The World Juniors has finished, and it seems to have a been a big success for the city.
The hockey tournament, which was jointly hosted by Victoria and Vancouver, helped put the West Coast on the map for international sports.
Mayor Lisa Helps says this was the greatest sporting event for the region since the 1994 Commonwealth Games. "The 1994 Commonwealth Games was certainly a feather in our cap in terms of hosting the world, and a touchstone for becoming an international sport hosting destination, and I would say the World Juniors is a new touchstone. Obviously a little bit less of an undertaking than the Commonwealth games were, but there was a pride in Victoria that you don't see here all that often. People were excited, there was a buzz in town. The players had a great time, the coaches had a great time, I mean, as a community, we did a phenomenal job hosting, and I do think this is a new touchstone in terms of being an international sport hosting destination."
She says the community really rallied around the tournament, selling out all the games, and supporting teams from around the world.
Helps says this won't be the last international sporting event for Victoria, as Destination Greater Victoria has created a Sports Hosting Commission. She says they have put a bid in for the Invictus Games, as well as for the 2030 Commonwealth Games, and hopes they are successful in bringing more world class sports to the region.
She also wants to extend a thank you to all the staff, volunteers, and people of Victoria who helped make the tournament such a success.