…home of the 1925 Stanley Cup-winning Victoria Cougars, the XV Commonwealth Games in 1994, UVic dynasties, lacrosse Shamrocks, and hundreds of Olympians recognized for its contributions to BC sport history, heritage and culture.
VICTORIA, B.C. (Thursday, March 20th, 2025) – In a special announcement and celebratory reception at the Delta Hotels Marriott Ocean Pointe Resort on the inner harbour, Greater Victoria will receive the special BC Sports Hall of Fame designation as a Sport Heritage Community.
It’s a new recognition initiative by the BC Sports Hall of Fame that is designed to put the spotlight on communities that have truly helped shape British Columbia sport history, heritage and culture over the years; communities that have produced some of the best sports programs and participation rates in the country.
By recognizing Sport Heritage Communities such as Greater Victoria, the BC Sports Hall of Fame is acknowledging the important role played by athletes, coaches and other sport leaders – both volunteers and industry professionals – in making it a hotbed for sport.
Greater Victoria is only the second to be designated as a Sport Heritage Community, with the City of Kamloops having been so recognized last September at the Kamloops 2025 Annual Summit of the BC Sports Hall of Fame. As Sport Heritage Communities, Greater Victoria and Kamloops have become prototypes for healthy, strong communities throughout the province.
“It is, simply put, a natural way for the BC Sports Hall to acknowledge the important role that communities play in fostering physical activity, play, organized sport and high performance,” said Tom Mayenknecht, Chair of the BC Sports Hall of Fame.
“We believe that the stronger the sport ecosystem established by municipalities and other community leaders, the richer the sport culture in those communities,” he added. “And where there’s strong sport history, heritage and culture, the more likely that kids will play in a safe environment — a welcoming Sport for Life setting and a dynamic infrastructure with the highest standards of coaching, officiating, training, sport science, leadership and volunteerism.”
The Sport Heritage Community celebration is being presented by the Greater Victoria Sport Tourism Commission, in collaboration with 94 Forward and Team Sales. It is proud to kick off the Victoria Hockey Legacy Society’s Celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Stanley Cup win by the Victoria Cougars in 1925.
“As we saw when Victoria hosted Hockey Day in Canada in 2024 and the community was featured coast-to-coast-to-coast on national television, the iconic Cougars are a proud part of a rich hockey and sport history that is synonymous with leadership, excellence and civic pride,” said Keith Wells, Executive Director of the Greater Victoria Sport Tourism Commission. “These are all qualities that help attract athletes, coaches, sport scientists and other sport leaders, not to mention everything from major events to training camps.”
Greater Victoria is best-known for its Stanley Cup champion Cougars, the successful hosting of the XV Commonwealth Games in 1994 and the resulting sport legacies that include 94 Forward, Canadian Sport Institute Pacific and PISE. It is also home to University of Victoria, Camosun College and Royal Roads University, the iconic Mann Cup champion Victoria Shamrocks, and multiple athlete training centres, including Canada’s national women’s rugby sevens team, as just one example. It produced Steve Nash, the back-to-back NBA most valuable player that is one of the most recognized honoured members of the BC Sports Hall of Fame.
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Event Details
Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025
Time: 2:30 PM Media Announcement | 3:00–5:00 PM Reception
Location: Delta Ocean Pointe, Pacific Suite, 100 Harbour Road, Victoria
Who’s Attending: Athletes, coaches, sport builders, and tourism and business leaders
Presented by: Greater Victoria Sport Tourism Commission, in support of the BC Sports Hall of Fame, Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame, 94 Forward, and Team Sales
