Welcome to Victoria

Welcome to Victoria.
What a trip!
We left Kelowna shortly after 11 am Thursday morning, after a bite to eat, and we arrived at the hotel in Victoria at around 7:30 pm. Keep in mind that we made a stop to eat along the way and had to wait over an hour at the ferry terminal before boarding, but to say it was a long trip would be an understatement.

While the ferry ride was a breeze, I can't imagine making that trip as many times as the Royals do during the season. That trip would get monotonous after a while with all the waiting around and the early morning hours necessary to catch a lift to the mainland. I am sure the Royals will toe the party line by saying it is no big deal, but the fact is, it sucks.

So after a marathon day of travel, is it much worse than the eight hour bus trip north we take twice a year to Prince George? No. It isn't as painful because at least when you arrive in Victoria, you are glad to be here. Sorry Prince George, but you don't hold a candle to the beauty that this city provides, even in the month of October when the sun fades and the tourists leave town. Victoria is as spectacular as advertised. Victoria is such a great city, how can it not be a leading candidate when the WHL hosts the Memorial Cup in 2016?

The picture you see above is a photo I took of the Kelowna Rockets bus on the ferry. It is a tight squeeze. It also comes with an expensive parking pass. It will cost the Rockets over 500 bucks - one way - to ride the ferry.

If you don't follow me on twitter, you missed my observation Thursday where I wondered where our provincial government was when it came to the Kelowna Rockets bid for the 2013 Memorial Cup? Saskatoon's bid came with provincial funding attached. So did Red Deer's. Hello, Christy Clark! Where was the Liberal government? It would have also been interesting to see if the City of Kelowna came up with any cash to boost the bottom line of the local bid. Considering the Rockets recently released economic impact study showed that the economy thrives thanks to the organization, you would think the City of Kelowna would have bucked up? If they didn't, shame on them!

Is Brett Bulmer returning to the WHL? Less than five minutes of ice time last night has me wondering if it is only a matter of time before the 19 year-old returns to the Rockets. Is it worth having a prospect play small minutes in a fourth line role or big minutes in crucial situations with the team that holds his major junior rights? I think we all know the answer.