Hockey Keeps Canada Together

I took a course in twentieth century European history from Dr Jacques Goutor, back in the 1960s and the first thing I learned from him was that hockey kept Canada together. Well, he didn't actually come out and say that exactly, but on the first day of class he told us about his arrival in Canada from France.

NOTE: "Hockey Keeps Canada Together" was one of my first posts on Michael J Morris Report after I founded it seven years ago

Dr Goutor told us that upon arriving in Toronto, he went out and bought the newspapers and the headlines were LEAFS WIN STANLEY CUP! It was 1967, our Centennial year as a nation, and the Toronto Maple Leafs had defeated their arch rivals the Montreal Canadiens in six games. It was to be the last time the Leafs would win Lord Stanley's mug.

Dr Jacques Goutor

All so typically Canadian for our Centennial year -- a team from the heart of English Canada wins the Stanley Cup but the focus for the celebrations of the centennial is on Montreal, the major French Canadian city which hosted Expo '67, and the cup is named after an Englishman who was Governor General at one time. Trust me on this one! It is such as this that contributes to keeping the country together and safe-- the invisible hand of Canadian compromise!

Dr Goutor, who at the time had little knowledge of hockey and its importance to Canadians, said he decided to stay here because it had to be a safe place if the headlines were about a sporting event. He was raised in France and lived through the horrors of World War II and its aftermath.

To this day, I watch the headlines of Canadian daily newspapers, and headline writers are ecstatic on those days they can proclaim victory for their local hockey team when it wins a title, and are beside themselves with joy when Canada wins internationally. But they know their audience. Hockey keeps it all together in this vast and magnificent land where we will travel great distances for a hockey game, and complain about that other great Canadian unifier, the weather.

MJM in 1978 at Chapleau Carnival

Tee Chambers, Butch Pellow, Aldee Martel, circa 1954

Our passion for hockey of course begins at the local level. I was raised in the northern Ontario town of Chapleau, where the Chapleau Huskies, in various incarnations were  the pride and joy for much longer than I have been around. Growing up there in the 1940s and 50s my hockey heroes were local, especially the late Garth ''Tee" Chambers, who to this day I believe was better than any NHL player who ever donned skates.

When I returned to Chapleau to teach, shortly thereafter I was "hired' by the 1970-71 Midgets to coach them. Yes, they actually "fired" their coach and I took over, and that is a story in itself. At that time though, the focus was on the Chapleau Junior "B" Huskies who played in a Junior league, and in 1967 won the league title, as well as NOHA title.

Chapleau Jr B Huskies 1966-67

 The coaches of the day were the late Keith 'Buddy' Swanson, Lorne Riley, who had been an outstanding goalie and Earle Freeborn, one real tough defenceman in his playing days who also served as the Mayor of Chapleau. Saturday nights were hockey night in Chapleau, and the great community unifier, especially when the Wawa Travellers were in town.

A few years later, again after receiving a visit from hockey players, the Chapleau Intermediate "A" Huskies were born and our arch rivals in the Northland Intermediate Hockey league were the Timmins Northstars. For three years it was a struggle to beat them in the league semi-finals but in our fourth year we did, and it was like we had won the Stanley Cup. We won in Timmins but soon received reports that back in Chapleau, the celebration had begun with horns honking and a party underway.

And so, from local unheated hockey rinks, many of them called barns, where rivalries among communities bring people together to cheer on their own team, to national and international championship series, Dr Goutor was right. It is a safe country in which to live

I welcome your comments. Please feel free to add them or email me at mj.morris@live.com

Obama opens White House door to Michaelle Jean

WOW! That was my reaction to the news that President Barack Obama has extended an open invitation to Michaelle Jean, the Governor General of Canada to visit him at the White House. In an unprecedented move in Canadian-United States relations, an American president is welcoming the appointed Governor General to visit.

For those who may not follow the Canadian system here is brief primer. In our parliamentary system, under the constitution, the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II is our head of state, but the Governor General, appointed by the Queen on the advice of the prime minister of the day, acts on her behalf when she is not in Canada -- hardly ever here ever for that matter. That`s quite a mouthfull but that`s the way it is.

It was obvious when the president and the governor general met at Ottawa Airport last week on Obama`s visit to Canada that they hit it off, and they had quite a long chat particularly about Haiti where Ms Jean was born. It was also very historic. The first black US president meets the first black Canadian Governor General.

The invitation also signalled that President Obama does things differently than his predecessors.

After meeting Stephen Harper, the prime minister, Obama actually steered him out to where he could acknowledge the crowd of Canadians who had gathered on Parliament Hill to catch a glimpse of him. As he was leaving he did it again. Both unscheduled events but important to those who came out on a cold Winter day in Ottawa, although Harper looked totally surprised.

Obama also said he would like to return to Canada when it is warmer. Goodness, Mr President, it can be very cold in Chicago.

And perhaps on his next trip, Canadians can make sure he attends a hockey game. He admitted in an interview he had never seen one.

Heading back to the airport Obama`s motorcade made another unscheduled stop at the famous Byward Market where he got an Obama Tail at the Beaver Tail Hut and some gifts for his wife and children. I am not even going to try and describe a beaver tail! Apparently Obama was even going to pay with a $20 Canadian bill but he was given his purchases free. (We can be sure that the RCMP and Secret Service were well aware of this stop long before it was made,)

I had my doubts about the American media coverage of Obama`s trip but it got wide coverage on television and the newspapers. Ed Henry, a CNN White House correspondent was in full flight as he talked about `thousands`of Canadians lining the streets to welcome the president. Well Ed, maybe not thousands and thousands!

Perhaps the success of the presdident`s first official visit to a foreign country was summed up in his own words, ``I love this country.`` WOW!!!!! Let`s all hope the romance continues.

Please feel free to comment.

Are the ties that bound us to hockey fraying?

In his post on here yesterday, (see below) Lorne Riley, suggests that the ties binding us to hockey in Canada are fraying. Although Lorne is not suggesting that hockey is in danger of imminent demise he does suggest some areas of concern.

In Ontario, Lorne wrote that enrolment in minor hockey is declining, and in northern Ontario a shrinking economy and population base are contributing factors. He also mentions "new age diversions."

The "staggering cost" to parents to have a child in minor hockey and changing demographics in Canada generally are also playing a role, Lorne writes.

Here in British Columbia where I live now I don't know the minor hockey statistics offhand but I do know that in Cranbrook in recent years soccer and lacrosse have sure increased in popularity. When I first came here just over 20 years ago, the town had senior and junior teams, much like one found in Ontario. The senior team was the first to go.

About 10 years ago the community landed a Western Hockey League team, the Kootenay Ice -- quite an accomplishment for a community of about 18000 people. Today, despite winning a Memorial Cup. league titles and making the playoffs every year, attendance at games has been declining from the early years. Cranbrook even built a new recreation complex as a home for the Ice. It looks like the team will stay here as it has entered into a new deal with the city but it may be a struggle as the times, they are a changing.

I hope you will take a moment and give your comments on this very national issue. Post in comments or email me at mj.morris@live.ca Or to my Facebook friends just post to me there and I will move them. Are the ties that bound us to hockey fraying and likely soon to break?

Hockey keeps Canada together

Chapleau Int A Huskies in 1970s

I took a course in twentieth century European history from Dr Jacques Goutor more than 40 years ago now, and the first thing I learned from him was that hockey kept Canada together. Well, he didn't actually come out and say that exactly, but on the first day of class he told us about his arrival in Canada from France.

Dr Goutor told us that upon arriving in Toronto, he went out and bought the newspapers and the headlines were LEAFS WIN STANLEY CUP! It was 1967, our Centennial year as a nation, and the Toronto Maple Leafs had defeated their arch rivals the Montreal Canadiens in six games. It was to be the last time the Leafs would win Lord Stanley's mug.

Dr Jacques Goutor

All so typically Canadian for our Centennial year -- a team from the heart of English Canada wins the Stanley Cup but the focus for the celebrations of the centennial is on Montreal, the major French Canadian city which hosted Expo '67, and the cup is named after an Englishman who was Governor General at one time. Trust me on this one! It is such as this that contributes to keeping the country together and safe-- the invisible hand of Canadian compromise!

Dr Goutor, who at the time had little knowledge of hockey and its importance to Canadians, said he decided to stay here because it had to be a safe place if the headlines were about a sporting event. He was raised in France and lived through the horrors of World War II and its aftermath.

To this day, I watch the headlines of Canadian daily newspapers, and headline writers are ecstatic on those days they can proclaim victory for their local hockey team when it wins a title, and are beside themselves with joy when Canada wins internationally. But they know their audience. Hockey keeps it all together in this vast and magnificent land where we will travel great distances for a hockey game, and complain about that other great Canadian unifier, the weather.

MJM in 1978 at Chapleau Carnival

Tee Chambers, Butch Pellow, Aldee Martel, circa 1954

Our passion for hockey of course begins at the local level. I was raised in the northern Ontario town of Chapleau, where the Chapleau Huskies, in various incarnations were  the pride and joy for much longer than I have been around. Growing up there in the 1940s and 50s my hockey heroes were local, especially the late Garth ''Tee" Chambers, who to this day I believe was better than any NHL player who ever donned skates.

When I returned to Chapleau to teach, shortly thereafter I was "hired' by the 1970-71 Midgets to coach them. Yes, they actually "fired" their coach and I took over, and that is a story in itself. At that time though, the focus was on the Chapleau Junior "B" Huskies who played in a Junior league, and in 1967 won the league title, as well as NOHA title.

Chapleau Jr B Huskies 1966-67

 The coaches of the day were the late Keith 'Buddy' Swanson, Lorne Riley, who had been an outstanding goalie and Earle Freeborn, one real tough defenceman in his playing days who also served as the Mayor of Chapleau. Saturday nights were hockey night in Chapleau, and the great community unifier, especially when the Wawa Travellers were in town.

A few years later, again after receiving a visit from hockey players, the Chapleau Intermediate "A" Huskies were born and our arch rivals in the Northland Intermediate Hockey league were the Timmins Northstars. For three years it was a struggle to beat them in the league semi-finals but in our fourth year we did, and it was like we had won the Stanley Cup. We won in Timmins but soon received reports that back in Chapleau, the celebration had begun with horns honking and a party underway.

And so, from local unheated hockey rinks, many of them called barns, where rivalries among communities bring people together to cheer on their own team, to national and international championship series, Dr Goutor was right. It is a safe country in which to live

I welcome your comments. Please feel free to add them or email me at mj.morris@live.com