Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre (SOFMC)
#141
Posted 08 March 2011 - 08:12 PM
#142
Posted 20 April 2011 - 02:57 PM
#143
Posted 23 September 2011 - 09:12 AM
This weekend they will open their new $60M arena.
http://mosaicplace.c...s?view=featured
#144
Posted 23 September 2011 - 09:17 AM
#145
Posted 23 September 2011 - 09:22 AM
#146
Posted 23 September 2011 - 09:52 AM
^ It only seats 4,465 for hockey. They just paid more that's all.
I see large video screens, you know, like they have in all big-league arenas, like the one in Trail.
#147
Posted 31 January 2012 - 09:47 AM
Wallets, i-pods, a laptop, insulin, and an SUV were among the items stolen during an on-ice session at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre last night.
http://www.cfax1070....IIdy6PE.twitter
In other news, I was driving past the arena yesterday and saw something extraordinarily rare: upcoming events displayed on the outdoor video screen. Usually you see insurance ads and TC headlines but I actually saw that Deep Purple and Hedley were coming attractions. I was confused at first; surely it must be advertising for a show at some other arena? Perhaps some sort of fan club notice or advertisement for an upcoming album? But no, the sign actually was telling me what was going to happen inside. Remarkable.
-City of Victoria website, 2009
#148
Posted 31 January 2012 - 12:57 PM
#149
Posted 31 January 2012 - 01:28 PM
Know it all.
Citified.ca is Victoria's most comprehensive research resource for new-build homes and commercial spaces.
#150
Posted 31 January 2012 - 01:30 PM
Victoria current weather by neighbourhood: Victoria school-based weather station network
Victoria webcams: Big Wave Dave Webcams
#151
Posted 12 July 2012 - 08:38 AM
So it's 4 years now of legal battles over a few kids having a beer. Not kids having a beer and driving off and killing someone, or having a drunken fight and injuring someone, juts a few kids that had a few sips or a whole cup of beer.
Good thing SOFMC has advertising space to trade for their legal fees. As you might have seen, the whole place is covered in Mulligan Tam Pearson ads, as you enter and leave the washrooms etc. - they are trading their legal fees for advertising space. Good times.
#152
Posted 12 July 2012 - 09:29 AM
#153
Posted 16 July 2012 - 01:12 PM
Baro is right though: that senior's complex IS ugly.
Funny city this, people continually whine and moan about any and all new proposals and put them all under the proverbial microscope. As a result one would think the final results would be utterly sterling. Yet in fact invariably what winds up being approved and built, witness said senior's facility, more often than not is disappointing to be charitable, and downright fugly to be blunt. SOFC is another prime example. Victoria finally gets its act together, decides to build a sporting facility that needs to serve the region for 40-50 years or more, and we wind up with an undersized and quite unremarkable facility on par (at best) with places like Red Deer or Kelowna. Too bad.
#154
Posted 16 July 2012 - 04:25 PM
#155
Posted 16 July 2012 - 05:52 PM
For the capital city of the 3rd largest provice SOFC - IMO - is too small, was built in the wrong location, and offers only the bare minimum in terms of amenities. The city should've gone with that plan (I think it was Fraser McColl's idea originally) for a 10,000 seat venue down on the waterfront by Store Street. Would've been a catalyst for ultimately re-development of that entire part of town eventually. If Saskatoon can do it, or Halifax with its 10,000+ seat facility, why not Victoria? Ah, what could have been. Instead we settled on a solution that was so much less than it could have been. OTOH at least it got built....
#156
Posted 16 July 2012 - 07:52 PM
Actually aastra I was thinking in terms of utilitarian use rather than esthetics re: the SOFC. Heck Saskatchewan Place in Saskatoon (barely half the size of Victoria) even seats 11,000 plus.
IMO, SOFC is a great arena in a good location. It looks great from the outside and has a fantastic presence along Blanshard Street. It's right downtown which makes pre and post event festivities
easy, parking is a breeze, and there isn't a bad seat. My major complaints with the arena are that there aren't enough bathrooms (I have never been in a stadium that has enough bathrooms), the beer service is horrible (but seems to be getting better) and there aren't nearly enough events (this seems to be getting worse after some great shows in years past). My other major complaint was the lack of a video board, but this has of course now changed.
Perhaps it is a bit on the utilitarian side, but don't forget it is a city owned arena with no major professional sports tenant. It would be pretty infuriating had the city spent unnecessary coin on nice to have amenities with only a minor league tenant.
Out of curiosity, have you been to the arenas in Saskatoon and Halifax? After a quick search I can say they don't look like anything special. As far as watching a sports even goes, I'd rather a full 7,000 seat arena then a 15,000 seat arena that's half empty.
#157
Posted 17 July 2012 - 01:02 AM
It doesn't help though that the first design released as a replacement for the old arena was quite flashy.
Then the design got duller
And duller
As for the catering service in the arena I find that it is too slow, that the lines are too long. I often don't buy anything because it's too much of a hassle. (There's also the high price, but that's another issue.) I don't think that the solution is to have more people on staff as this would cost more and the extra staff probably aren't needed constantly. What I think needs to be done is to teach the catering staff to be quicker and efficient. Crack that whip management!
#158
Posted 17 July 2012 - 07:47 AM
I agree that the waterfront could use a landmark facility of some sort but I think an arena would have been the worst possible use. The nightmare of traffic with any special event in around the inner harbour would be replicated every single time an event was held in such a facility. The logistics of moving large numbers of people into and out of an arena in that location would be a nightmare....built in the wrong location...down on the waterfront by Store Street. Would've been a catalyst for ultimately re-development of that entire part of town eventually.
What would make sense is something like an art gallery or new maritime museum that spreads visitors over a longer time span rather than focusing them into short term events.
Lake Side Buoy - LEGO Nut - History Nerd - James Bay resident
#159
Posted 17 July 2012 - 01:30 PM
IMO, SOFC is a great arena in a good location. It looks great from the outside and has a fantastic presence along Blanshard Street. It's right downtown which makes pre and post event festivities
easy, parking is a breeze, and there isn't a bad seat. My major complaints with the arena are that there aren't enough bathrooms (I have never been in a stadium that has enough bathrooms), the beer service is horrible (but seems to be getting better) and there aren't nearly enough events (this seems to be getting worse after some great shows in years past). My other major complaint was the lack of a video board, but this has of course now changed.
Perhaps it is a bit on the utilitarian side, but don't forget it is a city owned arena with no major professional sports tenant. It would be pretty infuriating had the city spent unnecessary coin on nice to have amenities with only a minor league tenant.
Out of curiosity, have you been to the arenas in Saskatoon and Halifax? After a quick search I can say they don't look like anything special. As far as watching a sports even goes, I'd rather a full 7,000 seat arena then a 15,000 seat arena that's half empty.
We'll just have to disagree on what constitutes "great" .
To reiterate again however my main issue is not esthetics or "how it looks" but the size of the facility, or lack thereof, and with no ability to expand beyond 7000 seats. And yes I have been to both the Saskatoon and Halifax arenas and both are more impressive and more critically provide more services (and seating) than does SOFC. Again - IMO - for the capital of BC I simply think on balance it was a disappointing result, much less than it could and should have been. No offence intended at all to Red Deer AB but when Victoria's new arena is closer in scale to their 20+ year old "Centrium" than a city of comparable size (Halifax) I simply think the bar is set too low.
#160
Posted 07 August 2012 - 02:38 PM
We have an arena that is big enough for a city of 100,000 people, not 330,000 people.
SOFMC 7,006 to 9,000 people
In comparison
Spokane 10,771 to 12,638
Halifax has an arena with 10,595 - 13,000
Saskatoon 13,000 to 15,195
Kelowna 6,886 to 8,000
Red Deer 6,706 to 7,210
Prince George 5,967 to 7,000
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