As part of his tour of northern BC, Minister of Tourism, Culture, Sport and Arts Spencer Chandra Herbert spent time visiting the 2025 Special Olympics BC Summer Games in Prince George, interacting with staff and athletes.
While the city continues to enjoy the excitement of the Summer Games, work is already underway to prepare a bid to host the 2030 Canada Summer Games.
So far, the city has authorized up to $400,000 from reserve funds to be used if Prince George is selected as host, and has requested an additional $30,000 to support an upcoming in-person site visit.
During his time at the Special Olympics, Chandra Herbert said he witnessed a strong spirit of volunteerism and community support — something he believes could give the city an advantage in securing the 2030 Games.
“In terms of BC, given the experience with Special Olympics — not once, but multiple times — I would say that it should definitely be strongly in the running,” said Chandra Herbert. “I’d say number one, but there might be another community bidding that I don’t know about, that might be mad at me. As far as I know, Prince George is the one competitor in BC at this point. That’s incredibly exciting.”
He added that the ministry is working to better understand how it can support the bid.
“I understand the committee is coming to PG in October, so I’m sure everyone will put on a good show to help convince them,” he said. “Lots of cities have venues and places you can play, but it’s the community spirit that really sells it to organizers in the end.”
In an interview with the Citizen, Chandra Herbert expressed enthusiasm for the city’s prospects, based on what he observed during his visit.
“I recommend Prince George for Special Olympics 2030,” he said. “You’ve got exceptional venues and exceptional community spirit, and that’s what you need to host Special Olympics — especially a bigger one. It’s well done. It makes me proud to be a British Columbian, to see how Pride PG is hosting here, and just so many great people.”
Although he hasn’t seen a formal proposal yet, the minister said he’s confident Prince George has what it takes to bring people back.
“I haven’t seen a proposal yet, so obviously there’s some work to be done, but I’m looking for more opportunities. We’ve got the World Cup next year coming to BC, we had Invictus, we’ve got Special Olympics now in Prince George.
“There’s a lot of opportunity for growth in tourism in BC — and sports tourism. Inviting folks from across Canada and around the world is the right way to do it. Because once they come, they want to come back. That’s the key. If they’ve been to Prince George once, they’ll come back a second, a third, a fourth time, and get to see the wider region.”
One of the key things the minister said he observed during the Special Olympics was the strong volunteer spirit, something he believes could give the city an edge in its bid for 2030.
“There’s a special volunteer spirit here in Prince George,” said Chandra Herbert. “I don’t know how it’s been maintained, but it’s so exciting to see. I think the volunteer spirit is incredible, because many communities struggle with: can we find enough volunteers? Are we able to build that community enthusiasm? But Prince George has got it. And whatever has helped build it — don’t lose it, because you’re able to punch above your weight in that sense.”
He said a particularly memorable moment during his visit was the torch lighting at CN Centre.
“Watching the young athlete who lit the cauldron, and being able to turn and talk to his mum, to see her pride, to see his pride, to hear the roar of approval and pride in that stadium — it was just exceptional,” said Chandra Herbert. “It’s giving me goosebumps right now thinking about it. What a great moment. And just to be able to share it, right next to his mum, was even better. I’m very proud.”
His recent trip clearly left an impression, as Chandra Herbert told the Citizen he may be planning to return in the near future.
“I love the idea that Prince George is a base camp to the North — but it’s also a base camp to the South for people from the North,” he said. “It’s a place to be in itself. Of course, you can set up for adventures elsewhere, but I’d say that’s selling Prince George short, because it’s a centre in itself. You want to be here. Spend time here.
“I’m plotting out a vacation for next summer — when I’m not working as a minister — to just come be a tourist in Prince George, to come visit the region. Bring the kid, bring my husband, and just enjoy what you locals already know Prince George has going for it.”
With files from Colin Slark
