Local Sports

While the 2006 Olympic Winter Games wrapped up in Italy last Sunday, athletes were putting the wraps on a successful winter games right here in B.C. The 2006 B.C. Winter Games were held Feb. 23 to 26 in the greater Trail area.

The playoffs are almost here for the men's A-division hockey league. The regular season ends on March 7 with the first round of the playoffs set to start March 14.

A pair of disabled paddlers are preparing for an adventure of a lifetime.

Sechelt's Nick Muryn hopes hours spent in the Sechelt skatepark pay off in Toronto next month. The Grade 12 Chat student is off to Ontario for a national BMX competition March 3 to 5. The event is easily the biggest competition in Canada.

The Inlet Raiders have yet to find the winning formula to beat the North Vancouver Canadians. But at least this year's contest was closer. The Canadians edged the Raiders 6-4 in an entertaining contest last Saturday night at the Sunshine Coast Arena.

Garden Bay native Kyle Bruce and the UBC Thunderbirds are trying to do something this weekend that hasn't been done since 1970 - win a playoff series.

The Elphi Cougars are still alive in the Lower Mainland playoffs. Heading into play Thursday, the senior girls were down to their last life in the double knockout playoff. Elphi was set to play either York House or Little Flower (past deadline).

The Jewish Community Centre (JCC) rolled out the red carpet for Gibsons' favourite son last Thursday night.

The North Shore Cana-dians look to once again take advantage of the Inlet Raiders' hospitality on Saturday night. The visiting Canadians have yet to lose to the Raiders in their annual match up, now in its fifth year.

Students at West Sechelt Elementary School will be taking part in a unique hockey pilot program. The District of Sechelt (Sunshine Coast Arena) applied and was approved for a Bell Community Sport Fund grant.