Published Thursday, November 20, 2025
By Tony Trozzo , Victoria News
The Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League is keeping player safety at the forefront, continuing its partnership with the Saanich Police Department to deliver safe driving workshops to teams in the south division.
The sessions, led by the department’s Traffic Safety Unit, give players a blunt look at the risks that come with getting behind the wheel. Officers walk teams through the consequences of impaired and distracted driving and the challenges young athletes face when balancing busy schedules with responsible decision-making.
For VIJHL president Mark MacDonald, the program is imperative for young athletes to partake in.
“It was actually brought forward to us by the Saanich Police, and we said this is absolutely wonderful,” MacDonald said. “The league is all about trying to make good, responsible, healthy young men, and we thought this would be a great thing to teach them.”
He added that the sessions are especially valuable for players arriving from outside the region, some from Europe, the Prairies, and the United States.
“If you ever get snow in Victoria, you know what that’s like. It’s crazy,” he said. “They’re going to teach them safety tips on how to drive, and anything that’s going to keep our players safe is a wonderful thing.”
MacDonald said the league sees strong buy-in from players and sees the effort as a necessary preventative step.
“When young people in the prime of their life are injured or worse in a car accident, it’s a terrible tragedy. I hope these preventative measures give them the good common sense to use as they go forward,” he said.
Staff Sgt. Doug Cripps said the goal is simple.
“Our goal is to help these young athletes understand that the choices they make behind the wheel can have lifelong consequences. By starting the conversation early, we hope to build safer habits both on and off the ice,” Cripps said.
The program was first offered last season, and while the Saanich Predators were the initial participant, the police have made it available to all five south division teams again this year.
