Three community foundations in Quesnel were given shares of $200,000 at the Lhtako Quesnel BC Winter Games 2024 Legacy Celebration on November 29.
Quesnel hosted the BC Winter Games in February 2024. Councillor Scott Elliot said the City received “over 3,000” new visitors and small businesses saw an increase in profits.
Chief Clifford LeBrun, of Lhtako Dene Nation, said hosting the games was “one of the highest honours”, and that his memories of the events, and the athletes are ” a great legacy” for Lhtako Dene and Quesnel to build on and cherish.
Over $500,000 was fundraised to host and put on the Winter Games in February. After everything was paid off and completed, the Winter Games Legacy fund held $200,000 that was shared among three key foundations that helped put on the games.
$50,000 went to the Lhtako Quesnel 2024 BC Winter Games Youth Athletic Scholarship.
“The Quesnel Community Foundation started off with a donation the 2000 Winter Games here in Quesnel. It’s full circle to come back to where the community foundation started,” says Graeme Armstrong, President of the Quesnel Community Foundation.
“It was a wonderful event, a great partnership with the Lhatko and Quesnel. We’re grateful and honoured to be a recipient.”
$50,000 was given to the Lhtako Dene Nation Cultural Trail Network.
“A great honour,” Chief LeBrun calls being a recipient of the Legacy Fund. “We’ve got lots of trails we can apply this [money] to, and make cultural significance. So when people walk on them, they’ll see signs explaining the country, maybe learn a few words of our language… But the important part is that this network is going to join other networks, and bring us all together again.”
Finally, $100,000 was given to the Lhtako Quesnel BC Winter Games Endowment Fund.
All the athletes who participated in the Winter Games signed six paddles that were given out to important Community buildings of Quesnel. Three of them hang proudly on the walls inside the Lhtako Dene Long house.
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