Reid Carter, Chair of Cross Country BC and Spokesperson for the Steering Committee looking to host the 2023 FIS Nordic Junior/U23 World Ski Championships at Whistler Olympic Park in 2023, is pleased to announce that a significant feasibility milestone has been achieved.
“The Steering Committee engaged the services of John Aalberg Venue and Sport Consulting in early 2019 to conduct a formal Feasibility Report on the potential to host the event at Whistler Olympic Park in 2023. Mr Aalberg is one of the leading Nordic sport experts in the World and a two-time Olympian in cross country skiing. John designed the entire venue in Whistler Olympic Park for VANOC in the years leading up to the 2010 Olympics and recently was the Senior Sport Advisor for the Lillehammer 2016 Youth Olympic Games.
Mr Aalberg’s report concluded that the venue is still ideally suited for an FIS World Championship with only minor upgrades. He recommended that both Squamish and Whistler consider being the host communities to draw on the strong base of volunteers and fully utilize the hotel room inventory which will require the equivalent of 10,000 bed nights. He found strong alignment of the National Sport Organizations (Cross Country Canada, Ski Jumping Canada & Nordic Combined Ski Canada) and the FIS (who indicated that 2023 would be ideal timing to bring the event back to North America after Salt Lake hosted the event in 2017). He also noted that there is a strong funding protocol for government grants for international caliber major sport event and strong potential for corporate sponsorship.
Based on the positive outcome of the Feasibility Study we are moving to the next phase of forming the Local Organizing Committee and appointing the Chairperson and the Organizing Team. We are extremely excited to move ahead to host this spectacular event in early 2023.”
