The group that owns the Victoria HarbourCats and Nanaimo NightOwls of the West Coast League of baseball has expanded from four owners to 10 to counter the economic ravages of the pandemic.
The HarbourCats have endured two dark seasons due to the pandemic while the expansion NightOwls had their scheduled debut season last summer postponed to this year.
The HarbourCats have been owned by Rich Harder, John Wilson, Ken Swanson and Jim Swanson since 2015. The group also brought into existence the WCL expansion NightOwls along with the first-year affiliate Victoria Golden Tide of the Canadian Colleges Baseball League.
Joining the ownership group is Helen Edwards and Mike Macdonell of Victoria, Bob Swanson of Duncan, John Schnaderbeck of Vancouver, Washington, Victor Vanetti of Pittsburgh, and another investor not named.
“The pandemic has been a challenging time for many businesses, including ours,” Ken Swanson, president of the ownership group, said in a statement.
“Everyone involved with our teams has sacrificed and battled through lost games and seasons. The strength of our group has allowed us to stay calm and make good decisions. Many of our staff have blossomed in the face of never-before-seen challenges. But sometimes, adversity also opens doors. We have always had interest from people that want to either give back to their community or get involved in a sports franchise. I am very pleased with the new additions to our group. They make us stronger and more diverse. I’m excited for our future.”
The WCL, a summer league for NCAA university and college players, had 59 alumni appear in MLB games in 2021 and 305 in affiliated pro ball.
Joining the HarbourCats and NightOwls among five Canadian franchises in the 16-team WCL are the Kelowna Falcons and expansion Kamloops NorthPaws and Edmonton Riverhawks. There are 11 teams in Oregon and Washington state. The 2022 regular season runs May 31 to Aug. 7.
