Transportation and Technology  Stage coach  Steamer:1807 (Molson); 1000 by ‘67  Steamers: bands, catering, excursions

 Railroad: 1 st line in Canada in 1836  160 km 1850  By 1900, 30,000km, sea to sea  Regular competitions – tournaments  And bonspiels – visiting spectators – gate receipts  Excursion fares to promote railway use

The Bicycle

 Wonder and awe  The higher the bike, the higher the self esteem  Clubs – social legitimacy; pedestrians and buggies  Daring young men  Races; rides  women

The Professional  Baseball  Scottish Highland Games  Rifle shooting  Rowing  Pedestrian contests

Sport and the Nation

 Confederation – sport has new meaning – the Paris Crew  British-Canadian  Selling the new economy and politics of the Dominion of Canada  Rifle shooting  ‘National Championships’  “National” Sport Organizations

Canadian National Sport Bodies  National Lacrosse Association  Dominion of Canada Rifle Association  National Amateur Lacrosse Assoc.  Canadian Wheelman’s Assoc.  Amateur Athletic Assoc. of Canada  Canadian Lawn Tennis Assoc.  Canadian Rugby Football Union  Canadian Lacrosse Assoc.  Amateur Skating Assoc. of Canada  Canadian Cricket Assoc.

Canadian National Sport Bodies  Royal Canadian Golf Association  Canadian Jockey Club  Canadian Amateur Athletic Association  Canadian Gymnastics Association  Canadian Trotting Association  Canadian Canoe Association  Alpine Club of Canada  Canadian Snowshoe Union  Canadian Amateur Swimming Assoc.  Amateur Athletic Union of Canada

The National Game

Dr. George W. Beers  Montreal dentist; patriot  Founded Victoria Rifles regiment and  the Canadian Dental Association  Wrote Canadian propaganda pieces in popular magazines - Canada in Winter  Promoted lacrosse during the year of Confederation  Lacrosse as the National Game  1867: 10 clubs in Canada in Spring, 80 by September

 Wrote the Laws of Lacrosse  Helped to form the NLA  Myth: act of parliament declaring lacrosse the national game: 1994  Lacrosse tours 1876 and 1883

Spectatorship  The promoter  Gate receipts  Town boosterism  Professional vs. Amateur

 Legends, myths, heroes

The Strongman – The Strong Man  Cultural attachment to: work, economy, politics  Labour in early Canada  English/French  Industrial revolution  Strength – a signifier of masculinity and ethnic identity

Legends  Tales of giants and local strongmen  Modeste Mailhout – “the Canadian giant”  Angus McCaskill – “the Cape Breton giant’  Big Anthony Allen – Dunlop, Ontario  Gamson – 7”4” – 322 lbs – barkeep in the UK

Birth of a Legend  Neo-Cyprien Cyr (Saint Cyprien de Napierville, Quebec)  Paternal grandfather – village strongman  The first story – the teenager  The story grows – so does he  The first challenge – strongman David Michaud – boulder lifting  The Montreal policeman  The tavern

Louis Cyr

The Physical Stats  Height: 5’9”  Weight: 316 lbs  Biceps: 24”  Neck: 22”  Forearms: 19”  Chest: 60”  Waist: 45”  Thighs: 33”  Calves: 28”

Louis Cyr’s Tavern - Montreal  Home base – funding for tours, demonstrations  Montreal Gazette, 1885 I hereby challenge any man in the world, bar none, to a heavy weight lifting contest, without harness, for any sum from one hundred dollars to five hundred dollars a side. Yours truly, Louis Cyr

 Tours – Canada, the US, the UK  1889 – invited to give a demonstration for the Prince of Wales in London  Crowd of 5,000 raised a 250 kilo weight with one finger  A back lift of 4,100 lbs  The horse demo  US and UK tours in the 1890s  Barnum and Bailey Circus

*A flair for the dramatic *Excitement and tension *Audience participation (18 fat men on a piano)

The Physical Feats  Iron cross with 96lb right hand and 88lbs left hand  35 consecutive right arm presses with lbs  552 lbs one finger lift  189 lbs with both arms straight in front of his body  986 lbs with one hand  restrained 4 horses for 55 seconds

Summary  Legends are created and sustained for specific reasons: cultural, economic, political  Look to broader historical issues and circumstances to find your explanations  Louis Cyr: look to the connections between strength, masculinity, and broader Canadian society