Island Savings Centre

The Island Savings Centre[1] is the former name of the Cowichan Community Centre serving Cowichan Valley, British Columbia. It has a pool, theater, arena, and gymnasium. It was built in 1978, on the former site of the Cowichan Curling Rink.[2] Island Savings, "Vancouver Island's Credit Union", donated $1 Million CDN to the centre in exchange for a 10-year naming rights deal. In 2019, the name reverted back to "Cowichan Community Centre".

Island Savings Centre
Island Savings Centre
Former namesCowichan Community Centre (1978–2008)(2019–Current)
Location2687 James Street
North Cowichan, British Columbia
V9L 2X5
Coordinates48.78278°N 123.70313°W / 48.78278; -123.70313
OwnerMunicipality of North Cowichan
OperatorCowichan Valley Regional District
CapacityIce hockey: 2,040
Concert: 731
Construction
Broke groundJuly 13, 1978
OpenedDecember 9, 1978
Tenants
Cowichan Valley Capitals (BCHL) (1980–1984, 1988–1990, 1993–Present)
Duncan Dynamics Gymnastics (BCGS) (2000–Present)

Cowichan Theatre

The Cowichan Theatre is a 731-seat theatre.[3] It is the primary venue for large plays in the Cowichan Valley. The Theatre is the tallest part of the building (dwarfing the Hockey Stick), as it is the big rectangle box when seen from the outside.

Cowichan Aquatic Centre

The Cowichan Aquatic Centre[4] is the new swimming pool facility located adjacent to the Cowichan Community Centre, in the Municipality of North Cowichan and near the City of Duncan, completed for the 2008 North American Indigenous Games. Standing on the platform in front of the Aquatic Centre, by the Totem Pole, is the perfect viewing spot to photograph the World's Largest Hockey Stick.

Cowichan Valley Arena
Cowichan Community Centre
The Stick
Location2687 James St. Duncan, BC
OwnerMunicipality of North Cowichan
CapacityHockey: 2,040 (1,350 seated)[5]
Opened1978
Tenants
Cowichan Valley Capitals (BCHL) (1980–1984, 1988–1990, 1993–Present)

The Cowichan Valley Arena is a 2,040-seat multipurpose arena in North Cowichan, British Columbia, adjoined to the Cowichan Community Centre. It is home to the Cowichan Valley Capitals ice hockey team of the British Columbia Hockey League. Next to the Arena is the Gymnasium.

The Heritage Hall is a large hall upstairs connected to the Arena; it is a "Hall of Fame" for the Capitals and all the professional hockey players who come from Cowichan Valley.

Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks have hosted their Training Camp at least three times in Cowichan Valley, 1980, 1984 and 1986.

"World's Biggest Hockey Stick & Puck"

Mounted on the eastern wall of the arena is a 62 m (205 ft) Hockey Stick, and Puck; the stick was declared the World's Biggest by Guinness World Records. Built in 1985, at Penticton, British Columbia, and modelled after Tony Tanti's stick, The Stick & Puck originally adorned the entrance to Expo '86, albeit a slightly different pose, beside the "Largest Flagpole". A society to get the Stick to North Cowichan was launched after Expo 86 ended, the attempt was successful and funds were obtained to pay for the dismantling, transportation, and reconstruction of the stick. The Stick was dedicated on May 21, 1988, 2 years and 1 day after Expo '86 opened.

The Stick dwarfs the one at Eveleth, Minnesota by 29 metres (Eveleth's is 33 m/110 ft), however Guinness originally said the Minnesota hockey stick was the largest as it was constructed from pure wood, while the Expo stick had a steel framework. On July 12, 2008, they reversed their decision and the hockey stick was declared the world's largest.

Arena upgrades

On November 2008, the Capitals & the Island Savings Centre Commission jointly bought a Centaur Products H-2105 scoreboard to bring the arena up to Junior "A" standards. The Cowichan Community Centre joins a growing list of BCHL arenas to have a centre-ice hung scoreboard.[6]

  • Former exterior signage, now has new siding
  • Hockey Stick Facts
  • The Stick, from Expo '86
  • Old Bleachers before 2007-08 BCHL Season
  • North End
  • Centre, Looking at East End
  • Centre, luxury boxes
  • South End, balcony & boxes
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References
  1. https://www.iscu.com/SharedContent/documents/PressRelease/PR_ISCentre.pdf
  2. Common knowledge of the late 1950s tells of a "Curling Rink" located where the arena is
  3. http://www.cowichancentre.bc.ca/dcimages/Guide/main.pdf Archived 2007-01-15 at the Wayback Machine PDF File
  4. http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_central/cowichannewsleader/news/16596441.html
  5. The Cowichan Citizen newspaper had an article about the installation of the seats in 2007. It said "1,350 plastic seats" specifically
  6. http://www.canada.com/cowichanvalleycitizen/news/sports/story.html?id=e4a7dadb-3c4c-41cb-979a-4102eb2eb5dc
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