Thousands of fans, athletes, officials, media and tourists have arrived in Chilliwack to watch the top teams from the Canadian Junior Hockey League compete for the 2018 RBC Cup.

The nine-day event will have a significant impact on tourism, which will benefit the local community. This is partly due to $40,000 in Tourism Events Program funding to support promotion of the event. In addition, the event received $7,500 from the Hosting BC program.

“It’s exciting to welcome the top teams from the Canadian Junior Hockey League to B.C., and I am proud to support these young athletes and wish them good luck,” said Lana Popham, acting Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture. “Events such as the RBC Cup attract tourists to our communities, and I know Chilliwack’s many outdoor adventure and tourism operators will benefit from an influx of visitors.”

The hometown Chilliwack Chiefs will host, and compete with, the top teams from across the country. The tournament runs from May 12-20, 2018, with 13 games scheduled.

Organizers expect close to 5,000 attendees. Visitors from outside Chilliwack are expected to spend 11 days in the Fraser Valley, contributing to an estimated $2 million for the region.

“The community of Chilliwack is thankful for the support from the Tourism Event Program. This funding has allowed our core partners — the City of Chilliwack, Tourism Chilliwack and Ts'elxwéyeqw Tribe — to offer a broad coverage of the event across the province,” said Chief David Jimmie, RBC Cup host committee co-chair. “In light of the tragedy involving the Humboldt Broncos, the RBC Cup host committee, in co-operation with Hockey Canada, has installed the #Humboldtstrong message throughout the host facility. The green and yellow colour scheme will be displayed and remembered during the eight days of the RBC Cup event.”

The RBC Cup opening ceremonies on Saturday, May 12 will include an acknowledgement of the Humboldt Broncos, and green #Humboldtstrong tee shirts will be handed out to fans on opening night.

The Tourism Events Program supports events that raise national and international awareness of British Columbia’s many tourism experiences, and inspire people from around the world to travel to and experience British Columbia. These events also generate tourism and economic activity in communities and regions throughout the province.

Hosting BC grants are administered by ViaSport, B.C.’s lead agency for the development and promotion of sport and physical activity in the province. Hosting BC grants support sport events, enabling people throughout British Columbia to enjoy live sports in their own communities.

Quick Facts:

• The five teams competing in the 2018 RBC Cup are: Chilliwack Chiefs, Ottawa Junior Senators, Wellington Dukes, Wenatchee Wild and Steinbach Pistons.
• The 2018 RBC Cup includes 10 preliminary round games. These include the Chilliwack Chiefs’ tournament opener at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 12, along with two semifinals, and culminating in the nationally televised championship game at 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 20.
• The 2018 RBC Cup is the 48th Canadian Junior A ice hockey championship for the Canadian Junior Hockey League.
• The RBC Cup will be broadcast on TSN to an expected audience of 125,000, and covered extensively by local, provincial and national media.
• The tournament will showcase the unique community partnership between Ts’elxwéyeqw Tribe, City of Chilliwack and Chilliwack Tourism.

Learn More:

For more information about the 2018 RBC Cup: http://www.chilliwackchiefs.net/rbc-cup-opening-ceremonies-update

For more information on the Tourism Events Program: www.destinationbc.ca/BC-Tourism-Industry/Municipal-and-Regional-District-Tax-Program/Tourism-Events-Program.aspx