Karen L. Wall - Game Plan: A Social History of Sport in Alberta

Published by

The University of Alberta Press

Ring House 2

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E1

www.uap.ualberta.ca

Copyright 2012 Karen L. Wall

ISBN 978-0-88864-657-6

LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION

Wall, Karen L. (Karen Linda), 1955
Game plan : a social history of sport in Alberta / Karen L. Wall.
Includes bibliographical reference.

Electronic monograph in ePub format.

1. SportsSocial aspectsAlbertaHistory. 2. SportsAlbertaHistory. 3. Alberta--Social conditions. I. Title.
GV706.5.W24 2012 306.483097123 C20129026743

Print edition ISBN 9780888645944

All rights reserved.

First edition, first printing, 2012. First electronic edition, 2012.

Digital Conversion by Transforma Pvt. Ltd.

Copyediting and proofreading by Joanne Muzak.

Cover design by Alan Brownoff.

Indexing in the print edition by Noeline Bridge.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be produced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without prior written consent. Contact the University of Alberta Press for further details.

The University of Alberta Press gratefully acknowledges the support received for its publishing program from The Canada Council for the Arts. The University of Alberta Press also gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund (CBF) and the Government of Alberta through the Alberta Multimedia Development Fund (AMDF) for its publishing activities.

To my mother, Jane Wall, tireless athlete, coach, and sports fan, who kept me in motion.

And my father, John Wall, storyteller and history aficionado, who stopped at every roadside monument.

Maybe that did it, I thoughtmaybe that was one of the things that turned me into a writermy playing [softball] far out in the field...The being isolated, out there in the prairie wind and the summer light; my striking up a conversation with a nearby gopher...The caring so much, so enduringly, for the movements of small creatures, for the ongoing game, for all the shouting and the laughter that are some of the various names of love.

ROBERT KROETSCH

Alberta, Twenty-Five Years after Alberta, preface to Alberta, 2nd ed .

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

THIS BOOK IS THE RESULT of a wide network of support and encouragement. Bruce McGillivray and Jane Ross conceived of the project and, working with the Friends of Royal Alberta Museum Society, secured funding for it from the Alberta Community Development, Sport and Recreation Branch and the Alberta Sport, Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation. Cathy Roy of the Royal Alberta Museum co-ordinated later development. The manuscript evolved significantly after the research project ended, and any errors or omissions are my responsibility.

David Whitson of the University of Alberta introduced me to the history and culture of sport as a professor, colleague, and exemplar of scholarship in the area. For the opportunity to explore the topic as an instructor of leisure history and philosophy, thanks are due Darrel Morrow and students at Red Deer College and students of Canadian Studies and of Recreation and Leisure Studies at the University of Alberta. Athabasca University, through the Presidents Award for Research and Scholarly Excellence, made it possible to complete the manuscript; and thanks go to many inspiring colleagues, particularly the very supportive Friday morning Alicean Research Group.

Ultimately, research in local and regional history is directly dependent on the expertise and commitment of museums and archives staff, and I am grateful for assistance from institutions large and small, urban and rural, throughout the province of Alberta. Thanks to staff of the University of Alberta Press, especially Peter Midgley, Mary Lou Roy, Alan Brownoff, and copyeditor Joanne Muzak. Not least, my family (sports fans and otherwise) kindly attended to random narratives of sport or explained why they would rather not; thanks especially to Cliff Vallentgoed, bicycle guru and true sporting gentleman.

ABBREVIATIONS