The Lhtako Quesnel BC Winter Games are now going to Barkerville, at least for a day.
Brian Balkwill, the President of the local Games Society, says the athletes in a couple of the snow events are in for a unique experience as they have been granted access to host a race in the historic town.
“The athletes of the Nordic cross country skiing event as well as the Biathlon will be doing a skate ski race right through downtown Barkerville, so we’re pretty excited about that. It will also be an opportunity for the athletes to get a tour of the town after the race.”
Balkwill says it was an idea that came out of the lack of snow in town.
“This may be a great event that we didn’t plan on doing. We’re hoping there will be a lot of great pictures there. Of course a run through a historic town is something that not many athletes get to do, and a lot of athletes have probably never been Barkerville, so it should be a great experience for everybody.’
Balkwill says the race will take place on Saturday. (Feb 24)
He says they will also have a medal ceremony in Barkerville for those events.
Balkwill says the other races for these sports will still take place at Hallis Lake.
We asked if the recent snow has made a difference in terms of holding traditional events there.
“We’ve definitely established a base in the last couple of days.  I know we’ve been out grooming and packing, trying to preserve the little bit of snow we have, so we’re hoping for a little more because we do have a base. It would be pretty skimpy to run the race today, but there are a few centimetres off in the distance here in the forecast that we’re hoping will come and that will just finish it off.”
Balkwill says regardless of what happens with the weather there will be events, although he says they may have to be modified.
–Â Files from George Henderson, My Cariboo Now