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1884 - IAN SPEERS
Introduction
Despite being overlooked by many past researchers, I believe that the following text will show that many important themes and structures in Canadian football first emerged between 1880 and 1891: themes which have continued to be a part of Canadian football to the present. The American influence on the game appears in its earliest forms with disputes over the scrimmage system to be used in Canada. Additionally, the early governing bodies from which modern Canadian football leagues emerged: the IRFU (now CFL East) and CIRFU (the predecessor of the OUA football league) both grew from the Ontario and Quebec Rugby Football Unions in 1907 and 1898 respectively, and the Canadian Rugby Union of 1891 continues today as Football Canada.
It is my sincere hope that this work will stimulate greater historical interest in the pre-Grey Cup era of Canadian football, and result in a greater understanding and appreciation of Canada's rich sporting heritage.
Ian Speers
Toronto
The following text is copyrighted and all rights are reserved.
1884
ORFU held its annual meeting on 28 January 1884 at the Rossin House, Toronto. A. H. Campbell delivered the annual report of the executive, in which he noted the success of the eleven Union matches played the previous year, and also expressed delight at the successful enforcement of uniform rules across the province. The ORFU rules had not only been a success in Ontario, but had also been endorsed by Quebec's prestige college club: McGill (1). The goal of a Canadian Union had yet to be attained, the Ontario Union's "efforts not having been met by the Quebec clubs" (2). The report of the treasurer noted financial success for the first season, the accounts reading as follows:
Receipts
| Subscriptions, 14 clubs |
$42.00
|
| Gate, final ties |
$30.40
|
| Sales, "Laws of Game" |
$14.00
|
| |
$86.40
|
Disbursements
| Printing |
$21.00
|
| Postage |
$7.35
|
| Stationary |
$1.15
|
| Expenses, first meeting |
$4.50
|
| Photograph |
$6.00
|
| Telegram |
$2.48
|
| Sundries |
$0.70
|
| Cash balance |
$43.22
|
|
(3)
|
$86.40
|
The attention of the delegates then turned to the Ottawa protest of the previous year's championship game. Ottawa maintained that Merritt's membership in the Toronto F. C. was in contravention of the rules of competition, and that the game should therefore be voided by virtue of this technicality. The union maintained that the second portion of the rule--"In the final tie the executive reserve the right to appoint umpires and referee"--gave the union the right to chose whomsoever they desired for the position. Discussion became somewhat polarised, and after failing to sway the convention Ottawa agreed to drop the matter. The delegates did adopt a motion that altered the rules of competition to prevent future recurrences of this same problem: "In the final ties the executive reserve the right to appoint the umpires and referee, neither of whom shall belong to the competing club." (4)
Campbell presented the results of a subscription for the Championship Cup, which had begun with a circular the previous April soliciting funds for the new trophy. An amount of $193 had been raised prior to the meeting, from which some $4.85 would need to be deducted to pay for the cost of distributing soliciting material the previous year. As the contributions were being read, Hamilton volunteered another $50.00 for the effort, bringing the budget for the cup up to some $240 (5). It was again decided to utilise a tie schedule for the Union matches for the season, and after making a few technical alterations to the constitution, a new executive was selected as the final order of business:
President: W. C. Carruthers, R. M. C.
Vice President: P. M. Bankier, Hamilton
Secretary-Treasurer: A. H. Campbell, Toronto F. C.
Committee: T. H. Stinson, Hamilton; W. W. Jones, Trinity Coll.; A. C. Macdonnell, R. M. C.;
E. H. Blake, Toronto F. C.; J. P. Nutting, Ottawa; H. B. Cronyn, Varsity; G. Gordon, U. C. C. (5a)
The drive to form a Canadian Union finally succeeded just a few days later. On 7 February, a meeting was held in Montreal between representatives of the Ontario and Quebec Unions, at which it was agreed to form a Canadian Rugby Football Union. The object of the national body was to be "the furtherance of Rugby football" in Canada and also the adoption of a uniform set of rules (6). Selected as president was W. H. Merritt of Toronto, with H. M. Belcher of Montreal being named Vice-President and R. Campbell, also of Montreal and who had chaired the meeting, named Secretary-Treasurer. A. H. Campbell, who had acted as secretary of this formative meeting, was named along with Mr. Blake (Toronto FBC) and Mr. R. Campbell (Montreal) to a committee tasked with drafting a uniform set of rules for consideration at a meeting to be held in the summer (7). Before adjourning, a vote of thanks was passed to A. H. Campbell "for his energy in forwarding the formation of the union" (8).
The meeting to complete arrangements for the Canadian Rugby Football Union was held on 1 July 1884, at Rossin House, Toronto. Under the direction of Union president W. Hamilton Merritt, the matter of the uniform code of rules was the first agendum of the day. Those present made a rule-by-rule consideration of the ORFU rules against those of the New English Rugby Union Football Rules, and made a few alterations: the "tedious, rough and unsatisfactory" maul in goal was struck from the laws; an addition was made to stop "heeling out" from the scrimmage, which made it an off side offence to pass back through the scrimmage; and deliberately lying on the ball was also made a foul (9). The restriction on the heeling of the ball reaffirmed the commitment of the CRFU to retain a system of scrimmage based on that of Rugby, namely that the ball could not be kicked back toward one's own goal line; anything approaching the American style of scrimmages was thus rejected. The point system of the ORFU was adopted, but with a reduction of value for drop kicked field goals from 7 to 6 points (9a). The idea of interprovincial matches was put off for the time being, but a provision was passed for the champions of the Quebec and Ontario Unions to play one another for the championship of Canada at the conclusion of the 1884 season (10). The constitution of the body, as adopted, read as follows:
- The Union shall be called the CANADIAN RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION.
- It shall consist of six delegates from each Provincial Union which has three or more organised clubs; and Union having less than three Clubs shall be entitled to two representatives.
- The object of the Union shall be the furtherance of Rugby Football in general, including the adoption and enforcement of a uniform code of laws in the Dominion, and establishment of a Championship of Canada, and Inter-provincial Matches.
- The Union shall elect its own officers at the annual meeting; they shall consist of an Hon. President, President, Vice-President, and Secretary Treasurer.
- The annual membership fee from each Provincial Union shall be Ten dollars.
- The annual meeting shall be held at such time and place, before March, as the officers may determine; notice of the same is to be given one month beforehand to the Secretaries of the Provincial Unions.
- All questions or disputes referred to the Union shall be decided by correspondence, unless considered by the officers of the Union of sufficient importance to be held over to the annual meeting. At all meetings seven shall form a quorum. Notices calling meetings must contain a summary of the business to come before the meeting.
- Alterations in the Laws of the Game, and the Constitution of the Union, shall be made only at annual meetings, and by a two-thirds vote of those present at the meeting. Notice of the proposed alteration shall be given in writing to the Secretary of the Union at least three weeks before the date of the meeting, and notice of such proposed alteration shall be at once forwarded to each member of the Union by the Secretary. (11)
At the end of the set of rules approved by the CRFU was added a brief note, requesting that sportsmanship and upholding the spirit of the game should be paramount in observing the rules:
THE CANADIAN RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION view with grave apprehension the fact that a number of clubs now seem to make a point of playing according to the letter instead of the spirit of the law, and at the same time recognise that it is impossible, and ought to be unnecessary to legislate against this evil. They earnestly appeal to the different clubs in Canada to unite in an effort to suppress this quibbling spirit, leaving laws for the book, when their absence does not interfere with the real intention of the grand old Rugby Game. (11a)
The ORFU 1884 schedule again consisted of ties in three divisions, but Ontario Agricultural College retired from the union, their place in the West District being taken by Strathroy's club. Trinity College and Upper Canada College both withdrew their names from Cup competition, but remained members of the union (12). The results of the 1884 divisional ties in October were identical in results to those of the previous year: Hamilton, Toronto and Ottawa all breezed through their respective districts. Hamilton hosted Toronto on 25 October for the penultimate tie, which the Toronto club won handily 24-4. The ORFU final was set for 1 November at Toronto, between the Toronto and Ottawa clubs. The game was greatly anticipated by football enthusiasts in the Toronto region: some 300 tickets were sold by 31 October, and a train party was expected from Hamilton with a like number of fans (13). But on the evening of 30 October, the Ottawa club secretary Jason F. Cunningham sent the following telegram to the Toronto Football Club:
Our committee, after very careful consideration, are reluctantly obliged to forfeit our match with Toronto for championship. Seven of our first team, for various causes, find it utterly impossible to leave town, and we cannot fill their places. Will write tomorrow. (14)
The withdrawal took Toronto by surprise, and the club tried unsuccessfully to persuade Ottawa to send any possible combination of fifteen men so as not to disappoint the Toronto fans. A further attempt to get a Hamilton team to visit Toronto for an exhibition game likewise failed because of the short notice (15). Toronto had thus won the Challenge Cup for the second time in as many years, and was thus to represent the province in the Dominion final--the first game under the direct authority of the new CRFU.
The Quebec champion Montreal Football Club was sent to Toronto on 6 November to contest the championship. The game was held on the University of Toronto Lawn (now referred to as "Front Campus" at the same university), immediately south of the dignified façade of the University College building. Montreal dressed on red and black jerseys, and Toronto appeared in maroon tops (16). The game was a one-sided affair for the Quebec champions, who shut out the Toronto team and scored 14 points in the first half alone. Toronto went scoreless for the entire game, and was cleanly defeated 30-0 by Montreal, who could rightly claim to be the first undisputed Rugby champions of Canada (17).
Only a few days later, on 8 November, Harvard made a trip to Ottawa to play the Ottawa College team--one of the last trips Harvard footballers would make to Canada. In the first half, the two teams used the eleven-a-side American College rules, which included low tackling, running interference and the "snap back" system of putting the ball in play. The match served as an exhibition of these foreign rules for an Ottawa audience, and even though Harvard soundly defeated the Ottawa team 20-6, the game was an enjoyable success for both competing teams (18).
Notes
1 - Daily Mail, 28 January 1884
2 - ibid.
3 - ibid.
4 - ibid.
5 - ibid.
5a - ibid.
6 - Montreal Gazette, 9 February 1884
7 - ibid.
8 - ibid.
9 - Daily Mail, 4 July 1884; for the full codified laws of the game, see Canadian Rugby Football Union Constitution and Laws of the Game,1884, CIHM 00945
9a - ibid.
10 - ibid.
11 - CRFU Constitution and Laws of the Game, 1884.
11a - ibid. As no copy of the 1883 ORFU rule book is known to exist, it is at present impossible to say whether this note may antedate the formation of CRFU.
12 - ORFU Report of the Executive for the year 1884, published in Mail, 26 January 1885
13 - Mail, 1 November 1884
14 - ibid.
15 - ibid.
16 - Globe, 7 November 1884
17 - For a more detailed description of this game, consult Robert Sproule's article "The First Canadian Championship", originally published in The Coffin Corner Vol. IV, 1982 but most readily available in Montreal Alouettes Media Guide 1999.
18 - A Reference File for those…
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Football Canada News
*NOTIFICATION TO FOOTBALL CANADA MEMBERS AND STAKEHOLDERS*
Dear athletes and parents,
Please be aware of organizations and persons that are wrongfully claiming to represent Football Canada and its members with unsanctioned national teams and tournaments. A company called Team Canada Football is not associated with Football Canada or its members, and are currently sending junior and senior teams abroad for unsanctioned tournaments. This company is also currently using links to Football Canada’s provincial members on their website ( www.teamcanadafootball.ca) without permission. Football Canada is the governing body for amateur football in Canada and is a member of the International Federation of American Football (IFAF). Along with its provincial members, Football Canada participates in the following national and international competitions:
Football Canada Cup U17/U19
NFL Flag League National Championship
IFAF Flag World Championship
IFAF Junior World Championship
IFAF Senior World Championship
If you have any questions concerning the national team or international competitions, please contact or visit your provincial football organization or Football Canada www.footballcanada.com or visit http://www.ifaf.info.
FOOTBALL CANADA NATIONAL OFFICE CHANGES
Football Canada wishes to inform you that, effective immediately, our head office phone numbers have changed. As a tribute to Canadian 3 Down Football, the office can now be reached at 613-564-0003. For phone extensions and emails, please click HERE. Please note the title and email changes to Robert Swan, Rick Sowieta and Shannon Donovan. We would also like to take this time to welcome Brittany Conrad to the Football Canada office. She has been helping us with finance for over a year but now will assume a full-time position as our Finance Coordinator. She can be reached by email at finance@footballcanada.com
National Team News
FOOTBALL CANADA NAMES COACHING STAFF FOR 2011 IFAF SENIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Larry Haylor to lead TEAM along with 5 CIS coaches
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 20, 2008 – Hamilton, Ontario – Football Canada, the national body for amateur football, has named the coaching staff for the 2011 International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Senior World Championships. Larry Haylor, the former head coach of the University of Western Ontario Mustangs has been chosen to lead the team. Also named to the coaching staff are five head coaches of CIS teams who all have a winning background. The assistants include Greg Marshall from the University of Western Ontario, Blake Nill from the University of Calgary, Glen Constantin from the University of Laval , Jeff Cummins from Acadia University and Brian Towriss from the University of Saskatchewan. The location of the event has not yet been determined but Austria, Denmark and Germany have all bid to host the 2011 tournament. This competition will mark the first time that Canada will field a team for the IFAF Senior World Championships. They join the United States, who played in their first tournament in 2007. With the CIS season coming to an end, the coaches will meet to look towards 2011. Player selection criteria and team administration will be on the agenda.
Full details and coaching bios HERE
PSO and Associate member News
16 to be Inducted into New N.S. Football Hall
Super Bowl winner Tyrone Williams and Grey Cup champions Marty Martinello, Wayne Smith, Terry Baker, Bruce Beaton and David Crabbe head the inaugural class named to the Nova Scotia Football Hall of Fame.
Click the following link by Monty Mosher of the Chronicle Herald: http://thechronicleherald.ca/Sports/1103104.html
LAVAL TO HOST DESJARDINS VANIER CUP IN 2009 and 2010
OTTAWA (CIS) - Canadian Interuniversity Sport announced Thursday that Université Laval will host the Desjardins Vanier Cup in Quebec City in 2009 and 2010.
Go HERE for more information
CANADIANS TURNING HEADS OF NFL SCOUTS
January 2009 – Ottawa, ON – Universite de Laval’s, Etienne Legare and University of Alberta’s Simeon Rottier were the lone Canadians playing in the annual East-West Shine Game on Saturday, January 17 in Houston, Texas. The final score favored the East Team with 24 over the West Team with 19.
The Vancouver Island Raiders defeated the Burlington Braves 35-8 Saturday in Burlington, Ont. to win the Canadian Bowl and capture their second national championship in three years. Their first was in 2006 when they defeated the Edmonton Wildcats 27-26 at Caledonia Park in Nanaimo.
The John M Bannerman Memorial Trophy went to Andrew Harris of the Vancouvr Island Raiders as the offensive player of the game. He carried the ball 32 times Saturday, rushing for 410 yards and four touchdowns, capping off what is thought as the best game in CJFL history. The 410 yards were the most recorded in any CJFL game ever, bettering the old record of 370 that Harris set two weeks ago. The four TDs were also a Canadian Bowl record. His team mate Levar Hayden captured the Paul Kirk Memorial Trophy as the defensive player of the game. Hayden had three tackles and two pass knockdowns.
For a story on the game by Andrew Harris, please click HereClick on pictures to enlarge. Photos by Michael Mahood
Congratulations to the Ottawa Junior Riders for winning the 2008 QJFL Manson Cup
Ottawa Junior Riders 63 Chateauguay Raiders 16
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE LAVAL ROUGE ET OR FOR WINNING THE 2008 VANIER CUP
Laval 44, Western 21 (Final)
For more information, please visit the tournament website
The Ontario Football Alliance is travelling across the province to find the best football players in Ontario! We will be electronically testing players in three age divisions, Under 19 (17 - 20 years old), Under 17 (15 & 16 years old) and Under 15 (13 & 14 years old). Players in each division will complete the OFA’s camp measuring overall athleticism. Players will be ranked in each division based on all testing across Ontario. All testing results and ranking information will be posted on our website and sent to CIS University Football Coaches.
ALL TESTING IS ELECTRONICALLY TIMED!!
When Registering Online please Creat an ACCOUNT FIRST, and then Register for the Camps.
Toronto, Ottawa and Kingston camps coming up ! For More Information Please Click Here!
CanAm Bowl
The CanAm Bowl is an annual football game played between graduated all-star players from the United States and Canada. The game is hosted by a program in Saskatchewan. In the United States, Texas, New Mexico, Montana, Kansas, Nebraska, and Colorado all currently have teams with other numerous other states starting programs up.
The Can Am Bowl began in July of 1997 when an American All-star team made the trip to Canada to play a Saskatchewan All-Star team in Porcupine Plain, Saskatchewan hosted by Bjorkdale. The USA won that inaugural game 40 - 22.
This year’s game will again be held in Porcupine Plain, Saskatchewan on July 4th, 2008.
For more information concerning the 2008 rosters and the history of the game please visit www.eteamz.com/canam/
SASKOTA BOWL V 2008
NINE-A-SIDE FOOTBALL
The game was initiated in 2004 by Coaches Bill Ruetz from Saskatchewan and Davey Zinke from North Dakota. Over a number of phone conversations the format and dates were set. The format was to alternate the hosts each year between Saskatchewan and North Dakota. Saskatchewan has chosen to move the host school around the province for a two year term. North Dakota has decided to host each year in Rolla, ND. The first Saskatchewan host was Foam Lake in the summer of 2004 and again will host this year’s version.
Please click Here for the History of the Saskota Bowl
 Football Canada is a member of the International Federation for American Football. For the latest information on amateur football internationally, visit www.ifaf.info. New Zealand is the latest country to qualify for the 2009 IFAF Junior World Championship in Canton, OH and will represent the Oceanic region. Panama and Mexico will face-off to represent North America along with the United States and Canada. Team Canada is ranked #1 entering the tournament beginning in June, 2009. CLICK HERE to view the IFAF calendar of events in the International Section
CANADIANS IN 2008 NCAA BOWL GAMES
Click Here for the player list and schedule Click Here for a list of players playing
NEWS RELEASE (11/19/08)
Football Fans From More Than 50 Nations Expected To Visit
Wednesday, November 19, 2008 - PARIS, FRANCE – A website dedicated to bringing football fans the latest and most up to date news from the 2009 IFAF (International Federation of American Football) Junior World Championship will be launched on Thursday, November 20. The website www.JWCFootball.com will be the online home of the inaugural IFAF junior tournament to be played at Fawcett Stadium, adjacent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, in June of next year. The website www.JWCFootball.com will be the online home of the inaugural IFAF junior tournament to be played at Fawcett Stadium, adjacent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, in June of next year.
Please click HERE for more information
PUSH TO MAKE FOOTBALL AN OLYMPIC SPORT
The great sport of North American football has had extensive growth throughout the world. It is now played in more than 50 countries on six continents. American football began in North America, but the sport has generated fans in other countries as diverse as Australia, South Korea and Finland. Currently, more than 50 associations in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Oceania are organized within IFAF, representing 23 million athletes worldwide.
RICHARD MUNRO JOINS IFAF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Football Canada’s General Manager Richard Munro has been elected as a continental federation (Pan-American) representative to the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Executive Committee.
The election was held at the annual IFAF Congress in the southern Spanish city of Sevilla.
A record number 28 nations were represented at the congress with the number of countries represented within IFAF increasing to a total of 52 with the ratification of the Bahamas, Brazil, India, Hungary and Turkey as full members. Bulgaria received temporary membership. For more information please visit: www.ifaf.info/newsprint.php?ID=235 IFAF Congress delegates in Sevilla
NEWS RELEASE (10/06)
DATES AND QUALIFYING FORMAT CONFIRMED FOR 2009 IFAF JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TO BE PLAYED IN CANTON, OHIO
Canada Joins USA as Automatic Qualifier and is Awarded Tournament Top Seed
Please Click Here for the News Release Please Click Here for more information regarding the tournament
National Championship News
JULY 12, 2008 - CONGRATULATIONS TO TEAM QUEBEC FOR WINNING BOTH THE U17 and U19 TOURNAMENTS OF THE 2008 FOOTBALL CANADA CUP
NFL U15 FLAG FOOTBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Cornwall, PE hosted 8 provincial teams for the National Championships on July 3, 2008. Teams included British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and the host province of Prince Edward Island.
Congratulations to Team Ontario out of Hamilton with Coach Matt Hill, who won the event for the second consecutive year. A job well done to Team Alberta coached by Ron McNeil who captured second place and Team Quebec coached by Laurent Dubreuil who came in third.
CLICK HERE to view all the results of the tournament CLICK on the following links to view media stories
CANADA AND MEXICO ARE TRIUMPHANT AT IFAF SENIOR FLAG FOOTBALL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Defending Male and Female Champions France Defeat USA In Both Bronze Medal Games MONDAY, JULY 28, 2008 - St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Quebec - Host Canada's men's team and the women from Mexico were crowned champions of the fourth International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Flag Football World Championship in St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Quebec. The world's premier senior 5-on-5 flag football players from thirteen countries and three continents were competing in the biannual IFAF showpiece tournament for adults at the Campus Fort St-Jean, located 12 miles from Montreal. Please click Here for the full news release For more information and news please visit www.flagworldcup2008.com
FOOTBALL CANADA FLAG FOOTBALL NATIONAL INVITATIONAL QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT TEAM CANADA SELECTION
4th IFAF Flag Football World Cup 2008
Football Canada is proud to host the Flag Football National Invitational Qualifying Tournament on the 24 and 25 of May at the Campus du Fort St-Jean in Quebec. The objective of the tournament is to select the men’s and women’s senior national teams to represent Canada at the 4th IFAF Flag Football World Cup 2008 in St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu in July 25-28, 2008.
Please Click Here for more information
Coaching news
Faculty of Physical Education and Health
Faculty of Physical Education and Health
ATHLETIC INSTRUCTOR – VARSITY BLUES FOOTBALL ASSISTANT COACH
Please click HERE for more information
MEDICINE HAT COACH QUINN SKELTON NAMED ‘THE HOME DEPOT’ NFL YOUTH COACH OF THE YEAR
$5,000 in football equipment awarded to Medicine Hat High School;
Calgary AB Coach David Diluzio and Richmond BC Coach. Bruce Haddow named runners-up
For more information please go HERE
NATIONAL COACHING CERTIFICATION PROGRAM FINAL APPROVAL
FOOTBALL – COMMUNITY SPORT – INITIATION
The Coaching Association of Canada and the National Coaching Certification partners have given approval for the Football Canada’s Community Sport – Initiation Program.
The Coaching Association of Canada and the National Coaching Certification partners have given approval for the Football Canada’s Community Sport – Initiation Program.
Coaches in the Community Sport stream typically become involved on a voluntary (and often short-term) basis because their children participate in a sport. They tend to work with participants of all ages who are new to the sport.
The NCCP is the recognized national stan dard for coach training and certification in Canada.
Each year, more than 50,000 coaches take an NCCP workshop and since it began, more than 1 million coaches have participated in the program, making it one of Canada’s largest adult education programs.
For a list of upcoming Football Technical Courses please contact your local Provincial Amateur Football Association. A complete list of Provincial Associations can be found at www.footballcanada.com/associations.asp.
GINO FRACAS AWARD WINNER NAMED
Terry Chisholm from the University of St.Francis Xavier X - Men receives the 2008 Football Canada Award as the CIS’s Most Outstanding Assistant Coach
For more information, Please click here. 
REMINDER: DEADLINE APPROACHING FOR COMMUNITY SPORT FUNDING PROGRAM
Next Deadline: October 31, 2008
If you want to increase opportunities for children and youth to play sports* in your community, the True Sport Community Fund can help.
If you want to increase opportunities for children and youth to play sports* in your community, the True Sport Community Fund can help.
 CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO !
THE SEARCH IS ON FOR THE CHUNKY MVC : MOST VALUABLE COACH
The Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) is thrilled to announce its new partnership with the Campbell’s® Chunky® brand. This partnership kicks-off with the Chunky MVC: Most Valuable Coach contest in which sport organizations can invite their teams and communities to nominate dedicated coaches who make a real difference. This campaign is designed to give and share the recognition great coaches deserve. Each year, thousands of coaches selflessly give of themselves to continually improve their team, their sport and their community, and Campbell’s Chunky and CAC want to recognize that effort. The winner will receive the Chunky MVC Tribute Day to be featured on TSN, among other prizes. If you know a coach that deserves recognition for the outstanding work they do, then go to www.chunky.ca/mvc and nominate that coach to be the Chunky MVC! Spread the Word Get your printable poster with all of the details here. Print some off and post them in your sports community! Let your friends, family, teammates, and sport organizations know about the contest and help CAC and Chunky shine the spotlight on our great coaches. Invite them to nominate their most valuable coach at www.chunky.ca/mvc!
FINALISTS NAMED FOR 2008 ‘THE HOME DEPOT’ NFL YOUTH COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD
Toronto, ON – November 11, 2008 − Five finalists have been named for the 2008 The Home Depot NFL Youth Coach of the Year Award, the NFL announced today. The award, now in its tenth year, is designed to recognize community or high school level coaches across Canada who share a passion for football and dedicate themselves to the development of young players both on and off the field.
Please click HERE to view to 5 youth coach finalists (coaching organized teams of tackle football players under the age of 19) and to view the entire release.
ATTENTION CANADIAN INTERUNIVERSITY FOOTBALL PLAYERS !
Thank your high school or community coach and win equipment for their program, courtesy of the NFL & The Home Depot Canada
As a Canadian Interuniversity Sport football player, you know better than anyone how important a dedicated coach is to an athlete’s development – both on and off the field. If a football coach from your high school or community has had a positive impact on you, and on the game of football in your hometown, we are hoping you will nominate that coach for The Home Depot NFL Youth Coach of the Year award.
Players please click HERE for more Info
Coaches please click HERE
COACH'S PROFILE : HOMEGROWN PLAYER COACHES FOR GOLD
The men’s Team Canada was a force to be reckoned with during the 4th IFAF Flag Football World Championship hosted in St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, QC in July 2008. In their first appearance in the tournament’s history, Canada’s men won gold on home turf under the leadership of head coach Frederic Lachance.
Frederic began playing football at the cadet level in St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, QC and progressed to play 2 years at Mount Assumption Institute in Plattsburgh, NY. Since beginning to play flag football in 1991, he has been no stranger to international competitions and winning championships.
As a member of the Montreal Maroons for six years, Mr. Lachance has won provincial championships in both the touch and flag categories for last three years. He has also represented Canada in seven of the International Flag Football Federation World Cup’s hosted in the United States, Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.
Being an active member of the flag community in St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Frederic began coaching two years ago when local team, Fleur de Lys, need help with defense. When offered the opportunity to coach Team Canada in his hometown, he could not refuse and used his experiences to lead his team to gold.
CONTINUING EDUCATION: SOMETHING NEW AT EVERY LEVEL
No matter what a person does in life, improvements can always be made. The same can be said about football officials, who improve their ability to officiate by educating themselves and others on a continual basis.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY
G. SYDNEY HALTER, O.C., Q.C. MEMORIAL AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS TO FOOTBALL OFFICATING
The Halter award has been developed with the Halter family and would not only honour the CFL’s first Commissioner, but also bring recognition to football officiating, which the Halter family believes is a vital component of the game.
From the CFL perspective, it will raise the profile of officiating, while providing an important link with amateur football, with the presentation being made annually as part of the Vanier Cup festivities. We hope that it will heighten people’s awareness and appreciation for officials and provide a useful tool in attracting more people into officiating at the Amateur level, a significant need across the country.
The award is to be presented annually and is open to any person in the country who has made an outstanding contribution to football officiating, both on and off the field. The recipient's name shall be placed on a trophy and a cheque for $1000.00 will be donated in the recipient’s name to his local officiating association to be used for Officiating development. In addition, the recipient shall receive a personal memento.
The award will be presented annually at the Vanier Cup Luncheon, sponsored in part by the CFL. It will provide excellent exposure for officiating and celebrate commitment and excellence.
Please click Here for more information Please click Here for a nomination form
Development Program news (for women in football, LTAD, etc)
YOUTH EXCHANGE
The Active Living Alliance for Canadians with a Disability (ALA) brought in 50 young people from across Canada to Ottawa for the experience of a lifetime. The program is a partnership between ALA and the YMCA Youth Exchange Canada Program which is funded in part by the Department of Canadian Heritage. The eighth annual ALA Youth Exchange was held at Carleton University from June 27th to July 3rd, 2008.
Delegates interacted with their peers from coast to coast learning communication and advocacy skills and participate in events with an “active living” flavor. Activities of previous Exchanges included rock climbing, table tennis, sledge hockey, sailing, visits to Parliament Hill, sightseeing and tubing on the Rideau River.
This year Football Canada’s representative Rick Sowieta had the rewarding opportunity to participate as a volunteer and introduce football to the participants. Activities included catching and throwing and playing low organized games.
For more information on the Active Living Alliance visit: www.ala.ca
HERITAGE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Get Football started in your community! Football Canada is offering grants to communities across the country to start up flag football, JPD programs and 6-A-Side Programs for boys and girls under 15. Contact your provincial football organization for more details.
CLICK HERE to view a list of Provincial Football Organizations 
NEW FOOTBALL LEAGUE HOPES TO NUTURE NEXT WAVE OF PLAYERS
Program Features Women's Six A Side
SAINT JOHN - The first tangible goal is 60 athletes.Lisa Harlow, Football New Brunswick’s director of female football, says a new league for high school aged girls will give them a place to play football after they graduate from the Fundy Minor Football system. That's what organizers of a new football league for high school aged girls want in order to form the next wave of development for a sport that's gaining a foothold in southern New Brunswick.
Click HERE for the remainder of the article
Please click HERE for Information on Six-A-Side Football
CANADA REPRESENTED AT NFL FLAG LEAGUE REGIONAL TOURNAMENT IN BUFFALO
On Sunday, October 12, the Hamilton 5 on 5 Flag Football League was represented in three different divisions at the NFL Flag Buffalo Regional Tournament in Buffalo, NY. The seven teams mark the first time Canada has participated in the tournament south of the boarder, held at the Buffalo Bills practice field. All teams represented the high caliber of flag football found in Canada, with six of the seven making it to the semi-finals and three seeing action in championship games.
WOMEN’S TACKLE PROGRAM PREPARES TO DEPART
Football Manitoba’s inaugural women’s tackle football program will operate its final practice on Tuesday, June 24th in preparation for their departure to Edmonton, Alberta to participate in the Western Canadian Women’s Tackle Football Championships – June 26-July 2.
Football Manitoba’s inaugural women’s tackle football program will operate its final practice on Tuesday, June 24th in preparation for their departure to Edmonton, Alberta to participate in the Western Canadian Women’s Tackle Football Championships – June 26-July 2.
Manitoba Fearless will take on Edmonton on Saturday, June 28th followed by a tilt with Calgary on Monday, June 30th. Stay in touch with all the game results and news by checking out the Manitoba Fearless Blog at http://mbfootballwomen.blogspot.com/. Please Click Here for more information
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