Fun fact: for a number of years, a line from Carrier's story was printed on the back of Canada's five dollar bill:
The Hockey Sweater is a quintessential Canadian short story. It was written by Roch Carrier in 1979, and has been read- or watched- by a majority of Canadian kids over the years. It was originally entitled Une Abominable Feuille D'erable Sur La Glace (An Abominable Maple Leaf On The Ice) but the name was simplified to The Hockey Sweater when the story was translated into English by Sheila Fischman. In 1980, the National Film Board of Canada made an animated short of the story and called it The Sweater. The short story was written by Carrier about an actual incident which occurred in his childhood, and is a celebration of Canada's enduring love for the game of hockey. It also highlights the oldest rivalry in hockey- the one between the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Their fans are rabidly partisan, and ne'er the twain shall meet. Lastly, The Hockey Sweater is a love letter to the legendary player Maurice "Rocket" Richard, revered by generations of young hockey players and fans. Fun fact: for a number of years, a line from Carrier's story was printed on the back of Canada's five dollar bill: Without further ado, here's The Sweater, narrated by the author and original sweater wearer, Roch Carrier:
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The man in this photo is Wilfrid "Wop" May, Canadian hero. He was a flying ace in World War I, and was actually involved in the dogfight during which the Red Baron was shot down. He rose to the rank of captain and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1918. After the war, May became a bush pilot in Edmonton. During this period, he was hired by the Edmonton police to help in the search for a murderer. It was the first time a plane was used in a manhunt. One of the most celebrated events of Wop May's career occurred in January 1929. In northern Alberta there was an outbreak of diphtheria and May, hundreds of miles away, was asked to fly in the desperately needed medication. The incredible feat is recounted in the vignette below. What the vignette doesn't mention is that in 1932 Wop May was also involved in the most famous manhunt in Canadian history, the search for Albert Johnson, the Mad Trapper of Rat River.
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