VANCOUVER ISLAND MOUNTAIN SPORTS SOCIETY (VIMSS)
VIMSS is a non-profit umbrella sports organization that formed in July 2003. The catalyst for its formation was the IOC announcement that Vancouver would be the host city for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. After the initial euphoria, local leaders in sport were left with some profound questions. How to get an athlete from Vancouver Island to the 2010 Games, and ideally on the podium?
The formation of VIMSS, a multi-sport society, was the first step towards realizing this ambitious goal. VIMSS is made up of representatives from local alpine, nordic, biathlon, freestyle ski and snowboard clubs; the Vancouver Island Society for Adaptive Snowsports; Mount Washington Alpine Resort, mountain biking community, Pacificsport and members of the community.
Our primary mandate is to provide yearly grants to competitive athletes on Vancouver Island. These grants are meant to offset the costs associated with regional and national competitions and advanced training. In this way, VIMSS seeks to nurture emerging athletes on the Island and help prepare them for elite national and international competition.
In addition to funding athletes, VIMSS is overseeing a significant infrastructure project based at Mount Washington on Vancouver Island. Phase 1 was completed in 2006, and included upgrades to the Nordic trail network and biathlon range, an improved lighting system, and preliminary site surveys for Phase 2 buildings.
Phase 2 is the construction of a new Mountain Sports Centre and the Strathcona Provincial Park Outdoor Centre on land donated by Mount Washington Alpine Resort.
For competitive athletes, the Mountain Sports Centre will be a central hub where they can store and maintain equipment, and access a modern gym and sport science lab. In addition, there will be offices for coaches and staff, group accommodations and a multipurpose media room to review training runs and host journalists during events. The Mountain Sports Centre will also serve as a classroom for local school and university groups, and provide a venue for recreational users and related events.
The adjacent Strathcona Provincial Park Outdoor Centre will operate in collaboration with the Mountain Sports Centre to ensure long-term sustainability. The volunteers of the Strathcona Wilderness Institute will provide information and outdoor education for Park visitors, including courses and workshops on wilderness ethics and ‘leave-no-trace’ principles.
VIMSS believes that these facilities will be valuable and unique assets to the whole of Vancouver Island, and together are a true legacy project for future generations.
For more information on VIMSS and the Mountain Sports Centre, please email info@vimss.com. Our postal address is PO Box 3083, Courtenay BC, V9N 5N3
CREATE THE LEGACY!