The evolution of the 2015 Canada Winter Games host committee is in a kind of no-man's-land over the holidays.
Time is running out in the minds of those most connected to the event, however. The time pressure is due to the 2011 Canada Winter Games. They are hosted by Halifax in less than six weeks.
"We would like to have our leadership in place by January, or early February at the latest, so we can have observers in Halifax," said Mayor Dan Rogers, co-chair of the bid committee that won the Games for Prince George.
"We have gone through a process of identifying potential leaders."
He added that in springtime, even more specific leadership will be established for the various subcommittees dealing with various sectors of the organization process.
In the meantime, the bid committed personnel are working on moving towards the establishment of a organizing committee.
"There is a transition team in place, we have our next meeting on Jan. 11," said Tracy Calogheros, a director on the bid committee and now helping with the transition.
The official Prince George bid document states bid committee personnel will be called upon to ensure a smooth startup to the organizing committee.
"Most of the proposed personnel in the host committee already sit on either the bid committee or one of the working groups," it states.
"This ensures that work in organizing the Prince George 2015 (event) will begin without any delay in order to deliver a successful event. We will work with the Canada Games Council and the Transfer of Knowledge Program to ensure the standards and integrity of the Games are upheld."
An organizing committee executive board can only be established after a society is formed.
"We are working as fast as we can on the paperwork to get the society in place," said Calogheros. "I think you're going to see a whole lot of movement in January because we are facing what everyone is facing, the usual delays over the holiday season.
"We hope to have things moving into high gear by spring."
Not all those involved in winning the Games will conduct the Games, said Calogheros and Rogers. Anyone interested in a position on the 2015 Canada Winter Games Society is urged to express that as soon as possible by email.
Send enquiries to www.2015wgames@city.pg.bc.ca. There will also be a public call for expressions of interest come spring, when the strategic subcommittees will begin their formation.
