Eleven multisport partners have joined forces to create the , committed to working together and highlighting the importance of sport as a tool for energizing communities and enhancing quality of life for British Columbians.
Individually, each partner is recognized as a leader for athlete, coach, and community sport services in their region, but collectively, the group forms a powerful network of resources and expertise that will shape a streamlined sport delivery system across the province.
"One of our primary goals is to make sport accessible to every person in our province through community involvement," said Peter Fassbender, Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development. "This new alliance of regional partners will encourage even more collaboration between many of the dedicated sport organizations across B.C., as we strive to be Canada's leader in sport excellence."
The viaSport Regional Alliance will maintain and share a network of sport-related services, programming, and resources that is provincial in scope, but locally relevant. Working with local community leaders and stakeholders, the collective's goals include: improved access to sport facilities and training centres, enhanced support for high performance athletes and coaches, more focussed attention on physical literacy, and streamlined education toward fundamental movement skills in children. Their purpose statement is: Enriching lives and energizing communities via sport.
"Sport is a powerful, unifying force", said viaSport CEO Sheila Bouman. "We believe that sport and physical activity are not only critical building blocks for communities, but are fundamentally essential to the overall health & wellness of the Province. This Alliance allows us to impact the entire province while directly benefitting local communities through targeted, localized programming."
Currently, supports 260 promising athletes and 20 dedicated coaches through an array of programs and services. Because of our great partners, athletes can take advantage of local fitness facilities at no cost, and receive discounts on physiotherapy, massage, food, and athletic clothing. Other benefits include biannual travel grants, priority registration at the movement assessments, strength and conditioning resources, and a variety of sport performance themed educational offerings.
PacificSport Fraser Valley is currently working cross-sectorally in developing physical literacy strategies for municipalities. Sport, education, recreation, and health representatives formed leadership teams in Abbotsford and Mission, British Columbia to oversee the development and delivery of their respective physical literacy strategies. Through this collective impact approach, Abbotsford and Mission are investing 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ“ and delivering 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ“ on their promise to provide quality physical activity, recreation, and sport opportunities for all community members. PacificSport Fraser Valley has been a key organization throughout this process.
"Here at PacificSport Fraser Valley, we are very excited to be part of the viaSport Alliance", said Jared Kope, Executive Director, PacificSport Fraser Valley. "With a collaborative mindset, and group of sport leaders from across the province, we can instill the 'think provincially, and act locally' approach. By leveraging our resources, areas of expertise, and partnerships, we are better situated to deliver on our goal to inspire and enable communities to participate, play, and perform."
- PacificSport Northern BC: www.pacificsportnorthernbc.com
- PacificSport Interior BC: www.pacificsportinteriorbc.com
- PacificSport Okanagan: www.pacificsportokanagan.com
- PacificSport Columbia Basin: COMING SOON
- PacificSport Vancouver Island: www.pacificsportvi.com
- PacificSport Fraser Valley: www.pacificsportfraservalley.com
- Fortius Sport and Health, Burnaby: www.fortiussport.com
- Whistler Sport Legacies: www.whistlersportlegacies.com
- Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence (PISE): www.piseworld.com
- Canadian Sport Institute Pacific: www.csipacific.ca/
- viaSport: www.viasport.ca
