Pitching the capital to every coast, Victoria looks to score Hockey Day in Canada

B.C.’s capital is running to host Hockey Day in Canada next January in hopes the coast-to-coast-to-coast broadcast will also bring the week of festivities, storytelling and the Stanley Cup to Victoria.

Rogers Sportsnet proposed the event to the region last fall and the Greater Victoria Sport Tourism Commission said a local organizing committee, headed by John Wilson, is optimistic about hosting the event pending funding from different levels of government.

Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto said in an interview that the city’s attractions are getting more and more diverse and Hockey Day in Canada would be another example of how the capital can be a part of something really exciting.

“It’s yet another opportunity to showcase the city and how incredibly interesting and beautiful it is,” said Alto, who’s bringing a motion to Thursday’s council meeting to support the proposal.

The event would bring a week of festivities to the city, with Ship Point hosting concerts, food vendors, visits with the Stanley Cup and NHL alumni and more.

It would also bring a synthetic ice rink to the harbourfront area and the mayor said it would be a unique sight with outdoor hockey in the mild-wintered city. Alto added the week would culminate in a 14-hour broadcast reaching 10 million viewers nationwide, which would be a boon for Victoria with the festivities backdropped by the ocean, the Empress, the legislature and more.

“That for us at the city is an opportunity to really draw people here at other times as well for them to get a glimpse of what a fantastic area it is to visit.”

While people don’t associate Victoria with winter sports, the mayor said the event would highlight Victoria’s intertwined history with the Stanley Cup, including winning the prized trophy nearly a century ago.

HDIC will also profile the role of Lester and Frank Patrick’s family in growing hockey in B.C. and beyond. The brothers built the first artificial ice rinks in Canada and at one point had the Stanley Cup withheld from their championship-winning Victoria squad.

“That has a really interesting legacy piece for us where we can talk about the history of that here,” Alto said.

The city would also collaborate with the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations to incorporate their stories into the event.

Mental health would be a key theme and HDIC plans to raise funds for the Archie Courtnall Centre, which provides specialized services at Royal Jubilee Hospital to individuals and families dealing with mental health crises.

“Their work has made such a difference in so many lives,” Alto said. “It’s great for us as a city because it’s experiential, it draws tourists, it’s something great for residents … but I think the mental health aspect of it and the support that it creates is just as important.”

Council on Thursday (May 11) will weigh if it wants to pay $100,000 for the costs associated with being a sponsor of HDIC and another $60,000 for costs covering the use of city equipment (bleachers, staging, etc.) and the lost parking revenue from Ship Point during the event.

Alto’s motion said the province is anticipated to contribute $350,000 to the event, with another $300,000 coming from other event partners.

READ: Greater Victoria firefighters take to the ice to honour to fallen colleagues