History of the Games

The BC Seniors Games Society was organized in 1987 with the assistance of the Recreation and Sport Branch, Ministry of Municipal Affairs, Recreation and Culture (now the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport).  The premise was that sport and recreation development for seniors would have a direct bearing on the quality of life for older British Columbians and for the province as a whole.

The concept of a provincial Seniors Games was presented at a meeting of 30 representatives of seniors’ groups from all parts of the province on November 6, 1986.  The concept was unanimously endorsed and a steering committee was formed.

On July 10, 1987, the BC Seniors Games Society was registered and later that year, a core grant was received by the Society from the Recreation and Sport Branch.  Seniors Lottery and New Horizons (Health and Welfare Canada) also provided organizational grants, and funding was obtained from corporate sponsors.  The first Games were held in Vernon on June 14-16, 1988 with 650 seniors competing in 15 sports.

The province was divided into 12 zones.  Each zone established an organizing committee responsible for ensuring the play-downs for each sport were well coordinated, local public relations, local fundraising and registration of all participants in the zone.

On May 17, 1994, the BC Seniors Games Society signed an affiliation agreement with the BC Games Society.  The purpose of this agreement was to ensure prosperity, quality and evolution of the BC Seniors Games Society and the BC Seniors Games.

In 2015, the name of the Games was changed to the 55+ BC Games and the BC Seniors Games Society continued to organize and be the main funding partner for the Games.  In the fall of 2017, the working partnership between the BC Seniors Games Society and the BC Games Society ended and all aspects of organizing and managing the 55+ BC Games now rests with the BC Seniors Games Society.