They were Victoria鈥檚 days of glory, and they might live again. When the city hosted the Commonwealth Games in 1994, Victorians made the world 鈥� OK, the Commonwealth 鈥� sit up and take notice.
Businessman David Black suggests that the city put in its name as the backup for Durban, South Africa, which is the only city bidding for the 2022 Commonwealth Games. It鈥檚 a long shot, but it鈥檚 a wonderful excuse to dream.
Just last year, organizers and some of the 15,000 volunteers from the 1994 Games donned their old tracksuits for a 20-year party at 91原创 Institute for Sport Excellence. Their hair might have been a bit more grey, but their enthusiasm was undimmed as they relived the excitement.
PISE itself is one of the legacies of those Games, which cost $162 million 鈥� a paltry amount by today鈥檚 standards, but enough to leave $6.2 million to Volunteer Victoria and the organization that is now PISE. Saanich Commonwealth Place and the Juan de Fuca Velodrome are among the concrete reminders of the success of the Games.
The events of that year put Victoria on the map as a training centre for elite athletes. Rowers and triathletes who hone their skills here can thank Games CEO George Heller, his organizers and the volunteers for planting the seed.
The business of sport has changed since then. Toronto鈥檚 Pan Am Games this year will cost about $2.5 billion. Security, not a big deal in 鈥�94, is a massive undertaking today.
Still, it would be so much fun to feel that energy once again.
