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FYI - The Vancouver Island Regional Library will host an Author Reading, featuring yours truly, at 6 p.m., on May 17th, at the Harbourfront Library, which is located at Diana Krall Plaza, 90 Commercial Street, Nanaimo.
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Hi Robert,Sorry to take so long to get back to you, but things can get hectic around here.Back on June 2/3 I spent some time with Les Jones and was finally able to get hold of your book.Nice job. I really liked it. It fills in a big gap in the history of soccer in Canada. Some thing that needed researching and compiling for many years. So you have made a major contribution to our knowledge of the past.I can't say I have read it all, but the Statistical Review at the end of each season, tells the story and makes it easy to refer to, and then I was able to go back and learn more.I will recommend it to anyone else I know that is interested.Now I hope that you will tackle the years following 1904-05, where I have a lot of loose ends, and lead up to the start of the 1920s. My book on the history of the game coast to coast has yet to be published. The CSA has had it since early February, and the last I heard was that they were waiting for the French translation to be completed. Best wishes and congratulations on a job well done.Colin Jose.
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I have secured three additional dates for book presentations.
WHEN: Thursday, January 31, 2013, 7-8:30 pm
WHERE: Lynn Valley Main Library Community Room, Lynn Valley Village 1277 Lynn Valley Road, North Vancouver
http://www.nvdpl.ca/adults/events/ly...occer-heritage
WHEN: Tuesday, February 19, 2013, 7-9 pm
WHERE: New Westminster Public Library Auditorium, 716 – 6th Avenue, New Westminster
http://www.nwpl.ca/events_programmes...23/2013-02.php
WHEN: Wednesday, March 27, 2013, 7:30-9:00 pm
WHERE: West Vancouver Memorial Library, 1950 Marine Drive, West Vancouver
http://www.westvanlibrary.ca/event/c....php?month=MAR
Last edited by Robert; 02-18-2013 at 06:34 PM.
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Received a very nice plug from InsideSOCCER today
http://insidesoccermagazine.com/all-...obert-janning/
Thank you very much Alfons for giving my book some much-appreciated exposure in your well-respected magazine. Here's to the next 100 issues of ISM.
Robert
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New Westminster Public Library presents:
Our Sports Heritage
with author Robert Janning
Tuesday, February 19, 2013, 7:00 pm
716 – 6th Avenue, New Westminster
Seating is limited and registration is required. To register, call 604-527-4667.
Author Robert Janning will read and discuss his book, WESTCOAST REIGN, a historical account of the early days of soccer in British Columbia, spanning the period from 1888 to 1905.
All of those attending the New Westminster Public Library reading may purchase a copy of WESTCOAST REIGN at a 30% discount.
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I have decided to see how I measure up against other historical writers in British Columbia and entered my book for the Lieutenant-Governor’s Medal for Historical Writing. This is the 30th annual competition, and thus far no book on sports has ever won. Last year, only one of the 46 entries was a sports book, and by chance, it also happened to be on soccer. Unfortunately, it was not selected as one of the three prize winners, nor did it receive honourable mention.
http://bchistory.ca/awards/book/Entries2011.pdf
Maybe 2012 will turn out to be the year that recognizes the importance and valuable contributions that sports have made on the lives of British Columbians.
The results for the 2012 Lieutenant-Governor’s competition will be announced at the BC Historical Federation Annual Conference, on Saturday, May 11, 2013.
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The following is an off-shoot project resulting from the Harry Manson story that appears in my book. The following letter has been sent to 7 federal, provincial and civic leaders:
Dear Madam/Sir,
My name is Robert Janning and I live in the Downtown-Eastside of Vancouver. I write to you regarding Harry (Xul-si-malt) Manson, an outstanding First Nations athlete who I believe deserves formal recognition. I hope that you will consider providing supporting letters for his nomination to several sports halls of fame.
I became aware of Harry Manson several years ago when, as a part of my recovery from alcohol and substance abuse, I began to write a book on the history of British Columbia as seen through the lens of soccer. It was during the research for this project that I discovered Harry Manson’s story.
From 1897 to 1904, Harry Manson successfully captained his team, the Nanaimo Indian Wanderers, to victories that included winning the Nanaimo City Championship in 1904. In 1903, he was also one of three Wanderers selected to play on a Nanaimo all-star team that won the B.C. provincial championship. Together with his teammates Louis Martin and Joe Peters, Harry Manson thus became one of the first three indigenous players to win a provincial championship. Detailed information about Harry Manson and his sporting achievements accompany this letter.
Harry Manson and the Nanaimo Indian Wanderers played during a time when it was socially acceptable and commonplace to publicly disrespect and mistreat First Nations people. The enclosed contemporary newspaper account of a soccer match in Nanaimo in 1907 demonstrates the attitudes of the time. It was in this prevailing climate of racial intolerance that Harry Manson and his Snu-ney-muxw mates laced up their boots and took to the pitch. Their fortitude and courage in doing so is a reflection of their passion for the game.
Several years ago, I was able to contact Emmy Manson, the great-granddaughter of Harry Manson. As a result, I was invited to visit the Snu-ney-muxw First Nation reserve, where I met with a number of Harry Manson’s descendants and was shown the house where Harry lived and where he was buried. While gathered on Harry's grandson Gary's sundeck, overlooking the ocean at the mouth of the Nanaimo River, we exchanged stories and pictures of Harry. It was a pleasant and convivial occasion, but I was saddened when they shared an a copy of the Coroner's Inquiry report on the fatal accident that took Harry Manson's life in 1912. The report, housed at the B.C. Archives in Victoria, refers to this gifted athlete as "it" and "a drunken Indian," despite contrary evidence from a contemporary newspaper account (enclosed) and the family's account of Harry Manson as a loving and caring husband and father who died while on the way to Nanaimo to obtain medicine for his sick infant child.
As a talented athlete who became a British Columbia and Nanaimo soccer champion and also played first-base for the local Reliance Baseball Club, Harry Manson deserves to be remembered in a more respectful way than the words “it” and “drunken Indian” in a government report. I believe that his contributions as a person, a representative of the aboriginal community, and a Canadian sporting pioneer warrant official recognition. Accordingly, I would like to see Harry Manson inducted into one or more soccer or sports halls of fame. This would not only be a suitable tribute to the memory of Harry Manson, but would also serve as a source of inspiration for the aboriginal community and all British Columbians. Acknowledging the legacy of Harry Manson would also be an appropriate reflection of Canadian values of inclusivity and diversity.
I recently received the Manson family’s blessing to nominate Harry Manson for induction into the following four institutions:
Nanaimo Sports Hall of Fame (Nanaimo, B.C.)
British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame (Vancouver, B.C.)
Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum (Vaughan, Ontario)
Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame (Calgary, Alberta)
In each case, if the nomination is successful, Harry Manson will become the first aboriginal athlete inducted into each of these institutions.
I would therefore like to respectfully request that you provide four letters, one to each of the halls listed above, in support of the nomination of Harry Manson. These letters can be mailed to me at the address below, or alternatively, sent as email attachments. Each letter will appear at the front of an individually printed and bound presentation to be submitted to each of the nominating committees.
Thank you for your attention. I look forward to your reply.
Sincerely,
Robert Janning
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