Katie Bernardo has spent the past decade building youth sports in Victoria.
Now, she’s drawing attention to what she sees as a major gap in the system.
“There is nowhere in Victoria for kids to consistently play ball hockey or ice hockey. We’re the only municipality in the region without a real multi-use public arena for that,” said Bernardo, who recently stepped down from Greater Victoria Minor Ball Hockey after 10 years.
On June 13, she launched a petition urging the City of Victoria to invest in a new multi-use recreation facility that could accommodate both ice and hard-floor hockey – a project she says is long overdue. In the first five days, the petition had garnered 56 signatures.
“Greater Victoria Minor Ball Hockey has doubled in size since the pandemic. We had to cap registration and turn kids away. Victoria Minor Hockey is in the same boat,” she said. “Parents are frustrated, and kids are missing out.”
For Bernardo, the push is personal.
Her eldest son found community and mentorship through hockey from a young age – something she believes every child should have access to.
That son, Jacob, now 19, suited up for the Victoria Cougars last season and has played in the VIJHL for three years. Bernardo says the mentorship he received early on helped him reach that level.
“It meant so much to us, having that outlet and focus,” she said. “We found great role models, and I think there’s so much potential to help others the same way.”
Of course, building a new arena would come at a cost – likely a significant one.
The city has already committed to major recreation investments, including the long-awaited Crystal Pool replacement, projected to cost between $209 and $215.9 million and not expected to be completed until 2030. That facility will include multi-purpose rooms for sports, dance, fitness, wellness and art.
Another shift is on the way as the downtown YMCA prepares to move from its Broughton and Quadra location to the Bay Centre within the next year.
While neither facility is suited for ball or ice hockey, these changes are expected to place additional strain on recreation space across the city.
Even if Victoria were to build its own multi-use facility, many of Greater Victoria’s major recreation centres were constructed between 1961 and 1977 – a boom era that shaped the region’s infrastructure:
– Archie Browning Sports Centre (1961)
– G.R. Pearkes Recreation Centre (1969)
– Gordon Head Recreation Centre (1971)
– Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre (1972)
– Cedar Hill Recreation Centre (1972)
– Henderson Recreation Centre (1972)
– Esquimalt Recreation Centre (1974)
– Oak Bay Recreation Centre (1975)
– Panorama Recreation Centre (1977)
With that in mind, Bernardo knows a new facility won’t materialize overnight – and she’s OK with that.
“It doesn’t all have to happen now,” she said. “But we need to be planning. We need the conversation to keep going.”
Victoria Coun. Matt Dell agrees.
“There’s no question Victoria needs more public amenities and recreation spaces. Our population is growing, and previous councils didn’t invest enough in these types of facilities,” Dell said.
While the city’s current focus is on replacing Crystal Pool, Dell believes a new multi-sport venue should be next.
“I’d love to see a new indoor sports facility ready within five to 10 years – something that includes indoor courts, soccer fields, and a rink,” he said. “It’s important, and I’m glad residents like Katie are speaking up.”
Bernardo’s petition proposes exploring unused commercial space or incorporating a rink into future development projects.
The Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre (SOFMC), which opened in 2005, does offer public skate times and limited community bookings. But Bernardo says the arena’s packed schedule makes access difficult.
She also sees potential in the SOFMC parking lot as a future site for a new multi-use facility.
Dell says that idea has merit.
“That site is under a long-term contract with a private operator, so we’re limited for now,” he said. “But when that contract ends – in 10 to 15 years – we could build something great there, maybe with underground parking and a new arena above.”
In the meantime, Bernardo plans to present her petition to Mayor Marianne Alto and city council.
She’s also organizing programming through South Island Youth Hockey, with a summer series starting in July at Esquimalt’s Archie Browning Sports Centre and a fall league planned for Eagle Ridge in Langford.
“I’d be thrilled if we could get the ball hockey floor included in any project. That would be a great start,” she said. “At the end of the day, we’re talking about giving kids a safe place to belong. That’s going to benefit the whole community.”
