The 2015 Canada Winter Games have been announced as CSTA (Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance) Prestige Award finalist in three categories.
The Canada Winter Games that took place in Prince George last year are one of three finalists for the CSTA Sport Event of the Year Award (with a budget greater than $1 million). The Games were the largest multi-sport and cultural event to ever be held in northern BC and generated an economic impact of $123 million. While developing Canada's next generation of national, international and Olympic champions, the 2015 Games changed the community of Prince George forever for the better. The many legacies that stemmed from hosting the Games include infrastructural enhancements, exposure for the region, increased tourist visitations and investment in youth.
The other two finalists in this category are the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships and the 103rd Grey Cup Festival.
Anthony Everett, Chair of the 2015 Canada Winter Games in Prince George, is a finalist for the CSTA Sport Event Volunteer of the Year Award. Anthony made tremendous contributions to Northern BC ever since he was selected by the community to be the volunteer Board Chair of the Games. As a volunteer, he spear-headed the venture of transforming the Prince George bid community into a full-fledged Host Society staff in charge of organizing Canada's largest multi-sport event for developing athletes.
The other two finalists in this category are Brian Kosteroski, 2015 ISF World Men's Softball Championships and Jay Nash, Nash Cup International Squash Tournament.
Finally, the 2015 Canada Games are finalists for the CSTA Sustainable Sport Event of the Year Award. The 2015 Games addressed core environmental impacts such as reducing the amount of diverting waste from the landfill, being energy efficient, reducing greenhouse emission and using sustainable wood products just to name a few. The Games set a shining example of environmental stewardship, social inclusion and responsibility, economic development and generating long-term environmental, social and economic benefits.
The other two finalists in the category are the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup and the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan Am Games.
The CSTA's PRESTIGE Awards celebrate the people, place, and events that make the Canadian sport tourism industry so dynamic. These awards are presented annually in six categories to individuals, companies and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the success of the sport tourism industry.
The PRESTIGE Awards will be presented at a gala luncheon event on March 7th, 2016 in Ottawa at the Westin Hotel.
