Project Title:

Biathlon Range Target Automation

Project Organization:

Comox Valley Economic Development Society

Project Investment:

  • Island Coastal Economic Trust: $25,083
  • IPC World Cup Committee: $15,000
  • Vancouver Island Biathlon Club: $9,274
  • Peak Accomoodations: $2,000
  • In Kind Contributions: $69,588
  • Total Budget: $120,945

Project Highlight:

14 counties, 33 teams and 350 Olympic and Paralympic athletes placed Mount Washington’s Olympic level facilities and the Valley’s hospitality and lifestyle solidly on the world stage.

A collaboration between the Vancouver Island Mountain Sports Society, Mount Washington cross-country and biathlon clubs, Mount Washington Alpine Resort, Comox Valley Economic Development and BC Parks came together to develop capacity on Vancouver Island. This was to secure pre-2010 Olympic training and post-Olympic events in cross-country skiing disciplines. After winning the right to host the IPC World Cups and the National Olympic/Paralympic team pre‐training, the region was recognized as a desirable destination for sports enthusiasts. By creating an innovative, automated biathlon range, Mount Washington would become an international training and competition site.

The overall project included the design and construction of new competition trails, 2 kilometres of lit loops and the installation of an automated biathlon target range (the project’s main focus). To build the automated biathlon range, a collaboration and sponsorship agreement with the target manufacturer enabled a new wireless technology to be used on the course. The site was prepared and the components were built and installed.
With the completion of the biathlon range, Mount Washington joins Canmore and the Callaghan Valley Olympic site as Canada’s only facilities with automated targets.

The region has the necessary venue components to attract FIS (International Ski Federation) and IPC-level events. This successful project allowed the Comox Valley to host pre‐Olympic training for 14 countries, 33 teams and more than 350 Olympic and Paralympic Athletes. The new wireless technology also attracted site visits from several Olympic team technical delegations who were training elsewhere in BC. The region has also hosted World IPC events and continues to attract international, national and provincial teams for events and training.

Island Coastal Economic Trust funded this project on 2012 through the Capital and Innovation program.