Policies and Frequently Asked Questions

Participants must be:

• Aged 55 years or older by December 31 in the year of the Games (EXCEPTION – track & field participants must be 55 years of age or older as of the first day of competition of the Games);
• Permanent residents of British Columbia; and
• Members of BC Seniors Games Society (in good standing)

EXAMPLE #1 – Bob turns 70 in November, his sport has age categories of 65-69 and 70-74.  Bob could register in either age category, however, if Bob is registering in track & field (including the 10Km road race), Bob must register in the 65-69 age category as he will be 69 on the first day of competition.

EXAMPLE #2 – Sally turns 55 in November, she has been waiting 2 years to participate.  Sally can register to participate in any sport except track & field (including the 10Km road race).

EXAMPLE #3 – Beth turns 55 in August, she can register in any sport, including track & field.

The Nanaimo 2025 55+ BC Games will be held from Tuesday, September 9 to Saturday, September 13, 2025.

Every participant must be a member of the BC Seniors Games Society.  The annual membership fee is $20.

The registration fee for the Games is $100/participant. In addition, each sport has a sport fee ranging from $10 to $115.  Sport fees cover the cost of venue rentals, officials, sanctioning (if applicable), etc.  Some zones provide financial assistance to participants and cover the cost of sport fees or other expenses.

Visit the Registration Page for a breakdown of all fees.

All fees are payable online at the time of registration.

There will be no refunds for any reason after July 27, 2025.

BCSGS Refund Policy

1. Individuals or teams that withdraw for reasons other than illness or injuries, shall not be refunded any fees by the Society or Zone.
2. No refunds will be issued after 45 days prior to the start of the Games.
3. A sport(s) cancelled by the Host Society as a result of low registration, will result in a refund of participation registration fees and sport fees. Upon request, membership fees will be refunded for participants and supporters of a sport(s) cancelled by the Host Society due to low registration.
4. Registered Supporters of participants affected by a sport(s) being cancelled by the Host Society are also eligible for a refund of their supporter registration fees.  Refunds of Supporter fees shall be subject to the same conditions and follow the same procedures as for Participants. A supporter whose partner has to withdraw and is eligible for a refund shall also be given a refund.
5. The request for a refund must be submitted to the Zone Director.
6. Zones will use the ‘Record of Refund Request’ form to compile a list of Participants and Supporters who qualify for a refund as a result of being ill, having been injured or because of some other unexpected circumstance which prohibits the person from attending the Games.
7. The Zone can submit this list to the BCSGS Secretary/Treasurer anytime before July 31st.
8. The BCSGS is not responsible for any participant refunds after the above time.  Any request for a refund not sent in by a Zone within the above time-frame is the responsibility of the Zone.
9. Upon receipt of the refunded fees, the Zone will either return them to the participant, if originally paid by the participant, or to the Zone funds, if paid by the Zone.

Registration begins on April 1 at 9am (PT) and closes June 15.

1. Choose your sport
2. Check your sport’s page to determine if your sport requires participation in a playdown
3. Contact your Zone for playdown information and to determine any financial assistance provided
4. Create an account on the BCSGS online registration system and purchase a membership (click here for the membership page)
5. Starting on April 1, log into your BCSGS online registration account and complete your registration online to participate in the 55+ BC Games.  Step #4 can be done at the same time as your participant registration starting April 1st.

Click here for more information.

Participants represent their zones at the Games.  Some sports have participant maximums which require playdowns for participants or teams to qualify, which zones coordinate locally.  As some playdowns are scheduled PRIOR to the close of registration, it is important to contact your Zone and register for them as soon as possible.

Your Zone will also have information about zone uniforms and some may offer financial assistance for participants to attend the Games.

ALL registrations are processed online.  Participants must create an account, register themselves and pay online.

Playdowns to qualify for the Games are required in about 1/2 of the sports.  Refer to each sport page to see if your sport requires playdowns.

Some sports require playdowns for the following reasons:

• Time Restraints – the Games are only 5 days with sport competitions taking place between 2-4 days, depending on each sport
• Venue Maximums – the number of interested participants outnumber the capacity to host the sport (i.e. golf)

You may only register and participate in one sport/activity at the Nanaimo 2025 55+ BC Games.

NOTE: Sport Competition Packages, including detailed schedules, will be released 2 weeks prior to the start of the Games.  The general competition schedule is available on the Sports Page

If you want to take part in the Games and your sport needs a partner or a team, here’s how to get started:

1. Go to the top of the website and click on “Upcoming Games.”

2. In the dropdown menu, click on “Sports.”

3. Scroll down the page until you see your sport listed.

4. Click on your sport to open its details.

5. Then, click on the section titled “Find a partner.”

For team sports, click:
“Click here to submit request to play on a team or to find a player for your team.”

For sports that need one partner (like doubles), click:
“Click here to submit request for partner.”

Before you send a request, it’s helpful to check if someone is already looking for a partner. Click on:
“View partner listings to find a partner.”
If you find someone who looks like a good match, contact them directly to confirm.

Once you’ve confirmed a partner or a team, email us so we can remove your name from the list. After that, you can register for the Games.

Please wait to register until your partner or team is confirmed. Payment is required when you register.

Each participant competes for the zone in which they reside, however, if a participant is looking for a team or partner, cross zoning is permitted.  Permission is not required to cross zone.

EXAMPLE – Sally lives in Zone 3 but the majority of her dragon boat team resides in Zone 4.  Sally still needs to register as a Zone 3 participant, but will also contact her zone to let them know that she will be cross zoning to participate with the Zone 4 dragon boat team.