An Introduction to Canadian Sports
By: Kyle Quilatan
Published on: October 14th, 2024
While sports are not often the first thing to be associated with Canada, the country has some notable inventions and developments in the field. Keep reading to learn more about sports that were created in Canada or by Canadians.
Ice hockey
Under the National Sports of Canada Act, ice hockey is Canada’s official national winter sport. However, the sport actually has roots in the British Isles, particularly, in stick-and-ball games like hurling (from Ireland), shinty (from Scotland) and bandy (from England). These games were first documented in the 14th century, long before hockey ever appeared in Canada.
In 1608, the first recorded stick-and-ball game on ice was a game of shinty played in Scotland. Not long after, people in the Fens started playing bandy on ice around the mid-1700s.
The oldest known use of the term “hockey” dates back to 1773 when it was found in Richard Johnson’s book Juvenile Sports and Pastimes. At the time, barrel plugs began to replace the wooden balls used in hurling, shinty and bandy in England.
While the sport did not originate in Canada, some important developments made to the modern game did. The “Canadian rules” eventually became the international standard for the sport, such as accounting for the logistical difficulties of playing in a rink instead of an open field. Another rule is to use a puck made of hard rubber instead of the rubber balls that had replaced European barrel plugs. The number of players was reduced from nine to seven, with new techniques created as the sport became more organized. Further revisions were made in 1886, the most significant one consisting of setting the goal size to six feet wide by four feet high.
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is Canada’s second official sport. Specifically, it is the country’s official national summer sport. Though the exact origins of lacrosse are mostly unknown, links can be seen to early First Nations ball games such as the Algonquian baggataway and the Mohawk Tewaarathon. Tewaarathon in particular had multiple functions aside from being a game. It kept warriors fit for fighting and hunting, and could also be played to strengthen alliances between groups and honour various gods.
In the 1830s, visitors from Montreal learned to play the game from the Mohawk people in Saint Regis. It was during this visit that the French term “lacrosse” was used for the sport at this time. The first written regulations for lacrosse appeared in 1860, produced by William George Beers. Later that decade, the sport began to spread overseas when players from Kahnawake and the Montreal Lacrosse Club toured England.
Debates as to whether lacrosse or ice hockey should be Canada’s national sport led to the National Sports Act of Canada receiving royal assent in 1994. The act declared that lacrosse would be the official summer sport while ice hockey would be the official winter sport.
Today, three main versions of lacrosse are played in Canada: field lacrosse (split into men’s and women’s rules), box lacrosse or “boxla” and inter-crosse.
Five-pin bowling
This bowling variant consists of a much smaller ball than the original 10-pin version. As the name suggests, it uses five pins arranged in a V shape instead of 10 arranged in a triangle.
The sport was first introduced in downtown Toronto by Thomas F. Ryan. Running a bowling club in the city, Ryan had received many complaints that the 10-pin game was too long and the standard bowling ball too heavy. He and his father reduced the pin count by half and crafted a ball weighing only 2.5 pounds — much smaller than the standard 16 pounds. Some changes to the scoring system were made as well.
By 1910, Canada’s first five-pin bowling league was formed.
Basketball
Though not invented in Canada itself, basketball was devised by Canadian James Naismith. He created the sport’s original 13 rules while attending school in Massachusetts in 1891. At the time, the game was played with peach baskets instead of nets. The game exploded in popularity from there, and Naismith published the official rules in 1892.
The sport took off internationally after World War II. The National Basketball Association (NBA) was formed in 1949, showcasing the sport’s importance in the United States.
Canada, like many other countries, has a rich sports history. The sports on this list are a testament to Canada’s athletic contributions to the world over the years.