Victoria, Canada positions for surprise 2026 Commonwealth Games bid

[GBModerator]

With the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) struggling to find a host for the 2026 edition of the Games, a new and unexpected suitor could be emerging from Western Canada.  On Wednesday publisher David Black wrote an op/ed in the Vancouver Sun and other media outlets laying out what appears to be a pitch to reignite […]

The post Victoria, Canada positions for surprise 2026 Commonwealth Games bid appeared first on GamesBids.com.

View the full article

[Nacre]

Quote

“We will build another Commonwealth pool, another major ice arena with a European-sized rink, a major field house, a new cycling track, a number of hockey, lacrosse and cricket fields, a proper 2,000-metre rowing facility, and many other facility improvements and additions.”

I really do not think this is the proper way to sell British Columbians on the idea of hosting. 

The existing Westshore Velodrome is good enough to help develop Olympic-level athletes at the grassroots level. The existing aquatics center is a great community rec center and does not need to be replaced. And if Saanich Inslet is not good enough for rowing, then it can be cut as it is only an optional sport. It cost 17 million pounds to construct the rowing lake for London 2012; that is not a viable expense for British Columbia in a world struggling to recover from a pandemic and with the local water sports culture is based on natural rather than artificial venues.

As someone who lives a ferry ride away from Victoria, I would love a Victoria games. But the city is comparable in size to Swansea or Hobart, and it simply is not capable of hosting with venues like that of Manchester or Melbourne. If grassroots-level facilities are not good enough for the CGF then they need to pass on this "opportunity".