There aren’t many 400-metre speed skating rinks in Canada that offer snow-proof and wind-proof conditions as well as a virtually flawless ice surface.

Fort St. John has just such a facility, known as the Enerplex, and on Saturday a group of 16 Prince George Blizzard Speed Skating Club members will get to try it out.

They’ll be there to compete in the WorkSafe B.C. provincial long track championship, the first B.C. Speed Skating Association-sanctioned event ever held at the Enerplex since it opened in the fall last year. Fort St. John is home to brothers Denny and Jay Morrison, both members of Canada’s long track team.

Lucas Hiller, Carolina Hiller, Nicholas Hiller, Callie Swan, Morgan Swan, Tim Hempsall, Carley Budac, Rylan Gaudet, Kadeja White, Brooklyn White, Owen MacDonald, Morgan Aucoin, Lana Ramsey, Laya McCannell and Landon Young will represent the Prince George club in the event.

Once the Olympic oval in Richmond is converted to a general sports facility after the 2010 Winter Games, Fort St. John and Calgary will be the only two cities in Canada’s with permanent indoor 400m ovals.

On the local front, the ice oval at the Exhibition Park is back in action after last week’s big meltdown.