Each year more than 40,000 kids and youth across Canada participate in Little League within 5 key regions: Ontario, Quebec, the Maritimes, the Prairies, and BC. You have to hand it to our local programs and clubs as every single BC team (20 in total) has won a Canadian Championship and competed in the Little League World Series at least once. They hold the record for most titles won thanks to notable teams like Trail Little League (5 titles) and Whalley Little League (5 titles).
2006 Canadian Little League Champions. Photo credit: Uncleweed on Flickr
This past weekend Langley Little League won the provincial championships in Victoria earning them a spot at the Canadians Championships. The national tournament will feature the top teams from each province as well as the host team (Mount Seymour Little League) in a round-robin tournament August 6 to August 13, 2011 at Chris Zuehlke Memorial Park in North Vancouver.
The “Battle of BC” will have our province’s top team (Langley) squaring off against the host team (Mount Seymour) on August 13th at 1:00pm.
Our national champions, as-decided at this tournament, will then fly over to Toronto and drive down to Williamsport, Pennsylvania when there Little League World Series will be held August 18 to August 28. Last year Little Mountain Little League won the Provincial Championship in New Westminster and represented BC (and Canada, after winning nationals) at the Little League World Series.
Head out and support our local teams next week in North Vancouver or catch the games on Sportsnet and follow our Canadian Champions to Willamsport later this month.
Update August 9, 2011 You can catch the action on Sportsnet starting at 1:00pm Pacific on Saturday. From the press release: “The final game of the 2011 Canadian Little League Championship will be broadcast on Sportsnet, immediately following Roger’s Cup Tennis, Saturday, August 13 at 4:00 pm EDT.”
Latest Standings
Update August 13, 2011 Team BC, Langley Little League, advances to Williamsport, PA to play as Team Canada in the Little League World Series!
Thanks to the BC Sports Hall of Fame, I’ve been able to send 20 people to Vancouver Canadians games this summer and profile some inspirational hall of fame inductees (Week 1), (Week 2).
With BC Place Stadium re-opening this gall, the BC Sports Hall of Fame will have a newly remodeled home and they will continue to celebrate the achievements of British Columbians in sport throughout history. Today’s featured Hall of Famer is Arnold Hallgren who was the first BC baseball player to make the 40-man roster of a major league ball club.
Before Ted Bowsfield, Larry Walker, and, more recently, Jason Bay, it was Arnie Hallgren’s trail around the bases that BC’s Little Leaguers wished to follow…
…In February 1953, Hallgren, age 19, was invited to attend the Boston (later Milwaukee and now Atlanta) Braves spring training in Florida. He was extended $6 per day meal money and $25 per week for expenses. Yep, times were a little different then. Ted Williams was in the twilight of his career; Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays were on the rise. And the American and National Leagues comprised 16 teams, not the 32 of today’s watered down, 8-figure annual salary that bears little resemblance to the baseball of yesteryear.
…Hallgren returned to his hometown in 1954, when the Braves loaned him to Vancouver of the Western International League, where he played outfield for the pennant-winning Capilanos. In 1955, with Boise of the Pioneer League he won the league’s batting championship, hitting .348 with 171 hits and 139 runs batted in. He followed that up with another batting title in 1958 in the Northwest League. Read more about Arnold Hallgren…
I have one more giveaway in this series so here’s how you can enter to win 10 tickets as well as the chance to throw out the ceremonial first pitch Monday, August 15th when the Canadians take on the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes.
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I want to throw out the first pitch & win 10 tickets to see @VanCanadians thanks to @BCSportsHall & @Miss604 http://ow.ly/5Te4l
I will draw one winner on Monday, August 8, 2011 at 10:00am. The winner will need to confirm their attendance within 24 hours to ensure all arrangements can be made.
You can read and learn about amazing sports pioneers and stars on the BC Sports Hall of Fame website and be sure to follow them on Twitter and Facebook.
Individual Canadians game tickets in the reserved grandstand start at just $12.50.
The Pride Parade yesterday was filled with sunshine, smiles, dancing, laughter, and joy as hundreds of floats coasted through downtown to a welcoming crowd.
I spent the duration of the parade in the basket of the London Drugs float with my friend Wendy Hartley. At the end of the day my hand was died red from the rainbow boa and I realized I had been smiling for about 3 hours straight.
John was on the sidelines on Denman as the parade turned off Robson. Members of local and national parliament were on hand along with various organizations, non-profits, businesses, schools, and more. Here is some of what he was able to capture as hundreds of thousands celebrated Pride in Vancouver.
All of the following photos are by John Bollwitt
Hon. Hedy Fry, PC, MP & MP Elizabeth May (Saanich-Gulf Islands) the first Green Party MP in history.
You can view the rest of John’s photos in his set on Flickr.
Colbie Caillat will play the Commodore in Vancouver this October with guest Andy Grammer. The singer/songwriter’s tunes are smooth and sweet, Caillat has enjoyed chart-topping success with singles like “Bubbly” spending 14 weeks on top of the Billboard Adult Top 40. Her latest album, All of You is currently available in stores and on iTunes.
Tickets went on sale yesterday for $34.50 (plus fees) and you can get them by calling 1-855-985-5000, going online through Live Nation, or through the Rogers Wireless Box Office (scan your phone at the venue, no need to print tickets).
I also have a pair of tickets to give away. Here’s how you can enter to win your way in:
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I entered to win tickets to see @ColbieCaillat at the Commodore from @LiveNationWest & @Miss604 http://ow.ly/5QMQv
I will draw one winner at 10:00am on Tuesday, August 9, 2011. Must be 19 years of age or older to enter this contest as this is not an all-ages venue.
In anticipation of the first Celebration of Light night of 2011, happening tomorrow at 10:00pm in English Bay, I was a part of a media tour of the fireworks barge this morning with Producer Patrick Brault.
Patrick has been involved with the Celebration of Light since it began 21 years ago and he says to this day, not much has changed except they’ve been able to make some improvements in the technology. In the first year he said they had kilometers worth of wiring on the barge and manually controlled the firing of each shell. The soundtrack was on large reels and they had audio cues, “line 1, line 1, GO!”.
“Now it’s all computer-controlled,” said Patrick. “We program the time that we want the fireworks to shoot and the computer system shoots them. There is a lot less cabling because we have computer modules everywhere on the barge.” While a computer controls the firing and timing, there are still manual settings and safety systems in place that can fine-tune timing and shut any section off manually in case of an emergency on the barge.
Aside from the behind-the-scenes technology there’s a big difference this year that some have already noticed from afar. “We brought the barges closer to shore so that it’s more in your face for the people on the beach,” Patrick told us. “Usually the distance between the fireworks and the public is all in relation to the largest size of shell that we shoot.”
Patrick said an example would be those large willow-like shells that shoot high into the air and cascade downward. So in order to keep the large shells, not compromising the show at all, they moved those to a third barge that will be located further away, in the regular barge location (from previous years).
With far too many grey days than we’d like this season, Patrick said cloud cover doesn’t bother him and the fireworks crew and that rain and humidity are more of a factor (in terms of the setup and firing of the shells). “Some effects do look better in the rain,” he added. “Personally, I like to have a little bit of a cloud cover or no moonlight because if it’s too bright then people might get distracted from the show itself.” He went on to explain that his whole family comes from the show business and theatre worlds so you want “lights out” and no distractions when the show is underway.
For Saturday’s fireworks display, China will present “China Storm”, a representation of the 24 seasons in Chinese culture, and will feature world music. Next Wednesday’s show presented by Spain is called “Odyssey” and Canada’s finale will be “Then and Now” on August 6th.
The City of Vancouver is strongly encouraging the hundreds of thousands of fireworks goers to “cart out what they cart in” and put garbage in bins. There will be “Zero Waste Stations” around popular viewing areas like English Bay and Kitsilano as well.
You still have until Monday to enter to win reserved bleacher seating for Canada’s fireworks display in my final Celebration of Light contest. Head down to your viewing spot early to catch free concerts at ShoreFest happening around English Bay and Kitsilano beaches.
