Core Sport Policy for the 2026 BC Winter and BC Summer Games Released

The BC Games Society has released the Core Sport Policy for the 2026 BC Winter and BC Summer Games.

This keystone policy shapes the partnership for Provincial and Disability Sport Organizations in the current BC Winter or BC Summer Games and includes opportunities for new sports to apply to the BC Games.

Guided by the Core Sport Policy, sport organizations who are not currently part of the BC Games are given the opportunity to demonstrate how the Games would fit into their sport development plans and how the Games would be used as an integral part of athlete, coach, and officials’ development models.

Key principles for inclusion in the Games include province-wide participation, gender equity among participants, competitive opportunities for athletes with a disability where the same level of opportunity for the same caliber of athletes is not available in other Games in BC.

The application deadline for new sports is February 19, 2024, while the deadline for sports in the Games to apply for major changes is detailed in the Core Sport Timeline (different timing for winter and summer sports).

Existing sports in the BC Winter or BC Summer Games do not need to re-apply, but do go through a post-Games evaluation process as per the Core Sport criteria.

For details, refer to the following documents:

Questions about the Core Sport application process can be directed to coresport@bcgames.org.

About the BC Games Society

Established in 1977 by the B.C. Government under the Societies Act, the BC Games Society (the Society) oversees the BC Winter Games and BC Summer Games. The Society also supports the participation of Team BC, the provincial team competing at Canada Games, in national multi-sport Games. Each of these Games provide opportunities for the development of athletes, coaches, and officials in preparation for higher levels of competition. For host communities, the Games provide the chance to build or enhance their capacity to attract and deliver major events. Team BC’s Mission Staff are able to develop and enhance competencies such as leadership, teamwork, time management and organizational skills. BC Games also provide important economic and tourism benefits, allowing hosts to profile their communities and benefit from an economic impact in the range of $1.6 million to $2 million. The legacies of the BC Winter and BC Summer Games allow for capacity building in communities across the province resulting in a stronger British Columbia.