Vancouver Island Safe Speed Association

VISSA Fundraising Event Report

VISSA Update: November 2024

A fundraising event was held last weekend at the Metchosin Community Hall. Following the LDI Late Model awards banquet, local bands Saxum and Mid Life Crisis treated attendees to live music. While slightly smaller than recent Taylor Swift concerts, it was a great chance to catch up with racers as well as to share an update from VISSA President Steve Copp. Here is what Steve shared regarding VISSA’s recent challenges and successes in its pursuit of building a new speedway on lower Vancouver Island:

“Good evening, everyone, it nice to see so many people at this VISSA fundraising Dance and Western Speedway Reunion.

My name is Steve Copp, and I’m here with Jason Frost, Daryl Crocker, Darell Midgley, Jesse Stamm and Todd Troyer, all directors of VISSA. We know it has been a while since we have updated everyone on the progress of finding a new location for a race track on southern Vancouver Island.

As most of you know, VISSA is dedicated to the promotion and preservation of stock car racing on lower Vancouver Island. We as a group have been working hard since we found out that the Westshore Motorsport Park was up for sale, and we needed to look for a new home.

As I’m sure you all know this hasn’t been an easy job and we have had a lot of highs and lows along the way.

We have looked at properties in:

         Langford, Gold Stream Heights, CRD, CVRD, Malahat Nation, Victoria Fish and Game Property, Industrial property in the Shawnigan Mill Bay area, the Kinzett Quarry property, Cowichan First Nations Land, Youbou properties, the Mesachie Lake area and a number more. We have been told about properties in North Saanich, on the Peninsula, Sooke and Jordon River.

Durning or travels we have met or delt with:

       Mayors, Municipal GEO’s, business development groups, councillors, Electoral Area Directors, Past directors, neighbours, property owners, CRD and CVRD staff and directors, First Nation Leaders and administrators- just to name a few.

As we looked at, walked on, explored, and investigated these various properties, we have found that each and every one has its own unique problems, costs or issues.

Some are too small, to rough and rocky and costly to develop, while others have creeks, rivers or riparian issues. Some are too close to residential areas or straight out could not work.

Some of these properties have been explored further by researching surveys, plot plans, and corner pins, looking at reports and history, drawing up plans and concepts and countless meetings and conversations to try and locate a new home.

As of this date VISSA has not given up hope and is still united as a group.

In the past month, we had a breakfast meeting with someone high up in the political arena and discussed our progress; we left that meeting with a number of new ideas. Additionally, we have found an ally that is willing to work with us to help us push this project forward.

As recent as Thursday this week, Daryl and I had a lunch meeting with a Chief Administrative Officer of one of the 1st Nations on the Lower Island. Our meeting was a good one, and he asked us to produce some details on land size, noise reduction plans, future expansion ideas, etc. Once he has received this information, he will work to find a property that can accommodate our needs; he said that his board in the past has been open and interested in us and will work to find a location.

The politian that we met previously- mentioned that he is willing to come to our next meeting to discuss things and that he had work on a number of projects with this group.

There is a lot of government money, access to funds and government policies/projects to help us go this direction, and both these parties have experience with this.

As we have always said, one day, one property at a time and for every rock we move, we turn over another. As we can see, this is a positive move.

Our goal is not to keep anyone in the dark, but there are a lot of moving parts and work being done behind the scenes, discussions that take time, and some things that need to be kept quiet as we move forward.

We at VISSA and the whole racing family want to thank everyone for their support; there are so many people who have been working weekends to dismantle the race track and remove the stands, concession, time clocks, and block walls. We also received help wtih trucking, rentals, crane work, etc.

Also, there is this Fundraiser that we are all at tonight. We can’t thank you enough, without your support and hard work, there would never be even hope that we could have the possibility of a new race track.

We also want to thank all the clubs: go-karts, motocross, rock climbing, drifter, drag group, safety council and others. Everyone has expressed interest to us that they will help in development and will be joining the new location. It is so amazing to see.

In closing, I want to thank all my directors. The time and effort that everyone has put into this is beyond words. We are all trying and we hope that we get some answers in the near future to keep Motorsport and Racing Alive on lower Vancouver Island”