Victoria to host Hockey Day in Canada
Victoria will host the 2024 Hockey Day in Canada event, which will see all seven of Canada's NHL teams in the Inner Harbour to celebrate the sport.
The nationwide event kicks off on Jan. 20, 2024, and will include broadcasts from Ship Point and live music.
A synthetic ice rink will be set up in the Inner Harbour for an entire week.
"We've purchased an outdoor synthetic rink and we will hopefully continue to use that every winter in Victoria," said John Wilson, chair of the Victoria Hockey Legacy Society.
The event will also begin with a traditional welcoming from the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations, which will include paddling the Stanley Cup through Inner Harbour.
There will also be events in Victoria following Hockey Day in Canada. Other highlights include an NHL alumni and celebrity game at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre, school visits and hockey camps for kids, a banquet hosted by Sportsnet commentators, and a harbour music night.
Besides celebrating the game, Hockey Day in Canada will also raise money for the Archie Courtnall Centre in Victoria.
The centre offers specialized emergency mental health and substance use services at the Royal Jubilee Hospital.
"Russ, Geoff and I started our society back up in the last decade, and we're trying to help as many as we can," said Bruce Courtnall, who played in the NHL, as did his brothers.
While visitors may get a chance to touch the Stanley Cup, Courtnall warns that you aren't allowed to pick it up.
"Little known fact, if you've never won the Stanley Cup you can't pick it up," he said.
"I can't pick it up, but Geoff can," he said with a laugh.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.