The world’s largest hockey stick Duncan has gotten an upgrade.
The Cowichan Valley Regional District and Cowichan Community Centre says a new lighting system for the record holding Canadian symbol will be up and running in the coming weeks.
Officials say the system will allow changing colours and patterns, in addition to the classic white lights.
In the next few days the standard white lighting will shine, and is expected to be even brighter than the old system.
Later on the multi-colour functionality will be implemented.
They say the decision followed years of requests, and recent events that have seen crowds use it as a gathering place — such as the tragic crash that killed Sixteen people from Saskatchewan’s Humboldt Broncos’ team.
They say without the technology to change the colours of the lights, it was a sizable challenge to reflect the team colours on the dark background of the stick for a vigil held on the property in 2018.
“We’re excited to use the new lights to better celebrate and support community activities and rejuvenate one of Vancouver Island’s most identifiable landmarks,” said Terri Askham, Manager of the Cowichan Community Centre in a statement.
The stick was commissioned by the Government of Canada and built in Pentiction, for the Canadian Pavilion at Expo 1986, in Vancouver.
Since 1988 it has been on display on the Cowichan Community Centre.
The stick and puck are around 40 times larger than life size. The shaft and blade of the stick are made in sections with steel-reinforced Douglas Fir beams — coming in at a whopping 28,118 kilograms.
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