In 1999 I worked as a bartender at a bar downtown Toronto. It was Canada Day and the city was electric. The Blue Jays were at home, the dome was open and all the players had "Canada" on the back of their jerseys. It was my first Canada Day in Toronto, and I really enjoyed it. And I stole a Canadian flag off the wall from the bar that I worked at, and wore it as a skirt for the night. I used to drink a lot...

Anyway that flag has been with me ever since. It's dirty, and got mustard stains on it (as I do on most of my shirts, and jerseys) and I love it!

As the Olympics got under way last week, I dug it out of the basement to have it close to me. This flag has a very important past, and was key in Canada's hockey gold medals in 2002.

A lot of Canadians are freaking out about Canada having to play Germany tonight(Feb 23, 2010) I think we have all forgotten how difficult it was to win eight years ago. Not only were we terrible in the round robin, losing to Sweden ,and tying the Czechs, but we eked out a squeaker against Finland to move to the semi-finals. Everyone is forgetting that Russia, the number one ranked team, is also having to play for their chance at Gold. And it looks like it'll be the winner from tonight's game. Let's say Canada.


On February 24th, 2002 I went to a bar downtown Toronto. Me and a bunch of friends knew people at the bar and were able to get a table close to the big screen. On the stand up bar in front of the big screen TV, I placed my flag facing the crowd. As the room watched intensely, the flag watched over us. In the first period I went past the flag on the way to the restroom. On the way back to my seat, I paused rubbed my hand over the red maple leaf, and gave it a very gentle kiss. This was all for the crowd, trying to draw a laugh. It worked, and when my boy Scottie Evil went to the washroom in the second period he continued the joke. By the intermission the entire table I was sitting with was passing by the homemade flag alter, touching, kissing or just saying a prayer. I thought it was a funny tie to the whole room, but it was rooted in a true patriotic belief.

By the third period with the country at the edge of their seats, every person in that room began their own ritual. The flag was mobbed whenever it was passed. People whispered pledges, favours, even skyward begging to the hockey gods. When the final buzzer went the room exploded with cheers. We hugged, and smashed glasses together. We danced and pointed to each other with "I told you so" looks. Nobody on the street was American, there were no other flags, or jerseys. Just adulation, and pure happiness. At one point I saw a guy standing on top of a street car with a Canada jersey on, screaming, and the driver had his fists pumped in the air. In the bedlam, I some how remembered to grab the flag as people said that it helped the win.

Now I haven't been contacted by the Hockey Hall Of Fame yet, but I know that this dirty, wrinkly flag holds within it the hearts of many patriotic Canadians.

And I assume their DNA.

So to all of my brothers and sisters out their that haven't lost their faith, or those wavering on thoughts of disappointment, or those that just believe that we need an ounce of luck on our side...

Lean forward....and kiss the flag.

Go Canada Go!!