, at various sports events, was shown to the athletes who were very excited and vocal about seeing themselves and their teammates on the big screen.

Then the bittersweet time came to pass the flag onto Mike Keenan who is president of the 2020 BC Summer games in Maple Ridge, B.C. and to put out the torch which had been burning all weekend.

There were some mixed emotions at this point in the arena, but in true Fort St. John fashion it was ended on a good note as the band played “We Will Rock You” and approximately 2,000 people stomped and clapped along to the beat.

After all, what better way to end a truly memorable weekend?