Every nation has shared moments – snaps to stick into the national photo album. For Americans there was the moon landing and, for the French, De Gaulle marching into Paris in 1944.
For Canadians, many of such moments have come from ice hockey. Next month’s winter Olympics in Vancouver are supposed to provide another shared moment: if Team Canada make the men’s hockey final, experts expect the largest television audience in Canadian history.
Hockey is still Canada’s number one national symbol. But its dominance is starting to slip. Canadian television commercials ahead of the Olympics show rural hockey players flitting over frozen ponds.
But a new Canada is emerging: one that prefers soccer.
Click for complete article