They 99th Grey Cup Championship is coming to Vancouver at the end of this week with a parade, festival, and final game in which our BC Lions are participating. The Lions had a bumpy start to their season at Empire Field but moved into their renovated home at BC Place and stormed up the ranks to win the Western championship.
1955 – Grey Cup sign in Vancouver. VPL Accession Number: 43903.
Photographer: Province Newspaper.
Vancouver hosted the Grey Cup game in 1955, 1958, 1960, 1963, 1966, 1971, 1973, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1994, 1999, and 2005. With the season starting out at Empire, this generation had a small taste of what games would have been like in the same location back in the 50’s and 60’s. Fresh air peppered with aromas from the concession stands, north shore mountains in the backdrop, and “Roar You Lions Roar” echoing through the crowd.
1955 – Grey Cup parade. VPL Accession Number: 82932N.
Photographer: Eric DeWitt.
1955 – Miss BC Lions. VPL Accession Number: 82932F.
Photographer: Eric DeWitt.
The 1955 Grey Cup game in Vancouver was the first to be held outside of Ontario.
1960 – Grey Cup crowds. VPL Accession Number: 43958.
Photographer: Province Newspaper.
1963 – Half time at the Grey Cup in Vancouver. VPL Accession Number: 43989.
Photographer: Province Newspaper.
1963 – Grey Cup game, Hamilton vs BC. VPL Accession Number: 43973.
Photographer: Province Newspaper.
1963 – Grey Cup crowds at Georgia & Granville. VPL Accession Number: 41893.
Photographer: Province Newspaper.
1963 – Grey Cup game. VPL Accession Number: 43994.
Photographer: Province Newspaper.
In 1964 the BC Lions defeated the Hamilton Ti-cats in Toronto to win their first Grey Cup.
1966 – Miss Grey Cup is crowned. VPL Accession Number: 43886.
Photographer: Province Newspaper.
After the 1966 Grey Cup game between Saskatchewan and Ottawa, the parade went through downtown Vancouver. It was the CFL’s first night-parade. The crowds grey on the streets and a riot broke out. Vancouver Police arrested 300 people.
1966 – Grey Cup night riot. Photographer: Province Newspaper.
(Left) VPL Accession Number: 42736 (Right) VPL Accession Number: 42731C
1966 – Grey Cup night riot. Photographer: Province Newspaper.
(Left) VPL Accession Number: 42743 (Right) VPL Accession Number: 42742
The first Grey Cup game at BC Place stadium was played in front of a crowd of 59,345 in 1983.
1966 – Grey Cup game. VPL Accession Number: 43890.
Photographer: Province Newspaper.
In 1994 the BC Lions won their first Grey Cup in nine years against the Baltimore CFL Colts.
1968 – Photographers at the Grey Cup game. VPL Accession Number: 43894.
Photographer: Province Newspaper.
1968 – Players at the Grey Cup game. VPL Accession Number: 43893.
Photographer: Province Newspaper.
1968 – Grey Cup crowd at Empire Stadium. VPL Accession Number: 43892.
Photographer: Province Newspaper.
Aside from our outstanding players, coaches, and staff, you can’t mention Grey Cup history in Vancouver without a shout out to Dal Richards. Dal’s band played at the opening of Empire Stadium in 1954, they played the ceremony ushering the BC Lions into the CFL in 1954, and have played at BC Lions halftime shows for the last 40 years.
Dal Richards at Summer Live. Photo credit: Chris Cameron –
Vancouver 125The 99th Grey Cup festival kicks off this Thursday, November 24, 2011 in Vancouver. The parade is Saturday, November 26th and the BC Lions will take on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Sunday at 3:00pm PT.
There’s just over 4 days, 1 hour, and 15 minutes left to make your holiday donation to the Union Gospel Mission and have it doubled by a generous donor. The UGM serves the Lower Mainland and provides programming, drop-in centre support, meals, education, and more to help individuals overcome poverty, homelessness and addiction in our community.
2010 Christmas Meal – Photo credit:
UGM on Flickr
When you make your donation by Friday, November 25, 2011, a generous donor will be matching the grand total. To make your giving process as simple as can be, you can select from pre-set amounts. $19.74 to feed and care for 6 people, $36.19 to feed and care for 11 people, $59.22 to feed and care for 18 people. You can also customize your gift and enter any dollar amount you like.
Other campaigns currently running include the Christmas Meal, where you can once again select from pre-set amounts and decide how many people you would like to support this season. Follow @UGM on Twitter or Facebook for information and news about your donations at work in the community.
Capilano Suspension Bridge is once again hosting Canyon Lights, a holiday winter wonderland nestled in a North Shore forest. Families can stroll past light displays, take a walk across the world-famous bridge, and check out treetop adventures that await in the snow.
Photo courtesy Capilano Suspension Bridge
Over 250,000 Canyon Lights will be up from December 2, 2011 to Janury 1, 2012 from 5:00pm to 9:00pm daily. Enjoy the Christmas Band, the creations of glass blower Malcolm Macfadyen, and guests can try out the new Cliffwalk at night.
Photo courtesy Capilano Suspension Bridge
Adults are $25, and children $5. There is a special family admission rate of $50 for 2 adults and 2 children. Proceeds go to the BC Professional Fire Fighter’s Burn Fund.
Capilano Suspension Bridge has offered up a great prize pack for one of my readers that includes:
- Family of 4 tickets to Canyon Lights
- 2 glass icicle ornament workshops for the adults
- Monkey toque and glove set for one child
- Reindeer toque and glove set for one child
The total value of the prize pack is $220. Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I will draw one winner at random from all entries next Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 10:00am.
Update The winner is Kate Wilson!
The Vancouver Sun Kids Fund has launched a holiday Adopt-a-School program. Sponsors (those who donate) will be supporting school in the Lower Mainland through donations. Every dollar raised will be matched the the Vancouver Sun Children’s Fund.
As a sponsor, your donations will fund areas of need in each of the participating schools. You can fund a field trip for students at Lord Strathcona Elementary, provide nutritious snacks at Britannia Secondary, or fund the breakfast program at Edmunds Community School.
New items can also be donated to the sponsor’s school of choice such as coats, shoes, and gloves.
The Vancouver Sun Children’s Fund will donate $1 for every “Like” the on Facebook and Telus will match that donation, up to $5,000.
About the Vancouver Sun Children’s Fund: In the past three decades, readers have donated close to $11 million to the fund. We have $2.5 million in an untouchable endowment fund, and today use the balance and the interest generated by that nest egg to issue twice-yearly grants to more than 900 B.C. children’s charities, from summer camps for disabled kids and subsidies for children living in poverty to autism programs and therapeutic riding for disabled children.
Related Post: Adopt-a-Family with the Surrey Christmas Bureau.
The people of Vancouver have spoken (well the 34.6% of voters who turned out) and Vancouver’s Mayor is once again Gregor Robertson.
Here are the results as of 11:00pm, November 19, 2011 after all 135 polls have reported:
Mayor
Gregor Robertson
(Vision Vancouver)
City Councillors
Raymond Louie (Vision Vancouver), Kerry Jang (Vision Vancouver), Heather Deal (Vision Vancouver), Andrea Reimer (Vision Vancouver), Tim Stevenson (Vision Vancouver), Geoff Meggs (Vision Vancouver), Tony Tang (Vision Vancouver), Elizabeth Ball (NPA), George Affleck (NPA), Adriane Carr (Green).
Parks Commissioners
Constance Barnes (Vision Vancouver, Sarah Blyth (Vision Vancouver), Jasper Aaron (Vision Vancouver), Niki Sharma (Vision Vancouver), Melissa De Genova (NPA), John Coupar (NPA), Trevor Loke (Vision Vancouver).
School Trustees
Patti Bacchus (Vision Vancouver), Mike Lombardi (Vision Vancouver), Ken Clement (Vision Vancouver), Cherie Payne (Vision Vancouver), Ken Denike (NPA), Allan Wong (COPE), Rob Wynen (Vision Vancouver), Sophia Woo (NPA), Fraser Ballantyne (NPA).
You can find a list of links to municipal election results on the News 1130 website including the results from Surrey where re-elected Mayor Dianne Watts received 81% of the vote.
Other incumbent Mayors include New Westminster’s Wayne Wright, Ernie Daykin in Maple Ridge, Peter Fassbender in the City of Langley, Derek Corrigan in Burnaby, North Vancouver’s Richard Walton, Malcolm Brodie in Richmond, Darrell Mussatto in North Vancouver, and Delta’s Lois Jackson [source: CBC].
The Resort Municipality of Whistler and Pitt Meadows also elected their first female mayors.
