The world’s largest hockey stick in Duncan, BC, faces challenger

The world’s largest hockey stick survived Expo ’86, a move to Vancouver Island, the wrath of Canadian winters and even woodpeckers, but time catches up with the monument to Canada’s game attached to an ice arena in Duncan, BC

The 28,118-kilogram pole was built to mark the entrance to the Canadian pavilion at Vancouver’s Expo in 1986, but 37 years later, the Cowichan Valley Regional District said it is “nearing the end of its life.”

The regional district has launched a survey asking residents to help decide the fate of the stick.

The 200-foot (62.5 m) steel and Douglas fir pole, along with a puck, was shipped to Duncan in 1988 after the community beat out several other communities and private investors to take ownership.

It was officially recognized as the world’s largest hockey stick by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2008.

Kris Schumacher, a spokesman for the regional district, said the stick had several upgrades in the early 2000s, but the latest problems prompted the investigation.

“It’s had some trouble recently with a woodpecker that we had to deal with and put some holes in it,” he said.

“There’s been a fun, creative kind of problem solving, I believe, over time here, especially in recent years when nature wanted to do its thing.”

The regional district estimated in a report for the City Council that it would cost between $1.5 million and $3 million to build and install a replacement stick.

If that proposal is rejected by residents, the cane will be torn down at the end of its expected life in three years or sooner if it poses a safety risk.

The price tag compared to the sentimentality of replacement is something the district is aware of, Schumacher said, adding that it was important to hear the community’s views.

“When it comes down to it, it’s something that’s nice to have and try to understand that feeling and that you know what the legacy is and what that means to people in the community,” he said.

“Especially when you’re talking about millions of dollars to keep it versus understanding that maybe that money could be used in other places.”

Taxes for residents of the regional district were increased by 11.49 percent from 2022, and the cost of replacing the stick would be borne by the taxpayer.

“I think there’s a heightened sensitivity to spending money on things that aren’t core services, to the extent that your local or state government provides,” Schumacher said.

Meanwhile, the stick record faces a threat coming to all hockey record holders: a younger rival.

The city of Lockport, Illinois, approved a proposal in January for a new fitness and hockey facility with a stick larger than its Canadian counterpart.

The new stick would be 76 meters long, about 13.5 meters longer than the Canadian version.

The proposed end of the stick has sparked significant interest in the community, Schumacher said, with 500 surveys completed in less than 24 hours after launch.

The study will run through the end of the summer and is available both online and in paper form at regional district locations.

This report from The Canadian Press was first published on June 23, 2023.