The 1990s

Top left, counter-clockwise: BC Lions 1994; Grant Connell, number 1 world ranking in doubles, 1993; Kerrin Lee-Gartner, 1992 Olympic Gold medal; Pavel Bure, 1994; Lui Passaglia.

The 1990s saw British Columbia appear on the world stage in two different areas. First, in 1994, visitors flocked to the beautiful city of Victoria to witness the Commonwealth Games. Then in the same year Vancouver was awarded an NBA franchise. A 20,000 seat downtown stadium, General Motors Place, was built to house the new Vancouver Grizzlies Basketball Team and the surging Vancouver Canucks Hockey Team.

The decade started with Jo Anne Ritchie winning a world triathlon championship in 1991, followed by Olympic gold medals in 1992 for Kerrin Lee Gartner in women’s downhill skiing, and both the Men’s and Women’s Rowing Eights Crews.

In 1994 two Vancouver professional teams excelled, the B.C. Lions winning their third Grey Cup and led by the Russian Rocket, Pavel Bure, the Vancouver Canucks went all the way to the Stanley Cup final, losing to the New York Rangers in the seventh game. In 1994 the Dunhill Cup Golf Team with all B.C. members won the world title, the first time a Canadian entry had advanced past the qualifying round.

The decade ended with Ross Rebagliati at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics becoming the first snowboard rider to win a gold medal and then in 1999 the tragic death of Vancouver’s motor racing hero, Greg Moore, the youngest winner in CART history.