Victoria’s ‘Secrets’

by Alex P. Vidal

While visiting the Butchart Gardens in Victoria, Canada, national historic site of Canada, we were privileged to contact Dr. Dan Buie, chairman of the Victoria Boxing Commission, an organization under the umbrella of the Federation Canadienne du Boxe Professionnelle, who invited this writer to meet him for interview at the Starbucks Coffee in downtown area afternoon on August 4.
Before arriving in Vancouver on August 2, Dr. Buie had sent us an email to contact him and meet him here, the capital city of British Columbia located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island and is a major tourist destination seeing more than 3.65 million visitors a year who inject more than one billion dollars into the local economy.
We informed Dr. Buie that there have been plans to bring the fight of World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight champion Manny Pacquiao here next year probably after his duel with Oscar Dela Hoya and that several newspapers in Vancouver have reported that Pacquiao is scheduled to hold a concert arranged by composer Lito Camo.
Among this metropolitan’s biggest "secrets" is that it is a cruise ship port where cruise liners stop at Ogden Point terminal. The city also receives economic benefits from its close proximity to Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt, the Canadian military’s main Pacific naval base.
Downtown Victoria also serves as Greater Victoria’s regional downtown, where many night clubs, theatres, restaurants and pubs are clustered, and where much larger regional public events occur. In particular, Canada Day fireworks display and Symphony Splash concerts draw tens of thousands of Greater Victorians and visitors to the downtown core.
Incidentally, this island is home to the country’s great sports personalities such as David Anderson, former Olympic and Pan American Games medal winning rower and former Canadian federal government cabinet minister; Don Barber, former NHL player; Len Barrie, former NHL player and now part owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning and is a real estate developer of the Bear Mountain resort and surrounding lands in Langford; Geoff and Russ Courtnall, brothers and former NHL stars, are from the Victoria area.
Gary and Paul Gait, twin brothers and Lacrosse players, were born and raised here; Rich Harden, MLB pitcher, grew up here; Silken Laumann, former Olympic medal winning rower; Steve Nash, two-time NBA MVP, although born in South Africa, grew up here; Rick O’Dell, former NASCAR driver; Lynn and Muzz Patrick, brothers and former NHL players.
Lynn was also inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Matt Pettinger, NHL player, was raised here. Duncan Regehr, former Olympic boxing contender and figure skater, was born in Lethbridge, Alberta and raised in Victoria. He’s also a stage, television, and movie actor; Bruce Twamley, former professional Association football player; Deb Whitten, former field hockey international player, was born here.
The city has hosted sports events including the 2005 Ford World Men’s Curling Championship tournament, the 1994 Commonwealth Games, and 2006 Skate Canada. Victoria co-hosted the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup at Royal Athletic Park, and is the venue for the Bastion Square Grand Prix Criterium road cycling race.
The city is also a destination for conven-tions, meetings, and conferences, including a 2007 North Atlantic Treaty Organization military chief of staff meeting. Every year, the Swiftsure International Yacht Race brings boaters from around the world to participate in the boat race in the waters off of Vancouver Island. The Tall Ships Festival brings sailing ships to Victoria for the public to see and feel the sailing way of life in the past and present. /MP