The world’s largest hockey stick is up for sale.
The Cowichan Valley Regional District is seeking proposals to take ownership of the 205-foot wooden replica hockey stick that adorns the east side of the Cowichan Community Centre.
First constructed for Expo 1986 in Vancouver, the structure, which has reached the end of its serviceable life, has been a prominent landmark of the Cowichan region for the past 35 years.
Ongoing maintenance and extensive repairs in the early 2000s have extended its life, but the glulam Douglas-fir structure of the stick and puck have decayed to the point that the structure must be replaced or removed in order to ensure public safety.
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CVRD staff suggested several options for consideration for the future of the hockey stick, including replacing the stick with a similar or different design and materials, keeping it the same size or making it bigger, or removing the stick and not replacing it at all.
The CVRD held a public engagement survey regarding future direction of the hockey stick from June 19 to Sept. 30, and the majority indicated that it’s not important to maintain the world record for the largest hockey stick and puck, and that the hockey stick doesn’t provide significant importance to the region and it shouldn’t be replaced.
Considering the survey results, along with the high cost of replacement, the Cowichan Core Recreation Commission directed staff to move ahead with decommissioning the hockey stick in 2024.
Knowing there is likely public interest in taking ownership of the structure in its current form, the CVRD will be accepting proposals from community organizations or individuals wishing to take and make use of the hockey stick and puck through a formal expression-of-interest process.
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The stick, which was made in Penticton, was authenticated to be the world’s biggest hockey stick in the 2010 Guinness Book of Records.
The hockey stick, which is approximately 40 times larger than life size, was commissioned by the Canadian government for the Canadian Pavilion at Expo 1986 in Vancouver.
After Expo, the hockey stick was transported to the Cowichan Valley by barge and three flat-bed trucks and has been displayed outside of the Cowichan Community Centre since May 21, 1988.
“We are so fortunate to have had the opportunity to have the (world’s largest hockey stick) as part of the Cowichan Community Centre for so many years,” said Tom Duncan, acting chair of the Cowichan Core Recreation Commission.
“It’s been a community icon and many will be sad to see it go. However, we are really excited to see what proposals come forward on possible future uses for the [hockey stick].”
More information on how to submit proposals to take ownership of the hockey stick as part of the expression-of-interest process will soon be available at https://www.cvrd.ca/3018/Procurement.