Today in the legislature I had the distinct honour of introducing the University of Victoria Vikes women’s varsity rowing team. I took the opportunity to recognize their success in the 2019 Brown Cup boat race between UVic and UBC which took place in the Gorge Waterway on March 30, 2019. Congratulations UVic Vikes.

Below I reproduce the video and text of my introduction.

Video of Introduction

Text of Introduction

A. Weaver: Today I rise to introduce the University of Victoria Vikes women’s varsity rowing team, who are in the gallery today. For anyone who might not have seen the front page of the Times Colonist Sunday morning, the Vikes women out-rowed UBC Thunderbirds this weekend at the annual Brown Cup race, much to the embarrassment and shame of the member for Vancouver–Point Grey.

The race itself begins under the Tillicum bridge before finishing in the Inner Harbour. The UVic women reached the Inner Harbour nearly ten seconds — that’s almost a lifetime in the sport of rowing — before the member for Vancouver–Point Grey’s Thunderbirds did. Again, more shame and more embarrassment for the member.

The Brown Cup is a UBC-UVic thing. The win for the UVic women extends their all-time Brown Cup record to a dominant — listen to this, Member — 24-3. That’s 24 times UVic has beat UBC on this, and only three times have they lost.

The rivalry between the two programs is intense, and I look forward to following this again next year. I look forward to rising again in the House next year and saying the record is now 25-and-3 and once more pointing out the shame that the member for Vancouver–Point Grey should be feeling.

The names of the winning crew are as follows, and they’re upstairs: Barney William, Sam Heron, Lily Copeland, Piper Battersbee, Jillian Katy, McKenna Simpson, Layla Baluch, team captain Larissa McKinley, Adrianna Rooker, Kirsten Edwards and Danai McCullough. Would the House please make this incredibly talented group of rowers feel very, very welcome.