After 350 years as a corporation, the Hudson Bay Company is dead. They raced to the bottom with their goods becoming worse by the year, until they were as cheaply made as goods from Walmart; but Wally World endures, basically a Chinese Factory Outlet. Far be it for me to explain how the economy works, when the “leader of the free world” has no clue! All I can do is write a song about it.
Polar bear hunting on the ice of Hudson Bay (photo B. Inaglory)
The Hudson Bay Company began in 1670 after Sieur des Grosselliers convinced Prince Rupert of England that he could get rich by trading into Hudson Bay and the great hinterland of the Canadian Shield, which was rich beyond dreams with fur bearing creatures just waiting to be skinned and made into hats.
Better yet, watch this amazing film about building a replica of the Nonsuch, in England, in 1968 for the 300th anniversary of the founding of the company.
In March 1925, one hundred years ago this month, the Victoria Cougars hockey team won the Stanley Cup, beating the Montreal Canadiens in 4 games. I wrote a song about that, and made a video to go with it. Link is at the bottom, but please read on before viewing!
Hockey is, of course, the national sport of Canada and we love it so much that what happened a century ago is still important to us. I expect that has a lot to do with the fact that hockey is not only the fastest game, but also the roughest and hardest to master – requiring one to know how to skate and handle a puck at the end of a long stick, while moving on ice at high speed, and avoiding being clobbered by others moving equally fast.
Typical Canadian winter day
So we have a natural advantage here, winter, that provides us with ample opportunity to learn how to skate as children playing outside on ice will do. Victoria doesn’t have winter anymore, at least with outdoor ice, but we still have lots of arenas and skaters. One hundred years ago the climate was colder here, and even the west coast had frozen lakes and ponds. The first indoor artificial ice arena in the world was built right here in Victoria BC! The song tells the story of the battle for the Stanley Cup, which was epic even then.
The Stanley Cup is the oldest sports trophy in the world, and was donated by Lord Stanley, Governor General of Canada. Now it belongs to the NHL, not by law but by dint of the fact that possession is ownership, or as they say, 9 tenths of the law. But the Cup will be returning here to Victoria soon, to celebrate the historic victory of the Cougars a century ago, before the Cup became the sole property of the NHL.
1993 Montreal Canadiens – last team from Canada to win the Stanley Cup
Of course the fact that the Cup has not been won by a Canadian based team since the Montreal Canadiens last won it a generation ago remains a sore point for Canadians, since we all consider the Cup to be our national property. Thus we remember when two great Canadian teams battled for it long ago.
Howie Morenz – the first hockey star
A word about one of the players, Howie Morenz, the first “star” of pro hockey, in the day before stardom was as degenerated as it is now. He was known as the Stratford Streak, the fastest, highest scorer of his day. He inspired two pro teams in fact, the Boston Bruins and the New York Rangers, after their respective founders saw him in action and decided that they would bring pro hockey to their own cities. Morenz is today considered the 15th greatest player of all time. Quite the accolade!
In truth, the main interest I have in Morenz is the fact that my father, born in Montreal March 18, 1918, exactly 107 years ago today, caddied for Howie Morenz at a golf course one day as a teenager. So my Dad met the great Morenz, making me only 2 degrees removed from greatness…
And now, hockey fans, here is the soon-to-be-greatest hockey song of all time, “One Hundred Years Tonight”.
Last year I wrote this song for my son who was going off to New York on business. His business took him to the Trump Tower on Wall Street, although he said the office there was small and mostly used for the prestige. He didn’t mention the heavily armed guards at the doors. Is that for show, I wonder? Recent events led me to record the song properly, and somehow it seemed to say a lot about how Canadians are feeling, although I never intended it that way. Was I prescient? Well, I never thought they would elect you know who twice! To all my American friends – Canada will endure this, as you will. Don’t despair, it could get worse, and you’ll always have Putin on your side if we invade!
nathanguitars 