Pacific FC's return brings economic boost to West Shore
The T-shirt cannon was being rolled out Wednesday afternoon and the pineapples were being prepped for a team that is on the forefront of post pandemic sport.
“We’re one point away from the top of table and we play Valour who’s leading the league standings tonight, so we could be in first place by the end of the night,” said Brad Norris-Jones, vice president of operations for Pacific FC.
Playing in a Winnipeg-based bubble for 8 games was not how the Langford-based team wanted to begin its season. Now, with COVID-19 restrictions lifting, the West Shore is welcoming back in-person sports and the money it brings.
“Now, for the next 20 games it’s on the road for 10 and at home for 10, so it’s exciting times,” said Norris-Jones.
Those exciting times extend beyond the team itself. Having professional soccer back is an economic kick that the region desperately needs.
“Economic impact would be in the $15 million mark with the transportation, the hotels, food and beverage,” said Norris-Jones. “If we’re not playing, it hurts the city.”
Just down the road from Pacific FC’s Starlight Stadium is MOD Pizza at the Belmont Market. They are expecting to have a busy Wednesday night, as they saw a huge spike in business after the team’s first home game.
“Just seeing that this pandemic is starting to come to an end, we’re starting to see businesses come back to life,” said Jim Hayden, Owner of MOD Pizza. “Just having big organizations like Pacific FC back-up and operating again has truly proven beneficial to us.”
With just under 2,700 fans attending the last game, it’s not just restaurants that are hopeful for the increase in foot traffic.
“I think we might get some browsers for sure,” said Justin Bush, with Jordan’s Flooring on Langford Parkway.
“We definitely do expect to see something whenever there’s a large venue of people coming in,” said Bush. “Especially into a town like Langford.”
Welcoming fans back to live sporting events is an unfamiliar sign of normality for the region.
The Victoria HarbourCats season was scheduled to begin in April, when all the COVID-19 restrictions were in place. That forced the Canadian teams in the West Coast League to cancel their seasons for a second year in a row, but they will be back next year.
“It’s great to have so much support and people understanding that we are going to be able to be back and survive to thrive for 2022,” said Jim Swanson, general manager of the HarbourCats and the Nanaimo Night Owls.
In the meantime, having soccer back on the West Shore has everyone excited.
“I can just go on and on about how important it is to get this back and to have some normal lives for everyone,” said Norris-Jones. “Even though we’re not at capacity, we’re feeling comfortable and excited about where we’re going to go.”
Every game at the Starlight Stadium means more than game on, it’s a sign that slowly we are getting back to normal.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.