The Icelandic Canadian - 01.12.2002, Page 42

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THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Vol. 57 #3
come and the public demonstrated their
pride and intense appreciation by turning
out to greet them in vast throngs that sel-
dom (if ever) had been seen on other occa-
sions in the city. Great preparations had
been made by the City Council and the
sporting fraternities. Crowds lined the
streets from the C.P.R. depot (the immedi-
ate vicinity of which presented an enor-
mous milling mass of enthusiastic humani-
ty) down Main Street and along the great
wide (Portage) Avenue to Wesley College,
waiting to witness a mile-long parade, and
the cheers of the multitude echoed and re-
echoed along the line as the Falcon boys,
seated in open cars, wended their way
along the designated route. Frank
Fredrickson, by the way, missed this glori-
ous homecoming, having gone directly to
Iceland to do some flying for the
Government of the little northern island.
A half-day holiday had been proclaimed
in the City of Winnipeg and everybody
who could possibly get out was there to
cheer their champions. The jubilant shouts
of the crowds combined with the spirited
playing of the City’s best bands, placed at
intervals among the brilliant floats carrying
members, in uniform, of various local
hockey, baseball, football, lacrosse and
other sports, made a memorable spectacle.
The boys received the ovation of their
proud fellow-citizens with becoming mod-
esty and all along the route it was, “Hello,
Falcons,” and, “Hello, Slim,” “Good old
Mike,” and, “Hi! Wally,” “Atta boy,
Bobby,” “Hello, Konnie,” “Nice going,
Steamer,” and “Hello Chris.” Little folks,
big folks, all seemed to own them as their
personal friend. Their names were on every
tongue.
The Club members were banqueted and
the team presented with tokens of esteem
by various organizations and service clubs.
Tammany Tigers Athletic Association gave
a dance in their honour and presented them
with souvenirs of the occasion. A reception
for the victorious Falcons was promoted
by the Jon Sigurdsson Chapter IODE. The
dinner tendered the Falcon club by the T.
Eaton Company on the 25th of May, 1920,
to celebrate their victorious return from
Antwerp, was a sparkling, colourful affair.
Not the last and by the same token, not the
least, was the great civic banquet at the Fort
Garry Hotel, which local sportsdom and
civic officials had been planning for weeks,
and where, at the numerous tables set and
decorated beautifully, sat a vast assembly
of lovers of the sport. At the long head
table, the great hockey machine heard their
praises sung and the pride and appreciation
of the citizens conveyed in glowing terms.
The hearty congratulations of all accompa-
nied the presentation of beautiful gold
watches, suitably inscribed, the gift of the
City of Winnipeg to the Falcon Hockey
Team, the World’s Olympic Champions.
This symbol was worn on the helmet of
the Canadian Mens Hockey team during
the first game of the 2002 Olympics.
It symbolizes the contribution made by
the Falcons to Canadian Hockey history.