World’s Largest Hockey Stick to be removed from North Cowichan, turned into collectibles

A Shawnigan Lake organization has been chosen to remove the World’s Largest Hockey Stick with plans to upcycle the stick into collectibles.

Genuine Collectibles in Shawnigan Lake will pay to remove the stick from North Cowichan and turn it into “authenticated collectibles” to be sold to the public.

The collectibles will be called A PIECE OF THE ACTION.

“GCI is experienced with this type of venture as they previously upcycled pieces of NHRA drag racing cars into authenticated collectibles for sale in partnership with various high-profile companies,” Cowichan Valley Regional District said in a news release.

“GCI has acknowledged that a portion of the sales will be donated to local sporting organizations and charities, and looks forward to working with the community in this exciting project.”

The successful bidder on the purchase of the stick was Bart Robertson, who owns Maxwell Auto Parts and Genuine Collectibles in Mill Bay. There’s no date for the removal of the stick, but Robertson says it will be cut into 40-foot (1- metre) pieces on site, then transported by truck to his business.

From there, anyone who wants a piece of history can keep it in their pocket.

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Genuine Collectibles specializes in disassembling prized items and turning them into keepsakes.

“We’ll encapsulate it in a collectible key fob or keychain with a certificate of authenticity,” said Robertson on Thursday.

The job itself on the 61,000 pound (28,118 kg) landmark is large in scope. “We’ll have two cranes in there,” he said.

Meanwhile, Duncan city Coun. Tom Duncan says he’ll miss the local landmark.

“It’s a difficult day,” he told CHEK News on Thursday. “You know, there’s a lot of sentimental value to the community.”

In 2023, the CVRD held consultation on the future of the WLHS title, as it faced threats on two fronts: natural decay, and an American city aiming to build an even larger stick.

The CVRD asked citizens if they wanted to spend between $1 million to $3 million in order to keep the title by building a replacement stick.

The majority of respondents said it’s not important to maintain the world record, it does not provide significant importance to the region and they do not support replacing the stick.

The hockey stick was originally built as part of Expo 1986. At the end of the event, the Cowichan Community Centre was the winner of a Canada-wide competition to acquire the stick and puck, beating out over 30 communities and private organizations.

It has been mounted in the community centre since May 1988, with the only cost being $150,000 in transportation costs to bring the stick to the community centre, which was fundraised through the World’s Largest Hockey Stick Society.

The stick is made out of Douglas-fir glulam wood over a metal support structure. It is 205 feet (62.48 meters) long.

The CVRD says it will work with Genuine Collectibles over the next few weeks to remove the World’s Largest Hockey Stick.

With files from CHEK’s Jordan Cunningham

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