Four athletes with ties to the Cowichan Valley will represent British Columbia at the 2019 Canada Winter Games in Red Deer, Alberta, starting on Feb. 15.
Mill Bay’s Seiya Tanaka-Campbell, who plays for Shawnigan Lake School’s midget prep team, will play in the male hockey tournament, and Jessye Brockway, also from Mill Bay, will compete in cross-country skiing. Brockway has previously represented B.C. in athletics at the 2017 Canada Summer Games, finishing fourth in discus and fifth in shot put.
Two members of Shawnigan’s female prep team will skate for B.C. at the Winter Games as well: forward Megan Bouveur of Victoria, and goaltender Kiara Stecko of Kelowna.
Those athletes will be among 251 from B.C. competing in 21 sports at the Canada Winter Games, along with 46 coaches, 29 managers and technical support staff, and 23 mission staff. More than half of the athletes have previously competed at the BC Winter or Summer Games.
“Competing at the Canada Winter Games is an exceptional athletic achievement,” said provincial minister of tourism, arts and culture Lisa Beare. “The national stage showcases the talent, dedication and spirit our athletes, coaches and staff have in sport and it gives all of us the opportunity to show our support and cheer them on.”
“I can’t tell you how proud I am to lead a group of dedicated athletes, coaches and sport staff to the 2019 Canada Winter Games,” Team BC chef de mission Jennifer Scott said. “We have done all we can to prepare our team. Now it’s their turn to put all that practice into competition. I’m excited to watch our team perform at the Games.”
Team BC finished third behind Quebec and Ontario at the 2015 Canada Winter Games in Prince George with 88 medals: 21 gold, 34 silver, and 33 bronze.
