A new sponsorship deal has been reached for West Shore Parks and Recreation’s arena, which for at least the next 10 years will be known as The Q Centre.
A $1.8 million deal will see radio station 100.3 The Q, owned by the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group, renaming the facility formerly known as Bear Mountain Arena.
WSPR administrator Linda Barnes said the response to the call for sponsorship wasn’t huge but a number of companies did throw their names in the hat and were throughly vetted. The Q rose above.
“We were looking for something that would match our community goals, not just monetary,” Barnes said. “It’s a different kind of partnership this time.”
As a part of the $1.8 million included in the deal, WSPR will have access to promotion on The Q. Barnes said the deal is more lucrative than the prior arrangement.
The radio station, in turn, is looking to grow its listenership in the West Shore, and sees this as an opportunity.
“That’s where the growth is right now and we’re more than excited about being here,” said Q general manager Dan McAllister. “There’s a lot of opportunities for us.”
McAllister said the deal likely won’t lead to the airing of Victoria Grizzlies games on The Q, but the team can expect increased promotion.
“They’ve been through a little turmoil in the last little while,” McAllister said, “but hopefully that’ll all settle down and we’ll put everything together and help them re-establish their fan base and help them grow.”
The partnership could lead to more musical events at the arena, something both WSPR and The Q administrators said they would like to see happen.
Signage on the arena is expected to be changed early in the spring. The centre will also continue to host the Victoria Senior Shamrocks.
