“Get on your woollies and get out here and we’ll see you on the snow,” Sally Connon, chief of competitions volunteer at Caledonia Nordic Ski Club, said during the announcement Friday morning that talked about Prince George hosting three high profile events in the next two years.
Caledonia Nordic Centre on Otway Road will be the location for the 2023 Nordiq Canada Selection Trials and Nordiq Cup (COC) on January 18-21, and the FIS Para Biathlon World Championships March 3-11 and the FIS Para Nordic World Cup finals March 12-18, 2024.
“I am a volunteer and I look forward to proudly standing alongside 150 volunteers every day – 150 each day – that’s three days of competition - right here on the unceded traditional territory of the Lheidli T’enneh,” Connon said. “I can assure you the word ‘never’ will not be in our script because Canada’s best cross-country skiers will descend on us and they will rely on us to put on a fantastic Nordic event. They will go head-to-head on the first day in a sprint, six abreast at the start line, they’ll hear the start gun and off they’ll go, then we’ll witness the mass start with a 20km classic ski and on the final day the athletes will race the clock on a 10km technical, very tough individual race.”
Connon went on to explain that some of the athletes will go on to proudly wear the maple leaf at the 2023 junior world ski championships, some will head to Europe to represent Canada on the international stage while others will take what they learned, set goals and move their careers forward.
There were several guests speakers at the event including Lheidli T’enneh Elder Clifford Quaw who welcomed everyone to the territory, while Kate Boyd, high performance director, para for Nordiq Canada, also said a few words.
“A greater spotlight will be put on the 2023 Trials as the event will serve as the final staging ground for young Canadian athletes from coast-to-coast prior to Team Canada welcoming the world’s best Under 23 a week later at Whistler Olympic Park for the FIS World Junior/U23 Nordic Ski Championships,” Boyd said. “I can personally attest to the event experience this community puts on, having been a part of the world class event delivered by Caledonia Nordic Ski Club, the City of Prince George and the passionate army of volunteers when Prince George hosted the 2019 Para Nordic World Championships. And although I definitely admit it was the chilliest World Championships I have been part of, it was also certainly one of the best ever.”
Through pre-recorded videos the small in-person crowd heard from several local dignitaries and the president of the International Ski Federation (FIS), Johan Eliasch, who officially announced the two Para world competitions for 2024.
“It is my great pleasure to announce Prince George as host city of the 2024 FIS Para Biathlon World Championships and the 2024 FIS Para Nordic World Cup Finals to be held in March 2024,” Eliasch said.
The club director of competition for Caledonia Nordic, Kevin Pettersen, said the club is honoured to have been selected as the host of all these events.
“These events mean so much to our volunteers, officials, and our community, and help us to continue our journey toward building a world class Nordic centre,” Pettersen added. “We’ll be able to welcome the world to Prince George for generations to come."
Tourism Prince George anticipates the economic impact for Prince George for the three events will be more than $4.7 million.
As with all events there will be a substantial need for volunteers.
Anyone interested in volunteering can email [email protected] for more information.
