Greater Victoria has been designated a Sport Heritage Community by the BC Sports Hall of Fame.

The designation recognizes communities that have made significant contributions to British Columbia鈥檚 sports history, heritage, and culture. Greater Victoria joins Kamloops as one of only two cities in the province to receive this honour.

Tom Mayenknecht, chair of the BC Sports Hall of Fame, called it a top acknowledgement for any community.

鈥淚t is, simply put, a natural way for the BC Sports Hall to recognize the important role that communities play in fostering physical activity, play, organized sport, and high performance.鈥�

The Hall highlighted several events from Victoria鈥檚 past that contributed to this designation, including hosting the XV Commonwealth Games in 1994 and Hockey Day in Canada in 2024.

Victoria鈥檚 storied sports history also includes the city's 1925 Stanley Cup win and producing back-to-back NBA MVP Steve Nash, both of which were noted as key factors.

Keith Wells, executive director of the Greater Victoria Sport Tourism Commission, said Victoria鈥檚 sports community is more than deserving of the honour.

鈥淲hen Victoria hosted Hockey Day in Canada, the community was celebrated 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,鈥� Wells said. 鈥淭hese are all qualities that help attract athletes, coaches, sport scientists, and other sport leaders 鈥� not to mention everything from major events to training camps.鈥�

The designation will be presented at a celebratory reception on March 27 at the Delta Ocean Pointe Resort.