Canucks fans are everywhere; on the streets, in the airports, and on every continent. When we used to do The Crazy Canucks podcast, we had listeners in New Zealand, China, the United States and the UK. Whether it’s expatriates now living abroad or international fans of the game in general, hockey crosses oceans or borders.
On what is most certainly the most important day in Vancouver Canucks history, I woke up at 4:45am and saw John off to work at the station. Usually I’d go back to bed but on a day like today, how would I ever calm down enough to get back to sleep? I decided to hit Twitter to see if someone, a Canucks fan, in another time zone wanted to chat about playoff fever in their neck of the woods. While I was poking around Nuck-Yeah.com, a resource that lists pubs and places to watch Canucks games from San Diego to Seoul, I received a reply on Twitter from Katie @muffinmyth. She lives in Sweden and is fully prepared for tonight’s final match-up.
Born and raised in Vancouver, Katie has been splitting her time between Stockholm (where her Saskatoon-born husband got a job) and Vancouver while she finished her degree at UBC. “I was here for about 6 months of the last year and a half,” she told me. “Tragically, my flight left Vancouver about an hour after the puck dropped on game 1 of this series. I am hoping to get back to Vancouver twice a year, but it’s a long and expensive trip, so we’ll see.” Her allegiance is to the Canucks, or “any Canadian team, so long as they’re not playing against us.”
I asked her how easy it was to catch a playoff game in Sweden. “We had to pay an extra 75 crowns (about $10) per month for some special sports channels, and now we get all of the games. They are played live, and then re-played commercial free a few more times. They are live at 2:00am, so not much interest in going to a sports bar or getting a crowd together to watch, unfortunately. It makes me homesick seeing the crowds in Vancouver.”
Since the Canucks have their fair share of Swedes on the team, I also wanted to know if there’s a visible or palpable excitement around town surrounding the Stanley Cup finals. Katie said there’s “a little” but she has been stopped a few times wearing her Canucks t-shirt. “The Sedins are a pretty big deal here, so most people want to talk about them. My husband plays hockey with some people from work on Friday mornings and he says that every day people are talking to him about the Canucks.”
As for predictions from across the pond? Katie said it will be close, but a win. “And I said that if the Canucks won the Stanley Cup that I’d run naked down my street in Stockholm. My mother-in-law suggested I wear a flag instead, therefore I acquired the flag which is now flying out our window.” She added that most wouldn’t understand why a naked Canadian would run down the street at 5:00am local time so she’ll stick with the flag idea.
There’s much appeal to Vancouver, around the globe and throughout Canada. After all, we threw a pretty great party last year. However, not everyone is a Canucks fan. We don’t get the East Coast vote (for example most Haligonians identify with the Bruins), and it was determined at the beginning of the playoff run that we’re not really “Canada’s Team”… but I think that’s okay with everyone around here.
Who we are is a community of fans who have ridden the incredible roller coaster that comes with being a supporter of this team, some for a full 40 years. There are ups and downs, it’s scary, and sometimes you get flipped head over heels. In the end, there’s no rush like it.
Go Canucks Go!
There’s only one thing on the mind of everyone in BC right now and that’s hockey. However, after the dust settles tonight (and heart rates return to normal) wouldn’t it be nice to get away? I’m a little late for our BC Travel Tuesday feature but we still have a few properties to go in the series (which expanded from 10 weeks to 12).
backyardbc is a new travel website designed specifically for residents of British Columbia. Essentially a “be a tourist in your own backyard” program, participating hotels & resorts offer residents of BC exclusive rates and specials, designed to motivate BCers to travel more within the Province. Each offer has its own unique reservation code, and all bookings are done directly with our hotel and resort partners. Visit backyardbc online, on Twitter, or Facebook and see more of BC!
The winner of BC Travel Tuesday Week 9: Fairmont Empress Victoria is Dennis L. (and he has been notified by email). This week’s property is also located in Victoria’s James Bay, just a short walk from the Inner Harbour, the Legislature and the city’s top attractions.
Oswego Hotel
Website, Twitter, Facebook, backyardbc listing
Location: 500 Oswego Street, Victoria, BC
About: “Stylish, modern and urban the Oswego Hotel is centrally located in Victoria’s downtown neighborhood of James Bay, just 2 blocks from the Inner Harbour, Legislative Buildings, Royal BC Museum and Beacon Hill Park. A short walk to Victoria’s Conference Centre and just minutes from Harbour Seaplanes, the Helijet terminal, the Victoria Clipper, and the Victoria Express the Oswego Hotel is ideal for business travel. ”
Prize: Two night’s accommodation in a one bedroom suite, includes parking and WiFi.
Value: $600
To enter to win, leave a comment on this post and/or post the following on Twitter:
Gift certificates for hotel and resort stays will be sent directly to each weekly winner so they can arrange their visit personally with the property. Some restrictions apply, based on availability. Must be 19 years of age or older to enter and win.
Update The winner is Sharelle Dayco!
View all posts in the series by following or subscribing to my BCTravelTuesday tag. Open to residents of BC.
This morning the Vancouver Park Board said on Twitter that June 15th (the date of the Canucks game 7 match-up with the Boston Bruins) is also the 170th 103rd birthday anniversary of the death of Lord Stanley1. While we know Stanley for the park that was named in his honor, and his coveted cup, I thought it might be worth learning a bit more about the man with the famous name.
Lord Stanley (Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby) was the 6th Governor General of Canada who served from 1888 to 1893. I learned more about Lord Stanley when we watched the CBC’s Hockey: A People’s History a few years ago, which I highly recommend.
The story goes that Lord Derby (he was Baron Stanley of Preston as well) had two sons that loved to play hockey and got their parents hooked on the game as well. Around 1892-1893 Lord Stanley donated the silver cup that would be awarded to the best amateur hockey club in the country. It was first known as the Challenge Cup and by 1909 it was awarded to professional teams exclusively. Since 1926 it’s been the prize for the top team in the National Hockey League. [source]
However, before there was a cup, there was a park – in Vancouver. From VancouverHistory:
1889 brought us the first visit to Vancouver by a Governor General. On October 29 Lord Stanley of Preston, who had been sworn in the year before, dedicated Stanley Park, which had been opened in September, 1888. An observer at the dedication wrote: “Lord Stanley threw his arms to the heavens, as though embracing within them the whole of one thousand acres of primeval forest, and dedicated it ‘to the use and enjoyment of peoples of all colours, creeds, and customs, for all time’.”
1960. Governor General Georges Vanier unveiling the Lord Stanley statue.
Vancouver archives item# Mon N63.5
A few days before the dedication, incidentally, a letter was written (we’re not sure by whom) promising a suitable monument to commemorate the event. City archivist J.S. Matthews would discover that letter in 1950, more than 60 years after it was written, and realize the promise had not been fulfilled. He began a fund-raising campaign, and raised enough money to commission a statue. It took a while: the statue—created by English sculptor Sydney Marsh, and capturing Stanley’s expansive gesture—wouldn’t be unveiled until May 19, 1960. Fittingly, that ceremony was presided over by another Governor General, Georges Vanier.
Lord Stanley, adorned with a replica cup during the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals in Vancouver, is immortalized at the entrance to the park named in his honor.
You can find him in bronze when you walk along the causeway (from downtown) on the Coal Harbour side – just over the pedestrian bridge. The statue was installed on May 29, 1960, thanks to the research and efforts of our city’s first archivist, Major Matthews.
1 Thanks to Bob Mackin for the correction on the anniversary stat.
When I was growing up in Surrey, our summer activities included rollerblading over to Mac’s for some Frosters, swimming in the Kwantlen Park Pool, running various park trails, and heading out to the skate park with our BMX bikes. Over the last five years or so, there’s been much more going on throughout the summer (and even the whole year) in what was once the City of Parks. Here is a small sampling of some of the free summer festivals and events you can enjoy in Surrey this season.
South Surrey Festival
When: Saturday, June 18, 2011 from 11:00am to 4:00pm
Where: Kwomais Point Park (1379 128 St)
What: Crafts for kids, live music and entertainment, face painting, artisan displays, and more
Website
Surrey Fest Downtown
When: Saturday, June 18, 2011 from 11:00am to 6:00pm
Where: North Surrey Recreation Centre Parking Lot & Central City Plaza
What: The 13th annual festival that celebrates community. Free for all ages to enjoy entertainment, food, activities, silent auction, and displays
Website
Park Play Palooza
When: Saturday, June 25, 2011 from 11:00am to 2:00pm
Where: Cloverdale Athletic Park (6330 168 St)
What: A free park party with live music, rock climbing wall, Science World activities, and more
Website
Surrey Canada Day
When: Friday, July 1, 2011 from 11:00am to 10:30pm
Where: Cloverdale Millenium Amphitheater (176 St and 64 Ave)
What: One of Western Canada’s largest Canada Day celebrations. This all-day event includes rides, food vendors, displays, activities for the family, and a main-stage lineup of artists including Trooper and Elise Estrada.
Website
Surrey Fusion Festival
When: Saturday July 16 & Sunday July 17, 2011 from 11:00am to 10:00pm
Where: Holland Park (Corner of King George Highway & Old Yale Road)
What: A free celebration of global food, music, and culture. It’s one of our favourite annual events with so much to see and do — and did I mention the food? Sample delicacies from around the world, and watch dance and music on the festival stages. Headliners this year include Jay Sean and Bedouin Soundclash.
Website
To reiterate, all of these festivals are free and (hopefully) out in the sunshine this June and July. You can get to all of these locations by transit (either SkyTrain or bus) and they are all family-friendly.
Even though Vancouver is a hockey town, there is a strong history of baseball that runs deep. From the Asahi at the Powell Street Grounds to our Little League World Champion participants and of course, the legendary Nat Bailey Stadium where Babe Ruth once visited.
I admit, it wasn’t until I married a man from Iowa that my passion for baseball grew. He took me to my first Vancouver Canadians game, Seattle Mariners game, and to see the Cedar Rapids Kernels in 80% humidity on a steamy midwest afternoon. We’ve even played catch at the Field of Dreams.
Thanks to the BC Sports Hall of Fame, I’ve been able to learn more about baseball history and some of the great British Columbians who have played the game over the last few decades. Each week, for the next three weeks, I’ll be featuring a Hall of Fame Inductee and their contributions to baseball. Today’s featured BC Sports Hall of Fame baseball inductee is Larry Walker
Courtesy BC Sports Hall of Fame
Hometown: Maple Ridge, British Columbia
Inducted: 2009
Biography: Larry Walker is one of the greatest Canadian-born ballplayers of all time. Larry played 17 major league seasons from 1989-2005. Walker established himself as one of the most feared combinations in all of baseball fusing blanket fielding with a monster bat. Over the course of his 17-year career with the Expos, Colorado Rockies and St. Louis Cardinals, he would win seven Golden Gloves, three Silver Sluggers, and was named to five All-Star Games.
His career season came in 1997 with the Rockies, where he hit .366 with 49 homers, 130 RBIs, and 33 stolen bases earning the National League MVP, the first Canadian-born player ever awarded this honour. A year later, Walker won the Lou Marsh Award as Canada’s most outstanding athlete.
With each profile, I will also be hosting a series of giveaways that include 10 tickets as well as the chance to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. I’ll be drawing one winner each week who will be able to bring their own cheering section with them, using all 10 tickets.
Here’s how you can enter to win for the game Monday, June 20th at 7:05pm against the Yakima Bears.
Leave a comment on this blog post (1 entry)
Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I will draw one winner on Thursday, June 16th at 9:00am 3:00pm.
Fresh off Stanley Cup fever, Vancouverites can enjoy ‘Nooners at the Nat and warm summer evenings at the ballpark starting June 17th as the Vancouver Canadians begin their season.
With individual game tickets in the reserved grandstand starting at just $12.50, it’s an ideal destination for families, and even fun night out with someone special (with a dog ‘n a beer).
Update Thanks to Rich at Patterson Brands we also have a Vancouver Canadians cap to give away with this prize package (value $25).
Update The winner is Josh!
