'Magic Moments in B.C. Sports' captures province's diverse sports history
Credit to Author: Kevin Griffin| Date: Fri, 13 Sep 2019 21:29:43 +0000
Sports is about more than the winners in a new visual history of B.C.
Magic Moments in B.C. Sports: A Century in Photos tells the story of the diversity of sports in the province over the past 100 years.
Kate Bird spent a year writing about and looking for more than 200 photographs, most of which are from the extensive archive of The Vancouver Sun and The Province.
“I really wanted to have a wide range with a lot of familiar faces,” she told Postmedia. “I also wanted to introduce people to other sports that are underrepresented, and other people and stories.”
Bird said one of her goals was to include lots of women because they are often overlooked in sports books.
During a year of research, she discovered that sports has been as culturally diverse as the province from its inception.
She singled out the Vancouver Asahi baseball team as an example. The team not only brought Japanese-Canadians together in the years leading up to 1942, it also attracted supporters from outside the community who were simply baseball fans.
“They were the hottest team in the city, so they transcended their community,” Bird said.
Some of the memorable moments include Percy Williams’ stunning gold medal sprint at the 1928 Olympics, John Landy’s glance over his left shoulder as Roger Bannister passed him on his right to win the 1954 Miracle Mile at Empire Stadium, Nancy Greene carried on the shoulders of fellow skiers after winning the gold medal in giant slalom at the 1968 Winter Olympics, Olympic sprinter Harry Jerome competing at Brockton Oval while wearing a T-shirt backwards to protest against racism in 1964, and Vancouver Canucks coach Roger Neilson waving a white towel to protest officiating at the Campbell Conference Final in 1982.
There are also many other moments that reflect the social history of sports, including Chief Dan George of the Tsleil-Waututh with the 1936 Vancouver Golden Jubilee International Indian War Canoe Championship trophy, the first Vancouver Sun Run in 1985, and runner Brent Nicholson Earle arriving in Vancouver from San Francisco for the opening of Gay Games III in 1990.
“The photographs in this book are a highly selective and eclectic mix of familiar and unknown images showcasing the breadth of sports in our province,” Bird writes in the introduction. “These images not only chronicle some of our province’s athletes, sports teams, and sporting events, they document magic moments in the social history of our province.”
Bird is a former librarian at The Vancouver Sun and The Province. She is also the author of Vancouver in the Seventies: Photos from a Decade That Changed a City.
Although Bird found it challenging, she picked five of her favourite photographs to illustrate this story:
Owner and breeder Banto Betty Gill (wearing glasses and holding a baby), jockey Henry Matthews, and horse Lou Gallator at Richmond’s Lansdowne Park racetrack in 1952. Photo credit: Vancouver Public Library 84643i
Banto Betty Gill
“This photo of thoroughbred horse owner Banto Betty Gill in the winner’s circle at Lansdowne Park racetrack with her horse Lou Gallator in 1952 is an example of the surprising photographs I discovered while researching this book. It shows Gill’s family who were one of the first South Asian immigrants in the region. They owned a small farm near Lansdowne Park, where they bred and trained race horses. Gill, who was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2013 for her contributions to community service, was one of several fascinating women I was keen to showcase in the book.”
The UBC/Vancouver Rowing Club 8s, pictured in Vancouver’s Coal Harbour. Photo credit: Charlie Warner/ Vancouver Sun
UBC/Vancouver Rowing Club 8s
“In the late 1950s and 1960s, Vancouver Sun photographer Charlie Warner experimented with colour photography, and produced this stunning photo of the UBC/Vancouver Rowing Club 8s team, who won a silver medal at the 1956 Olympics, practicing in Coal Harbour. You can see Vancouver’s 1956 skyline in the background, with only two tall buildings — the Marine building and the Hotel Vancouver.”
Rick Hansen completed his Man In Motion journey cheered by thousands of Vancouverites at Oakridge Shopping Centre on May 22, 1987. Photo credit: Mark van Manen/Vancouver Sun
Rick Hansen
“This photograph of Rick Hansen taken at Oakridge Shopping Centre on May 27, 1987 has a special meaning for me. My mother, who is no longer alive, was with me in the crowd that day to welcome Rick Hansen home from his Man in Motion World Tour. Hansen had wheeled over 40,000 kilometres through 34 countries for more than two years, leading up to this special homecoming. Vancouver Sun photographer Mark van Manen’s photo conveys the joyful celebration that it was.”
Maple Ridge’s Greg Moore, pictured with his father Ric at the 1997 Molson Indy Vancouver. Photo credit: John Denniston/Province.
Greg Moore
“My husband Bill got me interested in auto racing. We attended the annual Molson Indy Vancouver, and were dedicated fans of Maple Ridge driver Greg Moore, who tragically died in 1999. I find this terrific photo of Greg and his father Ric in 1997 by Province photographer John Denniston terribly poignant. Greg’s arms are raised up and spread wide like wings, like he’s going to fly, like he’s an angel.”
Team Canada’s Danielle Lawrie-Locke practising at Softball City in Surrey. Photo credit: Arlen Redekop/PNG
Danielle Lawrie-Locke
“This striking 2018 photo of softball pitcher Danielle Lawrie-Locke by PNG photographer Arlen Redekop shows a strong, determined, focused, beautiful, and powerful female athlete. She has the look of a champion. Lawrie-Locke was a member of the Canadian national softball team that recently earned a berth for Canada at the 2020 Olympics.”
The official book launch of Magic Moments in B.C. Sports: A Century in Photos is Sunday, Sept. 22 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame. For free entry, you have to RSVP to this link.
Magic Moments is published by Greystone Books.