The BC Sports Hall of Fame will officially designate the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria as a “defining moment” in the province’s sports history Sep. 27. Photo courtesy UVic.
Celebrations are planned later this month in Victoria and Vancouver as the 1994 Commonwealth Games will get the official designation as a “defining moment” in B.C. sports history.
The BC Sports Hall of Fame made the announcement Monday morning to celebrate the games that were nearly 25 years ago in Victoria.
The “Defining Moment” designation is also going to the 1994 Vancouver Canucks’ Stanley Cup playoff run and the BC Lions 1994 Grey Cup victory over Baltimore at B.C. Place Stadium.
“It was a truly remarkable year in BC sport history in 1994 and one that will always be seen as something special by sports fans from across BC,” BC Sports Hall of Fame Chair Jim Lightbody said in a statement.
“As story-tellers committed to celebrating the athletes, coaches, builders, teams and pioneers who have become parts of the fabric of our culture and heritage, we’re thrilled to have the chance to revisit these three ‘Defining Moments’ and the memories they created for us almost 25 years ago.”
Members from the Victoria Commonwealth Games local organizing committee will be honoured at a breakfast event at the Laurel Point Inn in Victoria Sep. 27 and at a later ceremony at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.
The hall of fame says representatives of the 1994 Canucks and Lions will also be on hand.
In 1988, the Victoria bid won the rights to host the XV Commonwealth Games, which marked the fourth time the event would be held in Canada.
From Aug. 18-28, 2,557 athletes from 63 nations competed converged on Victoria, along with 914 officials.
The games also saw the return of South Africa to competition following the end of apartheid earlier in the decade.
The opening and closing ceremonies were held at Victoria’s Centennial Stadium and Canadian athletes took advantage of being at home, with 129 medals, including 40 gold, in finishing second to Australia in the medal standings.
Victoria officially entered a bid last year to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games but pulled out in August because of the provincial government’s decision to not support the bid.
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