In April 2004 Massachusetts-based running shoe giant Reebok International Ltd. agreed to pay $204 million in cash and assume $125 million in debt in a deal to acquire The Hockey Company, the company which had evolved from the sporting goods division of CCM. In the year prior to the deal, The Hockey Company had reported revenues of $239.9 million and sales in 45 countries. The acquisition was meant to complement Reebok’s successful apparel business which supplied uniforms for the National Football League and the National Basketball Association. It also enabled Reebok to double the market share of its nearest competitor Nike and its Bauer subsidiary. 

In 2005 the newly-formed Reebok-CCM Hockey Inc., the world's largest designer, manufacturer and marketer of hockey equipment, launched its new line of Rbk hockey equipment and sticks. To ensure the line gained instant market credibility, the company signed an up-and-coming young star by the name of Sidney Crosby to endorse it.  

That same year the company built a massive head office (the size of ten football fields) in Montreal where they employed about 420 of the company's total global staff of nearly 960 workers. The $20-million facility housed a research and design centre, a laboratory, an on-ice field-testing program, product management and development  services, a worldwide distribution centre, as well as a marketing department. The centre was also home to a specially-made robot designed to test hockey sticks and a mini cannon that fired pucks at helmets to check their strength.

The new facility in Montreal was to be operated in conjunction with the company's already existing production plants, including that in St. Jean, Quebec, where 120 people were employed making skates and various pieces of hockey equipment, the Cowansville plant where 90 employees produced Rbk and CCM branded hockey sticks and the Saint-Hyacinthe facility where 140 people produced the jerseys worn ny all 30 NHL teams. Meanwhile helmets were made in Edmundston, N.B. where 60 workers were employed. In Europe facilities were located in Finland where 100 people were employed and in Sweden where an additional 116 people were involved in the manufacture of hovkey equipment under the CCM, Jofa and Koho brands. Additional sales offices were located in Toronto and Germany.

In August 2005, it was announced that the Adidas Group of Germany had bought Reebok International for $3.8 billion. Meanwhile the recently launched Reebok-CCM hockey line continued to be endorsed by NHL stars such as Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur, while the company remained the exclusive licensee of uniforms for the NHL, the Canadian and American hockey leagues, national teams around the world and several National Collegiate Athletic Association teams south of the border.

Despite its size, the picture was far from rosey for the company. In March 2008, Reebok-CCM Hockey Inc. announced it was phasing out its stick-making facility in Cowansville, Que., and transferring production to its plant in St. Jean. It was a move that meant 90 layoffs and had been necessitated, according to the company, by a serious drop in the demand for wooden hockey sticks. The stick-making operation from Drummondville, Que., had already been moved to the St. Jean facility during Christmas of 2002.

"Indeed, players, whether amateur or professional, now overwhelmingly prefer one-piece composite sticks for their lightness and responsiveness, which has resulted in an approximately 30-per-cent decline in demand for wood sticks in North America since 2004," said Dany Paradis, vice-president of human resources and continuous improvement at the time. (Montreal Gazette, Feb. 9, 2008)

At the same time the Adidas Group announced that 83% of its total apparel volume was now being sourced from Asia, with another 12% from Europe. North America accounted for only 5% and most of that came from Canton Massachusetts.

By now 75% of the company’s hockey equipment was also being sourced from Asia. In 2010 after four years of making hockey helmets and plastic components in the Maritimes, the company closed its operation in Edmundston, New Brunswick, abolishing 40 jobs.

Then in November 2011 came the worse news yet for the company's North American workers. It was announced that 85 of the 120 employees at the St. Jean plant would be losing their jobs because of the continued outsourcing of production to Asia. 

"Our competitors all manufacture their products in Asia,” said René Habel, vice president of operations Reebok CCM Hockey. “This is what led us to consider the transfer of our activities in countries where costs are lower."

For the workers it was an all too familiar refrain. Although Reebok-CCM tried to indicate its long term commitment to stay in Quebec, the writing was both on the wall.  

Another strategic priority for Reebok-CCM Hockey is to continue to pursue a movement away from own manufacturing to sourcing goods. In 2011, for example, the transfer of helmet production from North America to China was finalised, and the transfer of high-end skates production from Canada to Thailand in 2012 was also announced. Manufacturing activities will be maintained mainly to develop and manufacture performance products for pro level athletes.
(Adidas Group 2011 Annual Report)

Although Reebok-CCM Hockey is currently working hard to capitalize on the legendary history of the CCM name, it is a bittersweet turn of events, for the fact remains that in Canada the brand now exists in name only. Nothing that carries the familiar three letters is made anywhere in the country.  

By the end of the 1970s the boardroom (and courtroom) battle for control of CCM, waged between Norton Cooper (owner of the Seaway Hotel chain) and Ben Levy (owner of the Levy Bros. Auto Parts) had left the venerable company in a precarious state.

Its fate was all but sealed in 1978 with the departure of Ben Virgilio who had made a valiant attempt to turn the company around, but was less-than-pleased to discover that the company's newest owners, the Cummings family of Montreal, had little to no intention of putting any new money into the operation, choosing instead to seek financial assistance from the the Ontario government, an institution reluctant to get involved in private enterprise, even when the fate of a Canadian institution, such as CCM, hung in the balance.

As a result, by 1982 the situation at CCM was grim to say the least. Not only was the company saddled with an inefficient plant, costly labour rates and out-dated equipment, it was being brought to its knees by high interest rates and a large debt load. With an operating loss of $4.3 million expected for 1982, the company’s liquidation value stood at close to $12 million less than its total debts. The end was inevitable.

It came on October 13, 1982, when what had once been a proud Canadian enterprise was placed in receivership. The pain of the company's demise reverberated throughout the Canadian business community. While some of its competitors had watched its accumulating difficulties with a certain degree of satisfaction, there were others concerned about the effects CCM's failure would have on the industry as a whole.  

Following a meeting on October 30th at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto, a moratorium was placed on all company payments to secured and unsecured creditors, while efforts were made to find a buyer for the crippled operation. It proved to be a difficult task. CCM's market share for both bicycles and sporting goods had plunged to such a degree that takers were few and far between.

One company that was interested was Cooper Canada Ltd., at the time Canada's largest manufacturer of sporting goods. The Cooper family hoped to integrate the CCM skate-making operation into their Toronto plant. In the end, however, their $5,000,000 bid would not be enough.

On December 8, 1982, Quebec Industry Minister Rodigue Biron announced that the assets of CCM had been bought by Procycle of St. Georges, Quebec.

The sale of CCM and the loss of its jobs to a Quebec company brought a swift and heated reaction from United Auto Workers' Administrative Assistant, Robert Nickerson, who wrote to Ontario Premier William Davis decrying “poor management by the CCM corporation and profit gouging by the previous owners, the Levy brothers,” who it was pointed out still owned the actual plant in Weston. (Robert Nickerson to Hon. William G. Davis, January 10, 1983, Canada Archives, File 23 - 100 - C23) 

Despite the best efforts of both the government and the employees to come up with a solution, Premier Davis argued that, in the end, there simply was no investor ready to continue the bicycle operation in Ontario. As a result, according to Davis, the interim receiver had little alternative but to accept what appeared to be a reasonable offer from Procycle.

At the time, Procycle, a company that had been importing and assembling bicycles since 1971, paid $8,000,000 for the assets of CCM, later selling much of the inventory to a dealer in London, Ontario and moving what equipment it could salvage from the Weston plant to Quebec.

Although they now owned the rights to the CCM name, Procycle had no immediate plans to market a new line of CCM bicycles. According to Raymond Dutil, president of the company, consumers were likely to resist paying a higher price for CCM bicycles when they had become leary of the quality.

“Basically, I bought the company's assets for the parts, which we need in the winter," said Raymond Dutil, president of Procycle. (Jack Willoughby, "CCM"s Failure Could Cost Ottawa Almost $13 Million to Cover Loans," Globe & Mail, February 28, 1983.) 

By March 1983 the once state-of-the-art plant in Weston stood empty and abandoned. It remained that way for the next there years until April 1986 when Greenspoon Bothers Ltd. began its demolition. A portion of the 13.2 acre site on Lawrence Avenue became a strip mall featuring another Canadian icon Tim Horton’s.

  
Above: Ammadio Velocci supervises demolition of the CCM plant on Lawrence Ave.
Below: City of York Mayor Alan Tonks and town staff take a final walk around the site.

Shortly after its purchase of CCM, Procycle sold the sporting goods division of the company to David Zunenshine, a Montreal real estate developer, who owned GC Knitting a manufacturer of polyester hockey jerseys, located in St. Hyacinthe, Que.  With the purchase of the CCM hockey line, including the still popular Tack skates, Zunenshine renamed his company Sport Maska and became an instant player in the world of sporting goods.

In 1985 Zunenshine acquired yet another financially struggling company this time the St. Lawrence Manufacturing Co. the primary supplier of skate blades for CCM. Zunenshine shortened the company’s name to SLM Canada and expanded its product line. Because the purchase of the St. Lawrence Manufacturing Co. had given Zunenshine more manufacturing capabilities and plastic injection capacity than the required, the company began to make toboggans and plastic sleds.

In 1988 to offset the fact that much of his company's business was seasonal Zunenshine acquired Coleco Industries, a toy manufacturer that produced swimming pools and other plastic playthings for children. Like Zunenshine's other companies Coleco had been a state of bankruptcy at the time of the purchase. In 1990 bought another financially struggling toy company this time the U.S. based Buddy L Corp., a long-satnding maker of metal trucks and cars.

To raise capital for its various endeavours in November 1991 SLM Canada went public as SLM International with its headquarters now in New York. By February 1992 company stock had increased by 71%. The company seemed to be on a roll. 

By 1994, however, SLM's high-flying days were over as rising advertising costs and a large debt overshadowed its ever increasing sales. The problem was compounded in September of that year when Zunenshine's real estate company was forced to file for bankruptcy. SLM stock once trading at over $30 was now worth less than $7. As a result, in October 1995 SLM filed for bankruptcy protection with a debt of $184.6 million.

In April 1997 SLM emerged from bankruptcy with Gerald Wasserman, a former NHL back-up goalie and retired chartered accountant living in California, as its new CEO. With a reputation for turning companies around and a five year contract, Wasserman immediately began to consolidate the SLM operation, closing down many of its facilities and moving its head office back to Montreal from New York.

In the the fall of 1998 SLM became the largest producer of hockey equipment in the world when it acquired the Montreal-based Sports Holding Corp., a leading sporting goods manufacturer whose brands included Koho (Finland), Titan, Jofa (Sweden), Canadien and Heaton. The newly-formed company had world-wide sales of over $200 million.

  In March 1999 SLM officially changed its name to The Hockey Company with headquarters in Montreal and warehouses and manufacturing facilities in Canada, the U.S. and Europe. In totla The Hockey Company ran 12 different operations, including stick-making facilities in Cowansville and drummondville, Que. and a hockey apparel factory in St. Hyacinthe, Que. The heart of the operation, however, was its 138,000 sq. ft. facility in St. Jean-Sur-Richelieu, a half-hour drive southwest of Montreal, where a workforce of close to 300 made hockey skates, sticks, helmets and other equipment for some of the best hockey players in the world. For the moment at least it seemed part of the CCM legend would live on. (To be continued.....)

Growing up my favourite hockey player was Bobby Hull. Despite living in a household full of Bruins fans, the sight of him winding up behind his own net for an end-to-end rush inevitably started my heart pounding and brought me to my feet.

My first girlfriend once told me I had shhh'd her mother when Hull was in full flight on the family TV. Her annoyance with me for doing so undoubtedly led to the demise of our relationship. C'mon, I said, it was Bobby Hull for god sakes.  

  
A well-known photo of Hull pitching hay
on his farm just outside of Belleville, ON. 

Throughout the sixties no player in the NHL was more recognizable or more feared than Bobby Hull. Hailing from Point Anne, ON, just down the road from my hometown of Kingston, the muscular Hull became known as the “Golden Jet,” hockey's marquee player. With most Canadian homes now having a television set, nothing filled the screen on a Saturday night with more excitement than Hull with his blinding speed, blond hair and blistering shot.

In the latter part of the sixties when CCM looked to launch its new line of medium-priced skates and hockey equipment, company president Tom Nease knew he needed to connect the product to a name and face instantly recognizable by Canadian youngsters. He knew exactly whose face it should be. 

No one drew a crowd on or off the ice like the Chicago star. While Blackhawk owner Bill Wirtz called Hull “the greatest public relations man the NHL ever had,” Time magazine maintained "the sight of Robert Marvin Hull...leaning into a hockey puck to be one of the true spectacles of sport- like watching Mickey Mantle clear the roof, or Wilt Chamberlain flick in a basket or Bart Starr throw that beautiful bomb.”(1)

Hull's popularity was seen by Nease as the answer to a longstanding question at CCM - how to expand the company's share of the youth market. Despite the stellar reputation of the CCM Tacks, the Tack was an expensive skate and for that reason alone many parents were reluctant to buy them knowing their youngsters would quickly outgrow them. Nease was right. The launch of the Bobby Hull line, marked with Hull's familiar signature, brought CCM instant market appeal at a level where the company had previously struggled.  

Such success, however, came with a price. When Tom Nease and Hull's agent met in 1968 to hammer out an agreement between the player and the company, the ensuing contract paid the hockey star $25,000 a year for five years. At a time when endorsement deals were relatively rare, one for $125,000 was simply unheard of.

Advertised as “the greatest name in hockey joins the greatest name in hockey equipment,” the deal was defended by Nease based on its scope. Not only could CCM use Hull’s name and photograph to promote its bicycles and hockey equipment, Hull was committed to making six personal appearances annually on behalf of the company at conventions and trade shows.

Hull, who endorsed everything from Ford cars to Jantzen swimwear, paid little heed to the naysayers who claimed he devoted too much time to his off-ice concerns. When he arrived to sign the CCM contract, Hull used his well-known charm to tell reporters: “I’m going to read this little script. I haven’t had time to memorize it.” (2)

It wasn’t just the money that brought Hull to CCM. He'd been using their skates for some time. In fact, he'd been using them ever since CCM's George Parsons discovered Hull had been cutting the back seam out of his previous skates for added comfort. On catching wind of this Parsons approached the design department at CCM and asked if they could develop a custom-fitting skate with the seam moved to the side. Hull tried it and liked it. Buoyed by this success, the company gambled on him feeling the same way about their hockey sticks.

Although he agreed to give up his Northland Pro for a CCM Custom Pro, Hull maintained an escape clause which allowed him to return to his previous brand of stick, if he could demonstrate that it was "vital to the performance of his work.” (3)

Meanwhile Hull's coach, Billy Reay, was concerned about the cost of the stick. “I hope Bobby put a clause in the contract that says the company (CCM) has to supply him with sticks. You have no idea the number of requests we get for one of Hull’s sticks. It must run into a pile of money,” said Reay at the time. (4)

Even Hull’s team mates benefited from the CCM deal. Whenever the company used Hull’s picture in their promotional material with the club insignia or the Blackhawk name showing, a percentage of the fee was paid to the hockey club for distribution among the other players.

In the end CCM's contract with Hull was not renewed, for while it had landed the Golden Jet on the cover of Time, it had landed Tom Nease in a lot of hot water with the company's owners, the Levy brothers, who felt the deal was simply too rich for their taste.

1. "Hawk on the Wing," Time, Vol. 91 No. 9, March 1, 1968, p. 54

2. Milt Dunnell, "The Trouble With Bobby Hull," Toronto Star, February 29, 1968. 

3. Ibid.

4. Ibid.

Bobby Hull Makes Hockey History 
 http://youtu.be/6doRKqexqmU?t=5m15s

 Hugh Victor McKay
1865 - 1926
Founder of the Sunshine Harvester Works

By the 1920s the Sunshine Harvester Works of H.V. McKay in Australia was the largest implement factory in the southern hemisphere, covering 75 acres, and was one of the world’s leading international agricultural industries thanks to its development of the world's first self-propelled harvester in 1924. At its peak, the enterprise employed nearly 3,000 workers.

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In 1929 McKay and Toronto’s Massey-Harris Co. along with the Waterloo Manufacturing Co. incorporated the Sunshine-Waterloo Company Ltd. with the intent of adapting McKay’s self-propelled combine design for the North American market. In 1930, the newly formed company built a 285,000 sq. ft. plant in Waterloo, Ontario. In exchange McKay was granted the exclusive Australian distribution of Massey-Harris farm equipment.

Although set up to produce mainly farm equipment, in order to survive the tough economic times of the thirties, the new company manufactured a multitude of products, including baby carriages, bicycles, tricycles and roller skates. Throughout this period (1930 - 1940) Tommy Russell was president of Massey-Harris and no doubt a key figure in the Waterloo-Sunshine Co.

Sunshine-Waterloo plant in Waterloo, Ontario

During the Depression as grain harvesters were being phased out since farmers could not afford them, the company began to produce automotive stampings for cars. Waterloo Manufacturing withdrew from the joint venture in 1934.

 In 1939 the company converted to the manufacture of war-related products including smoke bombs, shells, mines, grenades and gun mounts. During World War Two the Sunshine Waterloo Co. was a major producer for the war effort. During the war security was high at the plant due to the fact that it produced tank, airplane and truck parts, as well as ammunition, land mines, and various bombs.

Backpeddling, Guelph, Ontario 

   Backpeddling, Guelph, OntarioFollowing the war, further market changes led to the company adding office products, stoves, shelving and lockers, as well as bicycles. Sunshine bicycles and tricycles were produced until 1954.

Greg Williams' 1952 Sunshine with a Whizzer 300-series motor

In 1955 the McKay family sold out to the newly formed agricultural implement conglomerate Massey-Ferguson which was a combination of the Canadian and American interests of Massey Harris and the British tractor firm of Harry Ferguson.

In 1961 the name of the Sunshine-Waterloo Co. was changed to Sunshine Office Equipment and the company concentrated solely on the manufacture of steel office equipment and storage lockers until the plant was sold in 1978. 

Restoring a Canadian Classic –
The ’46 CCM Loop Frame

by Coreen

15 08 2012

The Raving Bike Fiend had offered me this bike some time ago, knowing that I have a soft spot for loop frames, the ability to properly fix it up, and that my own vintage CCM, Poplar, was in extremely poor condition and I was spending more time fixing it than riding it. But with both of us living car free, transporting a non-functional bike cross town can get a little complicated. With a big trip on the horizon, though, he got his car rolling again and outfitted it with the necessities: racks for multiple bikes.

Keith loads up the '46 CCM and le Mercier beside it to get me and my bikes home. This wwould be the first time in months that I'd stepped inton an automobile.

The bike was given to Keith by another BikeWorks volunteer, whose grandmother was the original owner. In remarkably good shape, the burgundy rims still had their original white pinstriping, though the striping on the frame hasn’t fared as well over the decades and the white paint on the chain guard and fenders was particularly rough. It was missing a pedal, chain, grips, saddle and seatpost but still had all its integral components. However, the important question was how it looked on the inside.<?xml:namespace prefix = o />

The first step was to replace the missing components and get it ready for a test ride. Keith gave me a new old stock CCM seat post and I lucked out tremendously and found a Wrights leather saddle (history note – Wrights was an English manufacturer that was bought out by Brooks in 1962). With a brand new 1/8″ chain, it was starting to look like a whole bicycle again but started getting complicated when I went to install pedals.

I had found an appropriate set of 1/2″ pedals and had them ready to go when, after much grunting, swearing and penetrating lube to get the old one off, surprise! I discovered one side of the 1 piece crank was drilled 1/2″ and the other side was drilled 9/16″. WTH? Why would anybody do that? Did they start on the right side before realizing the left side was reverse threaded and needed a special tap? Disappointed that I wouldn’t be able to use the awesome pedals, I headed to the parts room to see if, by some major minor miracle, I could find a matched pair of mismatched pedals. Luck was on my side again, and you wouldn’t know they weren’t a pair by looking at them.

Keith had mentioned some concerns about the coaster hub, so I started the overhauls with that. Old CCM coaster hubs are fairly different than any other coaster hubs I’ve worked on, so if any of the parts were worn, finding spares would be an issue. Though very grimy on the outside, I was pleasantly surprised to find pretty clean lube and all the parts in excellent condition when I opened it up. When I tell people that hubs can outlast bikes if they’re taken care of properly, this is exactly what I’m talking about. This 66 year old hub was in better condition than a lot of 2 year old hubs I’ve seen.

  
A large part of a project like this is cleaning. There's a nice cog under all that caked-on grime, waiting to be exposed with degreaser and some elbow grease. 

  
The parts of the coaster hub before re-assembly. If you look carefully, you'll see that every part, even the nuts, are stamped "CCM." I don't know why, but it makes my heart skip a beat in joy.

  
Re-assembled and shined up CCM coaster hub. made in Canada, patented 1937.

 My next priority was to repack the headset, which felt a little loose. No surprise that the stem was corroded in place inside the steering tube, but after much grunting, swearing and malleting, I got it out. The wedge part actually had rustcicles growing from it! I disassembled the headset and set the fork aside to clean the cups when I heard the sound of running water. It turned out the steering column on the fork was full of water, which was now running across the bench and onto the floor. At least that explained the rustcicles.

  
Despite the watery surprise on the inside, the races, cups and chrome were in beautiful shape underneath the grime. Also, this is, by far, the best photo of anything I have ever taken inside BikeWorks. 

 The headset itself was in fine shape, and I didn’t have any other issues repacking it. While I had the front wheel off, I repacked the bearings in it too, and like the back, it looked like it had been maintained regularly and would see many more decades of use.

  
The headbadge has seen better days, my guess is because of a basket. notice how the paint is unevenly faded where parts of the badge have chipped away.

 After all of that was reassembled, I could finally put on my grips. I wanted something special that would still be appropriate to the bike while fitting within my next to nothing budget and vegan values. I decided to go with cork stained to match the saddle, as described in Lovely Bicycle and in the subsequent comments.

  
Two light coats of all-in-one Minwax stain/sealer on plain light beige cork. i then used a layer of double-sided tape to keep the grips in place.

 The last major thing to do was the bottom bracket. After finding all that water in the steerer tube, I was really worried about what awaited me in the bottom bracket, especially considering the bike had been sitting outside with an open seat tube for an indeterminate amount of time. Bugs, leaves, sand were some of the things I expected, but all I found was enamel that had chipped off of the inside of the bottom bracket shell. There was a very small amount of pitting starting on the races, but it should be OK with diligent maintenance to keep it from getting worse.

The last step was take it for a late night test ride!

  
The bear was also excited about this old school bike and wanted to take it for a test ride too.

 All these repairs took several nights, and I had been riding the bike back & forth to the shop without grips & overhauls, but that first guilt-free ride when you know you’re not pushing your luck by getting on an unfinished bike is something special. The bike is heavy and clunky, and I think I may need to look at the coaster brake again because it occasionally makes an unhappy noise, and the saddle squeaks like crazy, but  it’s still a joy to ride. Upright, lady like and attention getting, the bike turns heads and I’ve gotten many compliments on it from random strangers. Because the frame isn’t bent, it handles much better than Poplar, and the gear ratio feels just right. The tires are in fair condition, but I know I’ll have to be on the lookout for appropriate replacements. The wheels could also do with a truing, which I’ll do when I replace the tires.

  
I don't care how late it is. I need to test ride this baby.

 I fix enough bikes to know that some are more satisfying than others. This one was off the scale. I’m sure at least one of you wants to know if and what I’ll name this bike. For something that’s survived so well intact and potentially still has a long life ahead of it, it feels kind of presumptuous to give it a quirky moniker. But as I reread this post, an underlying theme of luck comes up, so I think I may use that as inspiration for a name.

Reprinted with kind permission from Breaking Chains and Taking Lanes.

       The first hockey sticks were carved by Mi'kmaq natives of Nova Scotia. They used a wood called hornbeam, also known as ironwood because it is so strong. The best trees for making sticks had roots that grew out in the correct angle for a stick blade. When the hornbeam was used up, the carvers turned to yellow birch, another hard wood. The early sticks looked more like today's field-hockey sticks, with a blade that curved up. They were also shorter and heavier. As hockey grew in popularity, the Native carvers could not make the sticks fast enough for everyone who wanted one. The Starr Manufacturing Company of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, began making hockey sticks. They called their sticks Mic Mac, after the original makers. These sticks were popular in the 1930s. 

The first recorded production of hockey sticks in Canada was carried out by the Mi'kmaq natives of Nova Scotia, who carved them out of a wood called hornbeam, also known as ironwood because of its strength. When the hornbeam was used up, the carvers turned to yellow birch. The early sticks looked like field-hockey sticks with a blade that curved up. They were shorter and heavier than the sticks that came to be used in later years.

As hockey grew in popularity, the Native carvers couldn't keep up with the demand. As a result, the Starr Manufacturing Company of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, began manufacturing hockey sticks and calling them Mic Macs in honour of the original makers.

Having distributed sticks and other hockey equipment for various companies over the years, in 1933 Canada Cycle & Motor acquired an interest in the Jos. Choquette Wood Specialties Co. Ltd. of St. Jean, Quebec. The Quebec company had been founded in 1919 by brothers Joe and Ed Choquette, who started out making hockey sticks in the rear of their sporting goods store on City Hall Avenue in Montreal before moving production to the factory in St. Jean.

Three different views of the Choquette factory in St. Jean, Quebec

According to the Choquette brothers for a hockey stick (usually elm or ash) to be strong, the wood had to be light, straight and have few marks on it. On one occasion to demonstrate the truth of the claim, Ed Choquette stepped up to the huge rack of sticks in the Choquette store and selected a stick. He then placed one end of the stick on the floor and the other against the rack and jumped on it. While Ed was tossed unceremoniously into the air, the stick stayed in one piece prompting Ed to exclaim: “Now there's a stick you can play hockey with!” (1)  

Top left: Five acres of ground piled with choice hand-picked logs to be sawed under the personal supervision of Jos. Choquette.
Top right: Standing is Mr. Ernie Everden, inventor of the C.C.M. laminated model. Sitting is W. Prince also of the factory staff. Both on a tour of inspection.
Bottom left: Mr. J. Howes C.C.M. Ontario sales manager and Mr. C. Lawrence convincing themselves that 12 lbs. of green lumber is used in the making of every C.C.M. hockey stick.
Centre: Note there are no logs of large diameter in this lot. Only second growth small trees are selected. Handle stock for the top three grades of C.C.M. Laminated Ice Hockey Sticks is taken from logs 6” to 9” diameter.
Bottom right: Mr. J.A. Russell and Mr. N.P. Tonkin seen standing between two rows of logs piled shoulder high. Note again uniform size of logs selected for the manufacture of C.C.M. Ice Hockey Sticks.
(From: 1935 CCM Sporting Goods Catalogue)

The first CCM laminated hockey stick was developed by company employee Ernie Everden and left the St. Jean factory in 1935. While early sticks had been made of a single piece of wood with the curve at the bottom created by using steam to cure and bend it, the laminated stick was made of various layers held together by waterproof glue. Everden sought and was granted a patent for a three-piece stick where the shaft and blade are separate, held together by a wooden wedge and glue. Not only was the laminate stick easier to make, there was less waste.

“We can use a lot of lumber in making these that would otherwise have to be scrapped. You see, it’s much easier by this process to make sure that both the blade and the handle are straight-grained and that a light stick will stand up in play,” explained Ed Choquette. (2)

The great Rocket Richard picks a stick from a pile of CCM lumber.

 As time went on, players in the NHL began to ask for lighter sticks. While the standard weight for a stick had been 26 ounces, players looked for sticks that were as light as 17 or 18 ounces. It was a request that didn't sit well with team owners, who were now being forced to pay for an increasing number of broken sticks. Among them was Conn Smythe, the frugal owner of the Maple Leafs, who demanded his players use 25 ounce sticks no matter what their preference.

While hockey sticks were generally made to a club’s guidelines, there were a few players who could ask that their sticks be made to their own specifications. It was a practice that never found favour with CCM for it usually left the company holding a number of unwanted sticks. A player, having had the company make twelve different styles of sticks, then picked one leaving CCM holding eleven. Often the left-over sticks found their way, as “autographed models,” to be sold in Doug Laurie’s sports shop at Maple Leaf Gardens.

 By 1940 the Jos. Choquette Wood Specialties Co. Ltd. was a wholly-owned CCM subsidiary known as Cho-Wood Products Ltd. By this time the company was producing 240,000 hockey sticks annually, including 125 different custom-made models for NHL players. In 1946 the company suffered the loss of Joe Choquette who died in a Montreal automobile accident. An avid amateur baseball player, in his early days Choquette had played on a ball team with Howie Morenz and Odie Cleghorn. At the height of the Canadien-Maroon rivalry, when players didn't mingle much, it wasn't uncommon to see the likes of Nels Stewart, Hooley Smith and Howie Morenz together at the same time looking for a hockey stick. It was said that when the players visited Joe Choquette, “they met on common ground.”

For many years the CCM sporting goods line was overseen by George Parsons (1914 – 1998), a former member of the Maple Leafs, who had played in two Memorial Cup tourneys before turning pro in 1935. Parson’s playing career was cut short in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Mar. 3, 1939, when the blade of a stick accidentally clipped his left eye cutting the retina and causing him to lose sight in that eye. Denied permission to continue playing, Parsons became a fulltime employee of CCM and eventually its Vice-President in Charge of Product Development. 

It was Parsons who oversaw the development of the CCM AcuFlex hockey stick, designed to match the strength of the player with the strength of the stick. Stronger players, according to Parsons, needed a stiffer stick. With each of the AcuFlex sticks marked with bright colour bands, dealers were given a device known as a “Dynamometer”. Developed in conjunction with Dalhousie University in Halifax, the "Dynamometer" was used to measure the strength of the athlete’s grip. Once the appropriate colour was determined based on where the needle of the dynamometer pointed when gripped by the player, the dealer was then able to select the appropriate stick with the matching colour band. 

Unfortunately, time and neglect would eventually catch up to the CCM sporting goods factory in St. Jean, Quebec, just as they would to the company's bicycle plant in Weston, Ontario. In November 1982 when Cooper Canada Ltd. was considering making an offer for the St. Jean plant, they a sent a couple of company representatives out to take a look at the operation. What they saw didn't impress them. 

 TWhen Henry Nolting and Jerry Harder of Cooper Canada Ltd., visited the St. Jean plant, they found only a hundred or so workers still there, most of whom were said to be apathetic and listless. The research and development department (two people) was said to be experiencing problems with their Propacs (CCM’s version of the Cooperall) and working with the Quebec Nordiques to improve the product.

The factory itself was in no better shape. The roof in the stick-making section was leaking; the offices were said to be in a mess and the warehouse was full of old stock. The boot-making operation had fared a little better, according to Harder, and could be transferred to Cooper Canada Ltd.’s Toronto location. In the end, Nolting and Harder determined the assets of the operation were certainly worth no more than “book value” and even that was a stretch. (3) It was a sad end to what had once been a glorious enterprise. 

1. "Modern Plant Turns Out 240,000 Hockey Sticks For Twenty-Four Countries," VIM, Vol. 22, No. 2, 1935

2. ibid.

3. Donald H. Thain, "Cooper Canada Ltd.," London: Ivey Publishing, 1983

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Top left: Five acres of ground piled with choice hand-picked logs – 110M feet at this one mill for sawing under the personal supervision of Jos. Choquette.

Top right: Standing is seen Mr. Ernie Everden, inventor of the CCM laminated model. Sitting is W. Prince also of the factory staff. Both on a tour of inspection.

Bottom left: Mr. J. Howes CCM Ontario sales manager and Mr. C. Lawrence just convincing themselves that 12 lbs. of green lumber is used in the making of every CCM hockey stick.

Centre: Note there are no logs of large diameter in this lot. Only second growth small trees are selected. Handle stock for the top three grades of CCM Laminated Ice Hockey Sticks is taken from logs 6” to 9” diameter.

Bottom right: Mr. J.A. Russell and Mr. N.P. Tonkin seen standing between two rows of logs pilrd shoulder high. Note again uniform size of logs selected for the manufacture of CCM Ice Hockey Sticks.

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Like many nineteenth-century industrialists, Henry Abrahm Lozier started out selling sewing machines before turning his attention to bicycles. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1891 Lozier bought a sewing machine factory in nearby Toledo for the purpose of manufacturing his "Cleveland" bIcycles. With his cycles quickly becoming known for their high quality, within a few years Lozier was among America's top bicycle makers, along with Augustus Pope (Columbia) and Victor Overman of the Western Wheel Works.

In 1895 Lozier established a branch plant in Canada on Weston Road in what was then known as the Toronto Junction. In charge of the plant was Lozier's brother-in-law Edwin R. Thomas. (When Lozier eventually sold his Canadian operation in 1899 to Canada Cycle & Motor, Thomas, who went on to develop the Thomas Flyer motor car, would become a director of Canada Cycle & Motor). 

Claiming that their Cleveland bicycle was the finest bicycle that "money and brains" could produce, from the outset Thomas and H.A. Lozier & Co. were eager to lay down roots in their newly-adopted home.

We now issue our first catalogue to the Canadian public, and with pardonable pride we allude to the fact that, independent of the whole world, Canada now has a bicycle each piece and part of which is manufactured within the limits of its territory, by labour of its own, being distinctly Canadian, in fact the counterpart in every detail of wheels of the same name manufactured in the States, the reputation which is world-wide and popularity equaled by any bicycle.
Around the World on a CLeveland Bicycle, H.A. Lozier & Co. Ltd. Toronto, 1896

By the fall of 1896 the Lozier company was displaying its bicycles in the Carriage Building at the Toronto Industrial Exhibition (later the CNE) and had opened a riding school in Toronto's Granite Rink.

Below is an article written by a reporter from The Globe following a visit in April of 1896 to the Lozier factory at Toronto Junction. 

MAKING BICYCLES

An Interesting Visit to the Lozier Company's Factory.

WONDERFUL MACHINERY

Defective Workmanship an Utter Impossibility

Superiority of Canadian Artisans - Strictly High Grade, Regardless of Cost, the Motto - A Boon to the Junction.

Amongst the many thousand bicyclists who, now that the wheeling season has arrived, are to be seen daily gliding along the streets and out in the suburbs of the city, there are few, if any, who give even a thought to what the production of one of these "noiseless steeds" costs. Pleased as they are with the speed, ease and grace with which they cover distance, their curiousity is swallowed up in satisfaction. They do not bother themselves in estimating the amount of brain energy necessary in making the close calculations required in the construction of these delicately fitted machines, nor do they trouble their minds with questions regarding the vast outlay of capital indispensable to a factory where a strictly first-class bicycle is manufactured. One reason for this is that probably not one in every thousand has ever seen the inside of a bicycle factory, "absolutely no admittance" being the rule enforced in nearly every establishment of the kind on the continent.

On one of the beautiful days of this week a representative of The Globe wheeled out to the Junction, and having heard the praises of the Clevelnad bicycle loudly sung on all sides, having been informed, too, that that establishment was employing 400 hands, and paying out very heavy sums in wages every month, he determined to avail himself of the opportunity of going over the institution, the Cleveland Company, contrary to the usual custom, being desirous that all who wish to do so should inspect their factory. This was a chance not to be lost of seeing a bicycle made from start to finish.

Arriving at the factory, which is just on the eastern outskirts of the town, the first person met was the active and energetic resident partner and General Manager, Mr. E.R. Thomas, who was in the act of issuing passes to several others bent on the same errand as the reporter. Procuring the necessary piece of pasteboard and a guide book, which the company has had printed for the convenience of those visiting the works, the visitors passed into the main factory building. This is divided into several departments, each one occupied to its fullest capacity with busy workers, and replete with the most modern and expensive machinery known in the art of bicycle construction, the cost of the plant and machinery alone in this factory being over $200,000.

Proceeding to the forging department, where the heavy thud of the ponderous drop-hammers and the roar of the oil furnaces produced a noise that was almost deafening, the first operations on the forged parts was seen. Here in the hands of deft and skilled mechanics the heavy solid steel bars, after being heated with the oil process , which has a toughening tendency, are beaten into the shape of sprockets, cranks, etc. Here is also seen the interesting process of braxing joints, all tempering ball cups, cones, chain blocks etc. The cranks are also tempered here, but undergo a different process, being first heated in molten lead and then immersed in a secret chemical solution of equalizing temperature.

In the next department some of the most wonderful machinery ever invented for the working of steel was seen in operation. Most of it is automatic in its operation, and some of it almost human. It is devoted to drilling crank hangers from solid steel forgings, profiling fork crown forgings and sprocket arms, milling chain blocks and sprockets, rolling handle bars, aluminum rims and blocks, and many other operations too numerous to mention. It is here where one gets the first idea of the enormous difference  in the expense attending the manufacture of a strictly first-class wheel and one not up to that standard. Tools out of the best steel have to be graduated to as low as one-thousnadth of an inch, and on account of the accuracy required they have to be constantly renewed. It requires a very high order of intelligence to become a first-class toolmaker, and consequently high wages are paid. In the manufacture of the Clevelnad bicycle one toolmaker is employed for every wheel per day turned out, while in other factories, which manufacture cheaper grades, it is aid that one toolmaker is sufficient for every seven cyles produced per day.

Passing on, the many processes necessary to the making of a first-class chain is seen, and here the Cleveland people again spare no expense. After the chain is made it is put on an adjusting jack, which tests the rivets and makes the chain as pliable as a watch chain. The "jack" which is composed of four different-sized sprocket-wheels, revolves at the rate of about 300 revolutions per minute. it has a 1,000-pound weight attached, and a vibration strain of 400 pounds more; and even this severe test is not considered sufficient, because, before the chain is put on the wheel, it is subjected to what is known as a thousand pound jerk test.

The polishing room is another very interesting department, and is said to contain the most complete outfit in Canada. The sand blast system has just been added , which is used for polishing all the lighter parts, and is the only sand blast system in Canada. By this process the original strength of the parts is preserved, and it also does away with the process of "pickling," which is otherwise necessary, but considered by some experts to be injurious to the temper of the steel. Here, again, the firm decision of the management to make only the best, regardless of expense, is seen, as one man could polish more parts by the pickling process than seven can under the sand blast process.

The enamelling department was next inspected and proved most interesting. It contains twelve ovens, heated by oil; the heat is generated by a pressure of air of forty pounds to the square inch. In these ovens the enamel is baked on the parts, which is put on by the dip-tank system, thus insuring an even surface and perfect job. Four operations are necessary before the Cleveland's rich and durable finish is attained. Evidently no expense has been spared in the nickle-plating department, which alone is well worth a visit. It contains, besides the copper and nickle plating tanks, a 3,500-gallon dynamo, operated by a separate power. The reason for this is that it insures the process being kept going continuously, and thus gives ample time to make a good job.

The inspection department was next visited, and proved to be the most interesting of any yet seen, fully bearing out the assertion of the manager that it is "the crowning glory" of the Lozier factory. This is where the splendid reputation which the Cleveland wheel has won is maintained. It is claimed to be the most perfect inspecting department in the world. It is the most costly in the whole establishment, not so much in the wages of the large staff of expert inspectors employed, but in the waste of finished material, for such rigid inspection is almost incredible to those who have not seen it. From five to thirty-eight different operations are required on each part of the Cleveland bicycle. Each part, after each operation, must pass through this department, where it is rigidly guaged and tested upon special apparata.

The following might be given as an illustration - The sprockets are placed upon a fixture that is absolutely accurate as to the length of sprocket-arms, which have been previously tested. The spaces between the sprocket-teeth are guaged by a fixture so regulated by a needle that a deviation of two-thousandths of an inch, which is imperceptible to the eye, shows at the point of the needle a deviation of one-thirty-second of an inch, and causes the sprocket to be rejected as being defective. All cones, which are made of the very best tool steel, must come to a wrench fit. After being hardened by a secret process, they are again tested with a sharp-pointed prick punch, the slightest indentation causing them to be rejected. The inner links of the chain must come to two and one-half-thousandths of an inch, this guage limit being carried out in respect to the work in each department, and it is only those who are familiar with the production of interchangeable work who can form an idea  of the enormous cost increase of the limit of variation.

Every part of the Cleveland bicycle, with the exception of the tubing, is made in the factory, by Canadian workmen, who, the Manager claims, are the best on the continent. No expense has been spared in looking after the comfort and health of the men, and each one feels that on him alone, by the exercise of all his talents, depends the success of the Junction's greatest enterprise.

On a fine afternoon no pleasanter or more instructive outing could be found than a visit to this complete factory. The city show-rooms are at 169 Yonge Street, and they have a riding school in connection. This school has been found too small for the large number who dail patronize it, and so the management has leased the Granite Rink for the summer months. This has been fitted up as a first-class riding school, and will be opened to-day.

The Globe, April 18, 1896.       

Book Review #2: Canada Cycle & Motor: The CCM Story

By David Wencer

Posted on 19/08/2012

Canada Cycle & Motor: The CCM Story
By John A. McKenty
Epic Press, 2011

For many generations of Canadians, the letters “CCM” conjure up strong memories, either through the bicycles and sporting equipment made by the company, or through the employment of friends and family.

John McKenty’s book tells the history of CCM, from its complicated origins during the late nineteenth century bicycle craze, through its forays into automobile manufacturing and hockey equipment, until its ultimate demise in the 1983. At times, CCM was an innovator and an industry leader; in other years, it was a struggling competitor, plagued with labour disputes and a poor reputation. As someone with little personal knowledge of CCM, I found this book to be an engaging profile of the company’s fortunes (and misfortunes), as well as an intriguing look at some of the changes in Canada through the twentieth century. CCM also has a strong Toronto connection, with its manufacturing operations based for many years in the northern end of the Junction, and later on in Weston.

This book features many images, the most interesting of which tend to be the old CCM advertisements. Like McKenty, I have found advertisements to be an excellent means of illustrating a narrative, as one does not have to navigate the copyright issues that can prevent the republication of photographs or newspaper articles. The advertisements are not, however, mere illustrations; in themselves they are valuable parts of Canadiana, and present a side of the company’s story which can be easier for everyday readers to relate to than, say, corporate structure or sales statistics.

That said, this book is not an advertisement for the company. While there is certainly a whiff of nostalgia about parts of it, McKenty is intent on presenting CCM with a sense of balance. I have read histories of other companies which read like protracted, indulgent advertisements, dwelling on the glory years and refusing to say a bad thing about the company or its associated personalities. Sometimes, a company history is written by a nostalgic ex-employee who fills a jumble of casual and irrelevant anecdotes with company jargon and slang, with the end result making little sense to anyone who didn’t work there and know the people being written about. McKenty’s narrative, however,  is well-balanced and presents a complicated subject in an engaging and accessible way. Rather than focus on one specific aspect of the company, he gets into the owners, the employees, the products, and the customers, indicating how each influenced the other. The result is an interesting book which looks at several different facets of Canadian history including labour relations, marketing, and popular culture, demonstrating how varied aspects of Canada’s past came together in CCM.

What I found particularly interesting is McKenty’s willingness to point out some of CCM’s villainy. I do not know enough of the facts to know if he is pulling any punches, but there are times in Canada Cycle & Motor: The CCM Story when CCM seems to be severely mismanaged, or when it seems to treat its employees quite shabbily. When the company is managed well, CCM seems to be symbolic of local and national pride; when the quality of products is poor, the company seems like an embarrassment.  And when the company is neglected and the employees made to feel the burden, CCM comes across as an enemy.

The book is self-published through Epic Press, which may account for a few of the typographical errors and a handful of awkwardly written passages, although none of these are so major that they really detract from the narrative. I wouldn’t go quite so far as to call these elements “charming,” but they do remind the reader that this book is, like so many books on the history of Toronto, effectively the product of a single, dedicated researcher.  And, unlike so many other self-published Toronto history books, there is a sizeable section of endnotes where one can find McKenty’s source material.

While the title and subject matter may suggest an attempt to appeal to those with an interest in business or industrial history, the accessible language and varied subject matter make Canada Cycle & Motor: The CCM Story an interesting look at Canadian popular culture, and indeed a look at a side of Toronto life that doesn’t always get written about. My favourite features are the plentiful advertisements, along with some of the descriptions of cycling culture. This includes not only the late nineteenth century cycling boom, but also a look at some of the racing heroes of the 1930s. If you’re curious about this aspect of the book, I would very much suggest starting with McKenty’s CCM website  , in particular the archives section, which includes a look at type of stories which appear in the book.  He hasn’t given everything away on the website, and of course the book’s real strength is tying all these anecdotes into a complex narrative.

The above is printed with the kind permission of David Wencer and taken from his website – This Strange Eventful History (http://davidwencer.wordpress.com/)

2012 Canadian Vintage Bicycle Show

Story and photos by Mike Badyk

Reprinted with the kind permission of Canadian Cyclist www.canadiancyclist.com 

Many cyclists focus only on the new in the bicycle world, but there are plenty of folks who fondly look back to the history of our beloved sport. A case in point was the 11th Annual Canadian Vintage Bicycle Show taking place on June 24th. The venue was the Heritage View Farm in Brantford, Ontario (and right across the street from the Alexander Graham Bell Homestead). In many respects it is reminiscent of a car show, with manicured lawns and ornamental trees as the backdrop to the various booths.

The show is the passion of Jamie McGregor, who had on display not only a huge collection of vintage bicycles, but also an abundance of 60’s vintage “muscle bikes”. If you’re unfamiliar with the term think of 20” wheeled CCM Mustangs, Raleigh Choppers and Schwinn Stingrays. Jamie doesn’t have a store. “I just collect. I sell some things but it’s not really my focus. It’s important to hang on to all parts of our cycling history.”

Even though there is a commonality of being vintage bikes, there are several sub categories present. The core is the really vintage – bikes over 100 years old. Many of them are Canadian too, showing that we were in the thick of bicycle production. There are a wide variety of balloon tire/cruiser bikes from the 30’s through the 60’s. Then there were the aforementioned muscle bikes from the 60’s, joined by some vintage road racers.

One other category that I have only a little knowledge of is the “Rat Rod Bike”. These are customized bikes based on vintage cruisers. One of the standout bikes at the show was Ken Martin’s CCM Rat Rod. The frame is a 1938 CCM Flyte, which is an Art Deco style absolutely unique to Canada. The paint scheme is based on a 1936 CCM. Besides the saddle from the 30’s, this beauty is a mash up of new parts, new old stock parts and what ever else Ken wanted to do. “I was entering a Rat Rod contest, sort of at the last minute, and I did this bike in just 2 weeks. It is one of those happy accidents where everything just came together. This bike finished 4th in a worldwide competition. I’m really proud of it. So proud that it’s definitely not for sale.” Ken does have some CCM frames and forks for sale though. If you’re interested in this genre of bike visit www.ratrodbikes.com

If you’ve ever seen vintage bikes then you know that many of the modern day innovations were actually tried 100 years ago. There were shaft drive bikes (see the Columbia below), full suspension bikes, racing bikes and utilitarian bikes. Check out this vintage Hartford from 1889. There are so many attempts at innovation on it that it is unbelievable. For all you GoPro users, there is a camera mount on the handlebar.

Some of the cruisers were very pretty. Here are two nice examples; an un-restored Western Flyer and the futuristic Silver King.

If you’ve ever had a desire to get a vintage bike then you’d probably want to try one. There is now a way to do this. A new company called Vintage Velo is about to open in Niagara-on-the-Lake. They have decided to take vintage bikes, restore them, and use them in their rental fleet. This show was their first official event. They have 70’s vintage Schwinns, 60’s CCM’s, and even a couple of 20 year old mountain bikes. They had some really neat bikes that could be just the thing to complete your Niagara visit. The web site is still a work in progress but you can visit them at www.vintage-velo.com

Even though muscle bikes are part of my childhood, my bicycle nostalgia really starts with my first road racing bikes in the late 1960’s. To my surprise I saw an example of my first proper road-racing bike. This is a 1970 Gitane Tour de France. Ah yes. A definite wave of deja vu. I had the same colour too. Sorry I sold it. Like 30 some odd years ago. Good thing this one was too small for me. There's always the danger of coming home with something you didn't intend to at shows like this.

If you’ve never been to the Canadian Vintage Bicycle Show it is well worth the visit. The venue is just gorgeous and the volunteers are super friendly and helpful. The modest admission goes to the Stedman Community Hospice. Check out the event at www.canadianvintagebicycleshow.com I have a sneaking suspicion that this going to become an annual event for my family.

Extra photo – Wilson Tandem – vintage unknown – From Wilson’s Music Store in Sarnia Ontario. Muscle bike display in the background.

MEC Bikefest Toronto

Saturday, June 23, 2012 at the Distillery Historic District
11:00am to 5:30pm

About MEC Bikefest

MEC Bikefest is a daylong community celebration of all things bicycle related. Our goal is to bring together Toronto’s bicycle community and those new to bikes, to celebrate the wonders of cycling. Come join us and make it the best bicycle bash in Toronto.

Event description

Along with fun and festivities, MEC Bikefest is a hub of knowledge where cyclists new and old can make connections and get the information they need to pursue their passion. Proceeds from this event will be donated to our non-profit partner, the Cycle Toronto.

MEC Bikefest Toronto features activities for cyclists of all skill levels, including:

• Dozens of bike clinics and seminars (presented by MEC, Urbane Cyclist and Hardwood Ski & Bike)
• Bike demos
• Free bicycle safety checks
• Bike valet parking (provided by Cycle Toronto, formerly the Toronto Cyclists Union)
• Free basic repairs and tune-ups (provided by Bike Chain, Bike Pirates, Bike Sauce, Community Bicycle Network and Evergreen Bike Works)

• MEC Bikefest Bike and Gear Swap
• MEC Marketplace
• Local bicycle retailers and exhibitor booths
• Community and cycling advocacy information
• Free drop-in activities for kids

 
Location

MEC Bikefest Toronto happens downtown in the Distillery Historic District, on Parliament and Mill Street. Ride your bike to the festival – there will be bike valet parking on site. If you are driving, there is ample pay parking available on streets in the area.

SUNDAY, JUNE 24

 Introduced in 1936 the CCM Flyte would  become the most sought after of CCM's numerous bicycle lines. Designed by company employee Harvey Peace it was the only bicycle design for which Canada Cycle & Motor Ltd. actually sought a patent.

The Patent Application

The principal objects of the invention are to provide a bicycle of an unusual novel and attractive appearance which will have a distinct appeal to the eye in conformance with the line adopted in the streamlining  of vechicles and further, to utilize the treamline effect of design to accomplish a very distinct improvement in the riding qualities of the bicycle to the effect the absorbing of road shocks and further, to provide a very desirable form of bicycle having a distinctly novel appeal. The principal features of the invention consist in the novel construction of the main frame whereby the upper bar is curved to meet the rear ends of the lower fork and to form a continuous part therewith and the front forks are curved downwardly with their lower ends bent rearwardly to form a resilient front support corresponding in part with the resilient rear fork.

In the manufacture of bicycles, it has been the practice for many years to construct the frame in accordance with a "standard" pattern which in side elevation is substantially diamond-shape or of a rhomboid formation with the rear forks extending substantially horizonally from the crank bracket and mating the rear braces or upper forks at an acute angle where the axle of the wheel is mounbted in slotted brackets and the front forks of said "standard" type of bicycles slope straight down from the head or front end of the frame having a slight curve forward for the castor effect. In the "standard" type of bicycle, the frame and forks are perfectly rigid and the shocks and vibrations of road travel are carried directly through the frame and transmitted to the rider. It is the dual purpose of this invention to devise a bicycle that will be easier to ride, its construction being such as to eliminate most of the minor vibrations and many of the major ones, or at least to greatly soften the transmission of such to the rider and further, to provide a bicycle which will appeal to the eye as conforming to present day standards of streamlining effects. In carrying these ideas into practice, I have contsructed a bicycle as shown in the accompanying drawings.

Harvey W. Peace
Assignor to Canada Cycle and Motor Ltd.

The patent filed on October 23, 1935 and designated Patent No. 358849 was granted on June 30, 1936 and outlined a bicycle CCM claimed was both novel in design and practical in its ability to absorb the shocks and vibrations of the road.  Said to feature the "New Design Shock Absorbing Frame and Fork," the Flyte, available with either a 22" or 20" frame, was introduced by CCM in 1936 and produced until 1940.   

Company claims to the contrary the CCM Flyte was neither a revolutionary nor an entirely new design. The Schwinn company, a company with which Canada Cycle & Motor enjoyed a close relationship, had introduced the "Streamline Aerocycle" in 1934 and as noted Flyte collector Ken Martin points out (www.ccmflyte.com) the curved seatstays on the Fyte were not the first of its type since the same design could be found on the 1934 Monarck "Silver King."

While CCM marketed the Flyte as being stylish as well as functional, the fact remained that the model never became a big seller. As Martin points out, the company's decision not to resume production after the war indicates that the Flyte was not in great demand, unlike the CCM Motorbike model which remained a part of the company's product line for fifty years.

Retailing at $45.00 (as opposed to the CCM Roadster at $28.95), some maintained the Flyte was simply too expensive for a country mired in the depths of a depression.  Longtime CCM dealer Tom Marshall disagrees. With the sale of motor cars slumping badly during the Depression, Marshall counters that the hard times were actually a boon to bicycle sales. The first year of the Flyte in 1936 saw bicycle production in Canada increase by 30% over the previous year and production continued to climb steadily during the next four years.

Furthermore, while it carried a considerable price tag,  at the time the Flyte was still less expensive than the CCM Flyer ($80.00) and its delivery model ($55.00), both of which continued to sell during the Depression.

"That leaves design, which was probably too radical for the marketplace," maintains Marshall. "Had they simply streamlined a Motorbike without incorporating the cushioned stays and forks, it likely would have sold well, despite the price increase. It did for Schwinn and other U.S. companies."

Whatever the reason, the limited production numbers for the CCM Flyte ensured its future rarity, thus turning it into the Holy Grail for CCM bicycle collectors. 

Harvey Peace, who had designed the Flyte, was also instrumental in the design of CCM's tube skate (1929) and the CCM Bike-Wagon (1932). 

 A forty year veteran of CCM, Peace lived to see only one year of his bicycle's production, passing away, as he did, on December 12, 1936 at the age of 56. A champion bicycle racer in his youth, Peace was a popular member of the Weston community and at the time his funeral was said to be among the largest the town had ever had.  

"Friends and acquaintances from all walks of life gathered to do him tribute and the beautiful and numerous floral tributes were centred with a beautiful wreath from the CCM. This unusual floral piece was in the form of the CCM trademark finished in rare flowers, including orchids. ("Many Pay Tribute to Harvey W. Peace," VIM, Vol.24, No. 1, 1937, p.19)

In the end the true legacy of Harvey W. Peace was to be found in a bicycle design that would become the ultimate desire of CCM collectors around the world.

Having introduced its Automobile Skate (so-named because it was made with the same steel as its Russell motor car) in 1905, CCM dominated the Canadian skate market unti 1927 when the Western Shoe Co. of Kitchener, Ontario, owned by the Bauer family, began to produce skates using their own boots and blades from the Starr Manufacturing Co. Introduced as the first skate in Canada to leave the factory with the blade already attached to the boot, the Bauer Supreme had become the country’s fastest selling skate.

It was a challenge to which CCM wasted little time in responding. Looking for a boot to match the Bauer Supreme, CCM turned to the shop of Manitoba shoe-maker George E. Tackaberry (1874 – 1937).

Born in Dresden, Ontario, Tackaberry had apprenticed as a shoemaker in Ontario before heading to <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />Brandon, Manitoba, where he specialized in the construction of orthopedic shoes for the handicapped. In 1905 Tackaberry had been approached by his next door neighbour, Joe Hall (1882 – 1919), a rough and tumble NHL defenseman whose mad dashes down the ice often resulted in him having to come to a sudden halt. As hard on his skates as he was on his opponents, Hall complained to Tackaberry that he couldn’t find a boot that would last him an entire season. Being a good neighbour, Tackaberry decided to help Hall out.

After carefully measuring Hall’s feet, Tackaberry used a combination of innovative design and meticulous craftsmanship to come up with an answer to the player's problem. Using moisture-resistant kangaroo hide that wouldn’t stretch, Tackaberry lowered the top of the boot nearly two inches and added a snugly-fitting reinforced heel and toe as well as an improved arch support and thicker tongue.

Said to “fit like a glove,” word of the boot quickly spread among the players in Tackaberry’s hometown including up-and-comers Lester Patrick and Art Ross. Patrick, a gangling youth from Westmount, Quebec had come to Brandon in 1904 after starring for McGill University and became Tackaberry's second customer. Meanwhile Art Ross, who joined the Brandon Elks in 1905, quickly followed suit. Before long word of the high quality skate was the talk of dressing rooms across Canada.

In 1927 CCM took over the entire boot output of Tackaberry's Manitoba shop and began to produce their own brand of skate with a factory-connected blade. Known as a "Matched Set," a giant replica of the skate, measuring 14'6" in length and weighing over 300 lbs., was exhibited at the 1932 CNE.  

The mate for the Tackaberry boot arrived in 1934 when CCM general manager J.W. Gibson announced the company was producing a new “heat-treated” blade made of Sheffield steel.

“We’ve been working on this new skate for the past three years,” explained Gibson, “and we are sure that CCM is making a real contribution to the hockey world with the ‘Prolite.’ As a result of the extensive tests we have made we know that the new ‘Prolite’ is the strongest tube skate CCM has ever produced.” 

To unveil its new Prolite blade, CCM enlisted the help of NHL star Charlie Conacher.

“Being leading scorer is partly luck, I guess, but skates have a lot to do with it. Split seconds count, so you must have skates that are light and lively enabling you to skate fast, shift quickly or stop instantly. CCM’s Prolite helps to make these things possible,” declared Conacher.

With its combination of Prolite blade and Tackaberry boot CCM had found its answer to the Bauer Supreme and before long its CCM Tacks returned the company to the forefront of skate manufacturing in North America.

Swansea Historical Society

Swansea Town Hall

95 Lavinia Ave.

Toronto, ON

Wednesday, March 7

7:30 p.m.

North York Historical Society

North York Central Library

5120 Yonge St.

Toronto, ON

Wednesday, March 21

7:30 p.m.

Riverdale Historical Society

Royal Canadian Curling Club

131 Broadview Ave.

Toronto, ON

Tuesday, March 27

7:30 p.m.

Weston Historical Society

Westminster United Church Hall

69 William St.

Weston, ON

Wednesday, April 4

7:30 p.m.

West Toronto Junction Historical Society

Annette Library

145 Annette St.

Toronto, ON

Thursday, April 5

7:30 p.m.

New Toronto Historical Society

LAMP Community Centre

185 Fifth St.

Etobicoke, ON

Tuesday, April 10

7:00 p.m.

Below is a request from a production company in Montreal called Cinelande. It is legitimate. They are currently doing a documentary and are in need of 1937 CCM. Although I have bikes from the 30s, I do not have one that meets their criteria. So we are putting it out to the CCM community to see if anyone is interested in helping out by either renting or selling them the required bike. If so, please get a hold of Eric using the contact info below.

At the height of his career there was simply nothing in Canada comparable to the spectacle of Torchy Peden and his CCM Flyer on a Saturday night at Maple Leaf Gardens. With motor cars lining the curb, Toronto's finest attempted to bring order to the crowd headed in to catch the last night of the six day race and the magic that was Torchy.

It was a curious mix as various members of the city's elite waited in line with a veritable who's who of the Toronto underworld.   

"Women, painted and prim, men, sober and drunk, dolls, mobsters, and businessmen, walkers in every street of life in Toronto, thrust and push and fight their ways beyond the corridprs and through doors and runways leading to the clattering, insane tumult beyond."

As the throng streamed through the turnstiles, they were hit by the aroma of cigarettes and hot dogs and a swarm of familiar faces.

"Doc Morton, grizzled and lean as whipcord from endless bike toil, shuffles along. There is Fred Bullivant, mother, father, doctor and advisor extraordinaire to bike riders and officials.....Cheek by jowl with these are men and women of note in the city and others who seldom appear in daylight."

As the big clock in the centre of the arena ticks off the last hour of the race, Willie Spencer orchestras the scene from above with a field phone linked to his race director on the floor.

"Tell Peden to chase. Tell the Germans to ride like they've never rode in their lives before. See so and so in his bunk and tell him to get out there or this is the last bike race he will ever see from the infield."

Spencer turns his head, swallows a glass of orange juice and hollers into the loudspeaker: "Six.....six laps to go!"

As Spencer's voice calls out above the din, Torchy abandons the pack to claim the finish line, much to the cheering delight of those now too exhausted or intoxicated to stand.  

* All quotes from: Andy Lytle, "Star Sport Rays," Toronto Star, May 13, 1935.

12 August 1926:  When the 80 riders, the cream of all anklers in Canada, go to the post in the 33rd annual Dunlop Trophy handicap race Saturday morning at 10:30 o'clock, the favourite to win the first prize will be none other than Lea Gault, star Ottawa rider, in spite of the fact that he is up against strong competition from outside cities. In a time trial over the Dunlop course on the Metcalfe Road, Gault was many seconds faster than the record for the Dunlop made last year by Lew Elder of Toronto.

Gault has not been beaten in any race over one mile, either here or out of town, for more than a year. He has won everything from two to a hundred miles since the middle of last summer, and his friends predict that his winning streak will continue.
(Ottawa Citizen 08/12/1926)

When the Dunlop Trophy race, co-sponsored by the Dunlop Rubber Goods Co. of Canada and Canada Cycle & Motor Co. Ltd., moved from Toronto to Ottawa in 1926, the favourite to win the event was a local boy by the name of William Leaburn Gault. Better known as Lea, the 21 year-old Gault did not disappoint his many freinds and fans when he emerged victorious that August in North America's oldest and most prestigious bicycle race. As was customary the winner not only had their name engraved on the venerable Dunlop trophy, but also received a complimentary cycle from Canada Cycle & Motor Co. Ltd.

George Braden, General Manager & Vice-President of CCM at the time, was extremely anxious to get the young Gault off the BSA he had been riding and onto the wooden-wheeled CCM Flyer for the  upcoming Canadian Championships to be held in September of that year on the dirt track of the Exhibition Grounds in Toronto.  

As fate (and Braden) would have it Gault received his Flyer just in time for the Canadian All-Round Championship, a gruelling one day event composed of races of a quarter, a half, one, two and five miles. The riders were given points according to their finish in each of the races and the overall winner was the cyclist who accumulated the largest total.

The day didn't start well for Gault.

"I went down on the night train, got something to eat and then rode out to the track and started riding. I got in a crash, broke my front wheel and nearly ruined myself," recalled Gault who had no spare parts with him and figured he was done for the day. It was then that Gault experienced what he calls "the camaraderie with many wonderful characters" that marked his days in racing.

"There was a big fellow there by the name of Norm Webster (a fellow racer on a CCM Flyer) and he came over and fixed my bike for me. He was a former Canadian champion and he was that kind of guy. He put me back in."

Looking to return the favour, Gault offered to serve as a pacer for Webster in the five mile event, a race that Gault hadn't planned to enter.

"We hung back and there were different crashes and we rode around them and then he told me to go up front. So I took him up to the front. He told me to go and I disappeared. I was so far ahead. I thought I was on the wrong lap," remembered Gault. "I won the race and there was nobody near me." 

That victory gave Gault the championship and the following day the Toronto Star reported that "the Ottawa lad rode two brilliant races to win the half-mile and five mile titles from the best of the local brigade." (Toronto Star 09/03/1926) 

Gault maintained his championship form and two years later was training for Canada's Olympic team when a spill ended his chances of earning a berth on the team.

"I was just going to be sensible and take it easy, you know. But it was such a nice day, I opened up. I hit a frost bump and my hand slipped off the handle bar. I went down and broke my collar bone. I was going to go to the Olympic trials. Thought I was all set."

The Dunlop Trophy race won by Gault in Ottawa would be the last ever staged in Canada as concern grew for the safety of the riders who were now forced to share the roads with the motor car.

"I tangled with a tough sergeant of the OPP for staging racing events on the public highways without consent," recalled Gault. "In a way his interference may have come at a good time, as I was becoming concerned about the safety of riders sprinting for the finish." 

At the conclusion of his competitive career, Gault turned to coaching and guided George Turner to the All-Round championship and a spot on the British Empire and Olympic teams. He also sat on the executive of the Canadian Wheelman Association for whom he served on the Canadian Sports Advisory Council (Sports Federation of canada).

Since 1975 the Ottawa Bicycle Club has awarded the Lea Gault trophy to its "Rider of the Year." 

Throughout the years Lea Gault kept the CCM Flyer he had received for winning the 1926 Dunlop trophy race and continued to ride it well into his seventies though he limited his riding to Sunday mornings on the Ottawa Parkway where he didn't have to stop.    

"I still have the old racing bicycle without any brakes and just one speed. It doesn't do to go riding around the city with all the stop signs," laughed Gault who passed away in 1996 at the age of 92. 

Lea Gault's CCM Flyer now resides with his son Robert, in Robert's home in rural Eastern Ontario, a few miles west of Ottawa. It is as it was when his dad dominated Canada's cycle racing scene in the mid-twenties. I thank Robert for the opportunity to see the bike and for providing me with the photos and much of the information included above. 

That's right!

Order Canada Cycle & Motor: The CCM Story before Christmas and pay no shipping charge.

The perfect gift for the cycling enthusiast, the hockey fanatic or the history buff on your Christmas list.

Secure on-line ordering with Paypal or a credit card.
Or send a cheque or money order.

Click here to order.

The advent of the First World War (1914 - 1918) saw many battalions on bicycles rather than horses. Equipped in the same manner as the horse with a bed roll on the front and a rifle slung on its side, the bicycle was used by scouts, messengers, infantry men and even ambulance carriers.

At the outset of the war as the 1st Canadian Division began training at Valcartier, Quebec, it was decided that a cycle unit should be formed to carry out intelligence work with the Canadian Expeditionary Force. So it was that the 1st Canadian Cyclist Company sailed for England with the 1st Canadian Division on October 14 1914. Cyclist companies were also formed with the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Divisions and in May 1916 all four Divisional Cyclist companies were merged into the "Canadian Corps Cyclist Battalion." 

 
Canadian Cyclist Corps. camped on Salisbury Plain 1914

Once in England the cyclists were trained in musketry and bayonet fighting, as well as signaling and topographical techniques. They carried out traffic control, sapping and mining, and served as trench guides, listening posts and battalion runners as well as dispatchers. Despite being hampered by the terrain and muddy conditions, bicycles were used to transport men and supplies over large distances and were said to be able to cover over 60 kms a day.

        
Allied cyclist scouts walking their bikes in the mud of war-torn France.

With a casualty rate of over twenty per cent the bicycle corps. became known as a "suicide battalion" or "Gas Pipe Cavalry." One of the hardest hit units was the Newfoundland Regiment ninety per cent of whom were killed or injured at Beaumont - Hamel. Because of their courage, King George V gave the regiment the prefix "Royal" - the only time during the first World War that this honour was given.

   
The Newfoundland Regiment marching with their bicycles back to billet. 

The individual responsible for supplying the Canadian military with bicycles was none other than Tommy Russell, general manager and soon to be president of CCM. Following a meeting on August 14, 1914, with the Minister of Militia and Defense, Colonel Sam Hughes , Russell was made an honourary Major and named purchasing agent for the Canadian Expeditionary Forces.

     
Demobilization begins as cyclists cross into Cologne.

It is believed that most of the bicycles used by Canadians in the First World War came either from CCM or Planet and it has been noted that a Canadian cyclist was the first Allied soldier to cross the Bonn bridge into Germany following the Armistice of November 1918.

The Last Two Cyclists

The Cyclists tramp, in ghostly form, along
Heaven's high-road - up in the sky-way blue,
Each spectre marching to a soldier's song.

Let us, the living, drink to them, a toast
And open up this bottle of champayne.
Shall we not honour such a gallant host!

Then bottoms up and fill them up again.

The battles where we fought pass in review
When, for the Boche, we proved ourselves too strong
On field, in trench, our foe we overthrew.

Can we forget Vimy, the Somme, Arleux,
Ypres and Passchendaele, Hooge and Fresnoy, too.
Cambrai, Arras and Courcelette - appear.

Let's sing again those songs of yesteryear.
"It's a long, long way to Tipperary." -
"Smile, Smile, Smile" - then - "Parlez-vous" and "Blighty."

Time wings its flight - we hear the bugle call.
Soon we shall answer it - and join - you - all.

Lieutenant Hugh M. Fletcher
(poem reprinted from William Humber's Freewheeling: The Story of Bicycling in Canada)

       

The Etobicoke Historical Society presents:

Canada Cycle & Motor: The CCM Story

Presentation & Book Signing

Thursday, October 27

7:30 p.m.

Community Room, Montgomery's Inn

4709 Dundas St. W.

Terry Sawchuck 1929 - 1970

 

The most dominant bicycle racer in the world at the dawn of the 20th century was the incomparable Marshall Walter Taylor. Born to a black couple in rural Indiana, Taylor was raised and educated in the home of a wealthy white Indianapolis family who employed his father as a coachman and gave the youngster his first bicycle. He became so good on it that by the age of fourteen he was hired to perform cycling stunts outside an Indianapolis bicycle shop. Dressed as he was in a soldier's uniform Taylor earned the nickname Major.

By the time he was eighteen Major Taylor had broken two world records, but his feats offended white sensibilities with the result that he was often banned from racing at many events. Despite this and the illegal tactics employed against him by many of his competitors by 1898 Taylor held claim to seven world records.

On August 10, 1899, Taylor used his Massey-Harris Silver Ribbon to capture the world 1-mile championship in Montreal to become only the second black athlete to hold a world title.

When Taylor toured Australia in 1903 he won over the crowds and the Australian cyclists with his geniality and generosity. "What particularly surprised the local riders was the Major's willingness to train with them, side by side. They had expected him to do much of his work in secret. Contrary to all expectations he unhesitatingly displayed his Massey-Harris bicycle and allowed them to size it up for themselves, the gearing, the cranks, the frame, and the pedal reach. These were commonly considered secrets in the trade. Of considerable interest were his adjustable handlebars. They were new to the country; and for decades afterward Australian cyclists commonly referred to adjustable ones as 'Major Taylors'" (James Fitzpatrick - Major Taylor in Australia)

Despite the shadow of racism that dogged his career, Major Taylor went on to beat the best that Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the States had to offer. Taylor retired from competitive racing in 1910, but after two decades of illness and unsuccessfull business ventures died in the Charity Ward of the Cook County Hospital in Chicago in 1932 and was buried in an unmarked grave. In 1948 a group of former pro bicycle racers had Taylor's remains exhumed and reburied in a more prominent part of Mount Glenwood Cemetery in Illinois.

"Dedicated to the memory of Marshall W. 'Major' Taylor, 1878-1932. World's champion bicycle racer who came up the hard way without hatred in his heart, an honest, courageous and god-fearing, clean-living, gentlemanly athlete. A credit to the race who always gave out his best. Gone but not forgotten."
Inscription on the gravestone of Major Taylor

UPCOMING SHOWS

CHRISTIE ANTIQUE SHOW
1000 Highway 5 West
Dundas, ON

Saturday, September 10

A buddy of mine will have copies of Canada Cycle & Motor: The CCM Story available at the Christie Antique Show. Look for the Otter Creek Antiques booth.

WOODSTOCK NOSTALGIA SHOW
Woodstock Fairgrounds
875 Nellis Street
Woodstock, ON

Sunday, September 11

I will have a table with some copies of the book as well as a few old bicycle catalogs for sale in Woodstock. If you're in the neighbourhood, drop by and say hello.

 For those in the Toronto area who don't trust the mail or would like to have a book in hand before laying down their hard-earned cash, you can pick up your copy of Canada Cycle & Motor: The CCM Story at Squibb's Stationers, 1974 Weston Road, right across from where the old CCM plant once stood. Drop in and see Suri and she'll make sure you have a book before you leave.

In last Sunday's Toronto Sun noted Toronto historian Mike Filey declared Canada Cycle & Motor: The CCM Story to be "a must read for Canadian history buffs."

Well known Canadian antiques dealer and longtime collector of CCM memorabilia Larry Foster wrote: "Great book John and a tribute to a Canadian company that flourished despite all the challenges. Your research is astounding."

http://photogallery.thestar.com/1029977

Congrats Rob!

THINK CANADIAN HISTORY IS DULL? THINK AGAIN.

Think of Walter Massey. By the end of the 19th century, his family’s manufacturing concern was the largest of its kind in the British Empire. When he heard Hartford's huge American Bicycle Co. was headed to Canada, he helped buy Canada’s four largest bicycle makers and merge them with his own to form CCM. Not only did CCM beat back the American intruders, it bought them out.

Think of Louis Schwitzer. A graduate of the Imperial Artillery Academy in Vienna, Austria, Schwitzer designed CCM’s popular Russell motor car. Following his time at CCM, Schwitzer gained fame when he won the first race staged at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on August 19, 1909. He went on to design the “Marmon Yellow Jacket” engine which powered the winning car in the first Indy 500.

Think of Willie Spencer. During the 20s Spencer on a CCM Flyer was one of the world’s top bicycle racers. When Spencer couldn’t come to terms with John Chapman, America’s “Czar of Racing,” he established his own circuit of racers. Dubbed “Willie’s Outlaws” by the American press, Willie’s riders  challenged Chapman’s to a grudge match. When Willie’s crew won the race, as well as a rematch at Madison Square Garden, Willie was given a substantial financial settlement and asked to return to Canada. 

Think of Torchy Peden. During the thirties Peden was the dominant racer on the six-day bicycle racing circuit. So popular was the red-headed giant that he became one of the world’s highest-paid athletes, earning even more than Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees. CCM eventually presented Torchy with a gold-plated version of his CCM Flyer.

Think of Bill Shaw. Shaw was the CCM engineer who developed the plastic tip for the back of the skate blade. Designed to reduce injury, the innovation was introduced by Red Kelly of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 59/60 season. Shaw would go on to help develop the IMAX projection system. His original projector would find a home at Ontario Place in 1971 and Shaw would receive several awards for his work including an Oscar for scientific and engineering achievement in 1986.  

Think of Bobby Hull. During the sixties, the “Golden Jet” was hockey’s marquee player. Although Hull endorsed Bauer skates he wore CCM skates. In 1968 Hull made it official when he signed a five-year endorsement deal with CCM. One of the most lucrative contracts in all of sports at the time, it landed Hull on the cover of Time magazine and CCM president Tom Nease in a lot of hot water. 

Think of the Mafia. Yes, the Mafia. In the sixties and seventies when a fierce boardroom battle was waged for control of CCM, the combatants in the struggle looked for back-up in the most unlikely of places.