NEWS RELEASE Valenzuela and McCarthy Recognized as 2025 I·SPARC Athletes of the Year Traditional Territory of the Quw’utsun (Cowichan) Tribes, Duncan B.C. (March 11, 2026) – The Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation Council (I·SPARC) is proud to announce the recipients of its Athletes of the Year awards presented at Sport BC’s 58th Annual Athlete of the Year Awards [...]
I·SPARC has launched its latest call for host applications. The organization is seeking community and organizational partners — including interested First Nations, Métis Chartered Communities, Friendship Centres, and Indigenous organizations — to apply to host one or more events in the 2026/27 BC Indigenous Provincial Athlete Development Camp series. The Provincial Camps series for 2026/27 will consist of a 1 or 2-day athlete development camp for each of the following sports: •Arctic Sports •Lacrosse (Box) •Archery •Rifle Shooting •Athletics (Track [...]
The Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation Council (I·SPARC) is pleased to release its 2024-25 Annual Report. This report provides an overview of the many programs I·SPARC offers throughout the province, including Healthy Living Offerings, Team BC achievements, 2024 Premier's Awards for Indigenous Youth Excellence in Sport, and various community sport programs. Throughout the fiscal year, there were 20,342 program participants throughout 22 unique programs. The report goes into depth about all the accomplishments from the organization, along with a [...]
Photo Credit: Mary Putnam Team BC Women Capture Silver Medal Kamloops, BC – Team BC Women had a historic performance at the 2025 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships (NAHC), capturing the Silver Medal—the best finish in the history of the women’s program since the tournament began in 2002. The championship final was a tightly contested match between BC and Manitoba, with Manitoba ultimately claiming the Turtle Island Cup in a 2–0 victory. Both goaltenders delivered outstanding performances in this low-scoring game, [...]
NEWS RELEASE Provincial Recipients Announced for 2024 Premier’s Awards for Indigenous Youth Excellence in Sport Ten Outstanding Indigenous Athletes Receive Prestigious Award Traditional Territory of the Quw’utsun (Cowichan) Tribes / Duncan, B.C. (May 20, 2025) – The Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation Council (I·SPARC) is pleased to announce the 10 outstanding athletes named as provincial recipients of the 2024 Premier’s Awards for Indigenous Youth Excellence in Sport. Adelle Larden, Lacrosse & Volleyball, Hwlitsum First Nations Austin Krahn, Golf, [...]
NEWS RELEASE Team BC Announces Rosters for 2025 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships Traditional Territory of the Quw’utsun (Cowichan) Tribes / Duncan, B.C. (April 7, 2025) – The Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation Council (I∙SPARC) is pleased to announce the players and volunteer personnel who will represent British Columbia in the 2025 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships (NAHC). The NAHC will be hosted on the traditional territories of Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc in Kamloops, BC, from May 4-11th, 2025. This marks the [...]
NEWS RELEASE Traditional Territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples / Victoria B.C. (April 1, 2025) – The Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation Council (I·SPARC) proudly announced the inaugural recipients of its Athletes of the Year awards during Sport BC’s 57th Annual Athlete of the Year Awards on March 6, 2025. Presented in partnership with Sport BC, these awards celebrate [...]
NEWS RELEASE 2024 Regional Recipients Announced for Premier’s Awards for Indigenous Youth Excellence in Sport Traditional Territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples / Victoria, B.C. (March 12, 2025) – The Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation Council (I·SPARC) is pleased to announce the regional recipients of the 2024 Premier’s Awards for Indigenous Youth Excellence in Sport. I·SPARC, in collaboration with the Province of British Columbia, launched the regional nomination process in late 2024, receiving nominations from each of I·SPARC’s six regions [...]
We are proud to announce that Michelle Webster has been appointed as the new Executive Director of PacificSport Okanagan. Michelle has been a key leader at I∙SPARC serving as the Manager of Sport Development & Community Engagement, dedicating her career to advancing sport opportunities and fostering community engagement. A proud member of the Namgis First Nation and raised in the Okanagan, Michelle’s passion for sport is deeply rooted in her experiences as an athlete, coach, and sport administrator. As a graduate [...]
NEWS RELEASE Traditional Territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples / Victoria B.C. (November 26, 2024) – The Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation Council (I·SPARC), in partnership with the BC Regional Sport Alliance, is pleased to announce the launch of Pathways: Indigenous Sport Leadership Gatherings. These collaborative events are designed to empower Indigenous community leaders and advocates in the fields of sport, recreation, youth, health, and education. The two events will take place over November 27th in Victoria and December [...]
