Greater Victoria has officially been designated as a Sport Heritage Community, a special honour given by the BC Sports Hall of Fame. The designation was officially announced at a press conference and celebratory reception hosted at the Delta Hotels Marriott Ocean Pointe Resort in downtown Greater Victoria on March 20.

This is a fairly new recognition initiative by the BC Sports Hall of Fame that is designed to put the spotlight on communities that have helped shape British Columbia’s sport history, heritage and culture over the years. It is meant to highlight the great work that certain communities have done in producing some of the best sports programs and participation rates in Canada.

“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.

By recognizing Sport Heritage Communities such as Greater Victoria, the BC Sports Hall of Fame is acknowledging the impact athletes, coaches and sport leaders – both volunteers and industry professionals – have on making their community a hotbed for sport.

Greater Victoria is only the second designated Sport Heritage Community, following the City of Kamloops, who were recognized in the fall of 2025 at the Kamloops 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.

“We believe that the stronger the sport ecosystem established by municipalities and other community leaders, the richer the sport culture in those communities,” Mayenknecht 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. This honour kicks off the Victoria Hockey Legacy Society’s Celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Stanley Cup win by the Victoria Cougars in 1925.

“When Victoria hosted Hockey Day in Canada in 2024, the community was celebrated coast-to-coast-to-coast on national television and the iconic Cougars were certainly a proud part of that 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.

Victoria, B.C. is 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