The Engleson Files

A picture of Barkerville’s first ever hockey rink.

Life in Barkerville in the early 1880’s had calmed considerably due to the realization that the streets would never again be paved with the riches as it had been the past few years. From this, the consequent culling of the prospectors and dreamers brought order to the small town; and from that winter sports began to flourish. Since many of those who stayed behind still had “many good years left in them,” and the fact that winter lasted for six months in the high British Columbian interior, Barkerville was considered prime hockey territory.

Bain, being one of Barkerville’s leading citizens, constructed the first ever ice rink in 1883 and then established the William’s Creek Hockey League, which was comprised of four competing clubs: one from the North-west Mounted Police, one from the civil services, another from a group of merchants down in Stanley, and one from a group of prospectors in Francistown. As the years passed on and Bain’s dedication to hockey in Barkerville grew, the William’s Creek Hockey League began to produce some very excellent talent. Great players such as Mike “Sureshot” Kennedy, Archibald Martin, Albert “One-Eyed” McPhee and Norman “Newsy” Lacroix became household names. But none of them could even dream of what William James Bain–Overlander had up his sleeve next…

The Goldpanners first practice. Bain seen behind the net molding his team to perfection.

Around the same time of the great CPR railway, news started to travel more freely around the Dominion of Canada, and reports of a trophy back east began to filter into the lonely goldpanning town. “In the hopes of uniting this great land together, there shall be Challenge Cup established in this Dominion where teams from all over can be invited to compete.” These words were spoken, of course, by none other than Sir Frederick Arthur Stanley – Lord Stanley of Preston himself. And from this grand new trophy Bain began to compile his “all-star elite” team that would he would personally mold to one day travel the 6,000 kilometers across the country to challenge the mighty Montreal Victorias, the holders of Lord Stanley’s new cup – and thus the Barkerville Goldpanners were born.