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We're, Like, Literally All Canucks

We're, Like, Literally All Canucks

Something happened in the gallery the other day... A small group came in, and, judging by their conversation, they weren’t from around here (Canada). No surprise there; Granville Island, where our gallery is located, is a very touristy area. It’s actually the second-most-visited public place in the country behind Niagara Falls. We get people from all over the world, but a lot of Americans, especially.  I heard one guy in the group ask aloud, “Hey, what’s a Canuck?” Also common here – I wouldn’t expect anyone from outside of Canada to know that term. Most guess it’s some sort of animal, usually a whale or a shark, which they get from looking at the Canucks’ current logo, an orca.  At that point I’ll fill the person/people in – “It’s slang for a Canadian, like how an American is a ‘Yankee’” – and then ask where they’re from. I did that with this group, as I always do, and a woman amongst them said, “Oh I’m from here, they’re visiting from Seattle.”  Me: “Got ya… so why didn’t you tell them what a Canuck was?”  Her: “I didn’t know!” WHAT?! You didn’t know? Shocking… truly shocking. Ok, maybe if you’re a younger person from somewhere else in Canada and don’t watch hockey at all – maybe then I’d give you a pass. But, if you’re from B.C., even if you don’t follow Vancouver’s NHL franchise, you must know what a Canuck is. Surely. When the Canucks are winning their stuff is everywhere. People wear jerseys, put flags on their cars. They put signs in their windows. You’d have to work hard to ignore it. And the Canucks went to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2011, so if you’re over 20 you’d remember what it was like. This woman was definitely over 20. Maybe I’m being harsh. I’ve been known to be a little snobby at times when it comes to sports and music. I expect people to know things. You don’t have to share the same views, necessarily, but you’ve at least got to know. To me, a Vancouverite not knowing what a Canuck is is akin to a Western person not knowing who The Beatles were. It’s just common knowledge.  But, it’s 2019, and I’m trying to be better – a better human that doesn’t judge people and expect them to be a certain way. I’m trying to be compassionate and accepting. I know a lot of people are turned off by sports, by contact sports especially. The competitive nature, the aggression… I can see why it wouldn’t be appealing and therefore why you might not know what “Canuck” means.  In any case, no matter what a person’s reason is for not knowing something, if I can’t say anything nice in response maybe I should just not say anything at all. Kindness is key. And so why did I take the time to write this, then? Well, initially I felt like ranting a bit, but then I also saw it as an opportunity to educate myself, and others, in a couple of ways. I’ve just buried the lead a little... It’s okay to not care about sports. Sometimes people actually apologize to me when they come in, about not being a “sports person.” Or they just turn around and leave. One of the things that I love about the gallery is that it can actually appeal to all kinds of people. The vintage photography, especially. You can take an interest in the history of it all, in the antiquated uniforms and equipment. You can get a sense, through a sport like baseball or tennis, of how much things have diversified over the years. Or, you can just take a liking to a particular logo or colourway, for no real reason at all.  It’s also okay to like sports, but to not know a lot about them. Competitiveness isn’t restricted to athletes. Sports fans can be the same – they want to be the best, most knowledgeable fan, and they’ll easily ridicule others they see as lesser. I myself have been guilty of this in the past. Oh, well I’m a season ticket holder, and I got my first jersey when I was a baby, and I know X’s stats from 1977… Wait, you’ve only been a fan for two years?? Talk about jumping on the bandwagon. I see it all the time, in person and online.  Making someone feel bad for being new to a team or sport isn’t helpful. We all have to start somewhere. Not everyone is so lucky to have a parent that plays catch and that buys their kid jerseys for Christmas. And the whole bandwagon thing – of course winning gets people involved. That’s the whole point! When a local or national team is doing well, it gives people a reason to band together. To be upset about having more people wanting to cheer on your team is something I’ll never understand. I guess, in short: we all don’t have to agree, but we can still be nice about it.  So, if you, like the woman that was in here earlier, don’t know what a Canuck is – well, you’re in luck. Here’s some information from the always-handy Wikipedia, which will get you even more in the know about all things “Canuck.” Here ya go! "Canuck" /kəˈnʌk/ is a slang term for a Canadian. The origins of the word are uncertain. The term "Kanuck" is first recorded in 1835 as an Americanism, originally referring to Dutch Canadians or French Canadians. By the 1850s, the spelling with a "C" became predominant. Today, English Canadians and others use "Canuck" as a mostly affectionate term for any Canadian [...] Johnny Canuck [is] a personification of Canada who appeared in early political cartoons of the 1860s resisting Uncle Sam's bullying. Johnny Canuck was revived in 1942 by Leo Bachle to defend Canada against the Nazis. The use of the term as a nickname in hockey actually dates back to a Pacific Coast/Western Hockey League team, also called the Vancouver Canucks, who were founded in 1945. Their logo was based on the original Johnny Canuck cartoon. This franchise didn’t carry over into the NHL, but the 1970 Vancouver expansion franchise took on the name. The Canucks brought back Johnny Canuck in 2007, though on NHL ice it’s only been used as an alternate logo.  So, there you go, that is the short-hand history of the term/nickname “Canuck.” I hope it felt like what I wanted it to be – a celebration of acceptance and of all levels of sports knowledge. Funnily, at the end of the day, what may bring this all home best is Vancouver’s current hockey slogan: We Are All Canucks. If you’re a Canadian then you’re, like, literally a Canuck. We’re all different, yet we’re all “Canucks.” Amen.

Vancouver Millionaires Players

West Coast Hockey

Let’s play a quick game of word association. When you hear, “Canada,” what comes to mind? Hockey, you say? But of course. As Ron MacLean and those at Hockey Night remind us in their latest commercial, “You want to teach someone about Canada, you go to the television Saturday night, and it becomes crystal clear.” The only things capable of unseating hockey’s place as the symbol of Canada are snow and maple syrup. (Many would point to the maple leaf, though taking the national flag into consideration, it’s in a different, more official weight class.) While maple syrup is very Canadian, there’s no way it beats snow. ‘The Great White North’ is not a nickname bestowed freely. So, it’s between snow and hockey. Winter, and winter’s game. Perhaps it shouldn’t be a competition, as one would not exist if not for the other. When the temperature drops and the snow falls, backyard rinks pop up in communities across the country. Kids face off against each other in their favourite team’s sweater. This image can be found in stories and songs. It was, for a long time, depicted on the five dollar note. But, what about the temperate West Coast? Outdoor hockey doesn’t exist in and around Vancouver. The game is certainly played on indoor artificial rinks, but there are not many postcard winters, only rain. This would seemingly make the far West less Canadian than the rest of the nation. In a sense, it does. We, and others beyond our borders, have developed a particular image of Canada, and the West Coast is not it. Vancouver does have a hockey leg or two to stand on, however. There have been strong individual players to come out of the area: Joe Sakic, Paul Kariya, Evander Kane, and Milan Lucic to name a few. The city has seen success in minor league hockey, with the Giants winning the 2006 President’s Cup (WHL) and the 2007 Memorial Cup. Vancouver was also the site of Team Canada’s memorable Olympic gold medal game victory in 2010. The NHL dominates the hockey world, so the Canucks’ lack of success has unfortunately received the most attention. Vancouver is still searching for its first championship since joining the NHL in 1970. The Canucks have reached the finals three times, and game 7 twice, but have never been able to close the deal. The last (and only) Stanley Cup win by a Vancouver team came 102 years ago; the Millionaires won it in a series against Ottawa in 1915. The Cubs’ famous World Series drought, now broken, lasted 108 years. Longer, though not by much. Our inclination may be to laugh at the city’s inhospitable hockey climate and sustained ineptitude, but we should really be celebrating the history that’s there. Vancouver has not only been home to some real talent, but to hockey pioneers. The first 30 years of the 20th century were dark days for the sport, a period when even successful teams had a life expectancy of only a dozen years. Those involved in the game weathered financial difficulties, ever-changing leagues, and stadia lost to fire. Hockey would not be what it is today if not for their determination and grit. *** The Millionaires (later known as the Maroons) played in the PCHA and the WCHL between 1911 and 1926 and, due to that 1915 Cup win, are the best known Vancouver team of the era. They had a number of talented players on their roster over the years, including 13 future Hall of Famers. The star among stars was Fredrick “Cyclone” Taylor, who captured five PCHA scoring titles and wowed fans with his dazzling speed. Frank Patrick owned, managed, and played for the Millionaires for their entire 15-year run. He and his brother Lester were huge figures in hockey and are responsible for many of the game’s current rules and features. The blue line, forward pass, jersey numbers, and playoff system are all product of a Patrick mind. Using the funds from the sale of their family’s lumber business, Frank and Lester also established the Pacific Coast Hockey Association, stealing away a number of high-profile players from the east to populate their new league. And, thanks to the Patricks, men weren’t the only ones hitting the ice. Frank owned and managed the Vancouver Ladies Hockey Team, who played competitively against teams from Victoria and New Westminster in the 1910s. Unfortunately, the VLHT couldn’t inspire enough support and folded with the start of the First World War. Patrick then formed another club, the Amazons, who competed in and won larger women’s tournaments Rossland and Banff. During this period there was also a plethora of local amateur clubs. Vancouver Amateur Hockey Club is one example. Not much is known of VAHC, aside from the 1929-30 roster. Only two photos of the team or its players are known to exist. Despite being such a small part of Vancouver’s hockey history, VAHC are a lasting image, their logo as iconic as any other local club’s. After the Millionaires dissolved, the minor league Vancouver Lions took their place as the city’s professional club. The Lions shared both logo and stadium — Denman Arena — with the Millionaires, playing in different forms of the PCHL from 1928-1931 and 1933-1941. The PCHL, like most leagues of the early 20th century, struggled to stay afloat. Despite being shuffled around, the Lions were successful, winning titles in 1929, ’30, ’31, ’40, and ’41. Denman was once the second-largest indoor stadium in North America, behind New York’s Madison Square Garden. With a seating capacity of over 10,000, it played host to Vancouver’s premier events, including Stanley Cup contests, boxing matches, concerts, and more. Fans from all over the Lower Mainland packed the wood and brick arena to see the Millionaires take on Ottawa for the cup. Then, in 1936, only 25 years after being built, it burnt to the ground, leaving the city without a major sports venue. It wasn’t until 1945, with the formation of the Canucks, that hockey found true stability in Vancouver. The minor league club played in the PCHL and WHL for 25 years with no interruptions and were a successful team, winning 4 championships. In 1970 the city was finally granted its own NHL franchise, which took the ‘Canucks’ name. Vancouver has now seen 71-straight years of professional hockey in three different arenas (the Forum, Pacific Coliseum, and GM Place/Rogers Arena), none of which have fallen victim to fire. *** Update: Sometimes us Vancouverites can be part of the Canadian narrative. December 2016 was been a frosty month for the Lower Mainland, granting hockey lovers the chance to play in the great outdoors. These cold-spells come so infrequently, a scene like the one featured here (Killarney Lake, Bowen Island) truly feels like a dream.

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