Skate Canada International

The B.C. government has announced $100,000 in support of Skate Canada International which will be hosted by Kelowna in the fall.

Premier and Westside Kelowna MLA Christy Clark made the announcement at Prospera Place on Wednesday. From October 30^th to November 1^st nearly 20,000 spectators are expected to attend the event and another 25 million television viewers.

“In Japan, where 25 million people watched this competition the last time it was on TV. Think about that, 2 million Canadians, 25 million people in Asia and Japan, focused here on Kelowna and what this incredible region has to offer. You cannot buy that kind of advertising,” said Clark.

Skate Canada Chief Marketing Officer Mark Halliday forecasts a $5 million impact for the city over the three day event.

Top figure skaters from around the world are expected to attend the event including Olympic athletes.

This will be the first time Kelowna has hosted the Skate Canada International event, in which close to 200 volunteers will assist with the event.

It should be noted that Tourism Kelowna won the bid they submitted in November of 2013.