GREATER VICTORIA – As announced in October, Greater Victoria will host the 2017 Canadian Junior (Under 21) Men’s and Women’s Curling Championships. Between Jan. 21 and 29, teams from across Canada, plus their families, organizers, and coaches, will come to Greater Victoria to play on the ice sheets in the Archie Browning Sports Centre in Esquimalt.
Aside from enjoying the competition and competitors, these visitors will spend money on meals, entertainment, accommodation as well as expenses relating to the championship itself.
Organizers have said that past championship events generated between two and three million dollars in economic impact. We should expect the 2017 impact to be in the same scale. We have the sport facilities, accommodation, and services to support such an event and this is a great event outside our busy summer season.
This event is one of many in our region annually. SportHost Victoria calculates Greater Victoria sees an average of $95 million in direct spending each year in sport related activity. That level of activity has resulted in tens of millions of dollars of investment in community sport and recreation facilities such as the Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence and the Centre for Athletics, Recreation and Special Abilities.
Private sector businesses are also onboard. Ecoasis, the new owners of Bear Mountain, are launching The Hub, home of the Canadian National Mountain Bike Team, as well they have partnered with the Southern Vancouver Island Nature Trails Society to develop, build and maintain the trail networks within the lands surrounding the community.
All this investment results in Greater Victoria being home to six national sport centres of excellence and hosting more than 80 major regional, provincial, national, and international sport-related events annually.
Access to competitive-level programs and quality facilities provides just one more reason why families and business professionals want to relocate to our region.
Bruce Carter, CEO of Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce: 250-383-7191, bcarter@victoriachamber.ca, www.victoriachamber.ca
November Chamber Events
- Thursday, November 5 | Business Leader’s Luncheon: Jessica McDonald BC Hydro CEO | 11:30 am to 1 pm | Victoria Marriott Inner Harbour
- Thursday, November 12 | Prodigy Group Mingle | 5 pm to 7 pm | Doubletree by Hilton
- Tuesday, November 17 | Business Leader’s Luncheon: Community, Sport & Cultural Development Minister Peter Fassbender | 11:30 am to 1 pm | Delta Ocean Pointe Resort & Spa
- Thursday, November 19 | Business Mixer | 5 pm to 7 pm | Regus (1321 Blanshard St., Suite 301)
- Wednesday, November 25 | Business Leader’s Luncheon: Post-Secondary Presidents Panel | Noon to 1:30 pm | Harbour Towers Hotel & Suites (345 Quebec St.)
- Saturday, November 28 | 33rd Annual Dinner Auction Gala | 6 pm to 10:30 pm | The Union Club of British Columbia (805 Gordon St.)
