2009 World police and fire games

When people talk about the Games coming to town, they're generally looking ahead to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games and the 5,500 athletes who will participate in 15 sports across four municipalities in the Lower Mainland over 12 days. But there's another athletic competition on its way, sooner, and in many ways much bigger. It offers a huge opportunity for people in our communities to get involved, to watch and acknowledge our local heroes. Not to mention the kind of economic injection that comes from an event of this international size and scope.

The 2009 World Police and Fire Games (WPFG) is coming to Vancouver next summer. From July 31 to August 9, 2009, the region will play host to more than 12,000 athletes from around the world. The Games that began in 1985 in San Diego and saw its first West Coast appearance in 1989 in Vancouver have grown exponentially – to the point where no single community can accommodate the more than 67 events.