13 replies to this topic

[VicHockeyFan]

The teams we will see were announced today:

Group B (Burnaby, Victoria):
Spain
Uruguay
Jordan
Zambia

Group F (Victoria, Burnaby):
Japan
Scotland
Nigeria
Costa Rica



Here is what Fifa says about Victoria:



Located off the Southwestern coast on Vancouver Island’s southern tip, Victoria is renowned for its picturesque scenery and mild climate. The city, which is the vacation capital of Canada and known as the country’s ‘Jewel of the Pacific’, is also the provincial capital of the western province of British Columbia.

City of Victoria website:www.victoria.ca
Tourism Victoria website:www.tourismvictoria.com

Victoria has a population of just under 75,000 within a greater metropolitan regional population of 350,000 and due to its peculiar location – guarded on both sides by raised elevation – the city has a mild sub-Mediterranean climate with soft winters and pleasant summers. The city is also the driest in the country, as a result of the ‘rain-shadow’ effect, caused by the nearby Olympic Mountains in Washington State. A lovely year-round climate, spectacular mountain vistas, wind-swept beaches and an abundance of aquatic and avian wildlife make this charming metropolis an ideal destination for any season.

In 2003, Victoria was rated as the ‘Best City in the Americas’ and Vancouver Island – with it’s hundreds of miles of coastline – as the top North American island. (Conde Nast Traveller Magazine – Readers’ choice Award).

A former supply point during the mid-19th century gold rush in the Pacific Northwest, Victoria’s exceedingly pleasant and stable climate has helped it earn the nickname, ‘City of Gardens.’

Victoria boasts the largest Chinatown of any Canadian city and the Parliament buildings dominate the downtown area near the waterfront – which is actually used as a makeshift airport with heavy seaplane activity in the harbour.

Royal Athletic Park
A multi-purpose stadium in Victoria, Royal Athletic Park is used primarily for soccer and American football. Originally owned privately, the land on which the ground stands was purchased by the city in 1925 and underwent a period of massive restoration and overhaul in 1967 after a large fire devastated the area.

A modest stadium, the park only has a day-to-day capacity of just under 10,000 and is home to such parochial outfits as the Victoria Rebels of the Canadian Junior Football (American) League and Victoria United Football Club. The ground has also been home to the New York Yankees b-team.

But as a host venue for the second-largest global football tournament – the FIFA U-20 World Cup – the city fathers have seen fit to expand in order to accommodate the great demand for spectator space. Temporary seats will be added to boost the capacity to 14,500 for the tournament.

And thanks to Victoria’s mild and inviting climate, the playing surface at the Royal Athletic Park is widely considered to be among the best in all of Canada.

[m0nkyman]

The city is the driest in the country? What kind of recreational pharmaceuticals were they utilizing when they came to that conclusion?

[G-Man]

We do have one of the driest summer times of anywhere in Canada.

[m0nkyman]

[url=http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/weather/winners/element.cfm:399ed]We're number 40 in Canada.[/url:399ed]

[Mike K.]

Apart from a few statistical errors like our rain shadow caused by the Olympic mountains (it's due to the Sooke hills, isn't it?) and being the driest city in the country, they sure nailed our image as real city and not as a quaint touristy getaway.

Perhaps Tourism Vic should hire Fifa's PR reps? 8)

[G-Man]

[url=http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/weather/winners/element.cfm:84497]We're number 40 in Canada.[/url:84497]

That is a year round statistic. Our summer months are extremely dry.

[Mike K.]

Ok, so our rainshadow is care of the Olympic range. Looks like the Fifa write-up is even better than I thought.

[renthefinn]

It's not the largest chinatown in Canada, but the oldest right?

[VicHockeyFan]

Anyway, weather aside, Victoria got a good draw. As tourism Victoria has noted, Japan playing here is a HUGE bonus.

[Mike K.]

It's not the largest chinatown in Canada, but the oldest right?

Yes! Ok, add that to the goofups.

[aastra]

...the waterfront – which is actually used as a makeshift airport...

What's "makeshift" about it?

People who aren't from southwest BC always seem to have a hard time getting their heads around the floatplane thing.

Methinks the people who retire on the Songhees and then complain about the noise also somehow believe the floatplane situation is makeshift. As if there's some permanent floatplane superport in the works in Sooke or something.

[aastra]

...guarded on both sides by raised elevation...

Which sides would these be again?

Reminds me of that sour grapes editorial out of Ottawa, the one that claimed Victoria couldn't touch the nation's capital and that the polls in the travel magazines were bunk. According to that writer, Victoria's mountains were all the city had going for it. Makes me wonder if people are ever disappointed when they finally get here and discover there aren't any mountains at all.

[aastra]

...the Parliament buildings dominate the downtown area...

Something tells me the JBNEA wasn't their source for this detail.

[m0nkyman]

Anyway, weather aside, Victoria got a good draw. As tourism Victoria has noted, Japan playing here is a HUGE bonus.

Scotland, Spain and Costa Rica aren't too shabby either....