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The Inter City Lacrosse League was founded in 1934 after Canada officially adopted box lacrosse established under the BC Amateur Lacrosse Association. The league ran from 1934-1972. The "golden age" of the Inter-City Lacrosse League (ICLL) was in the 1950s and 1960s. The original franchises were New Westminster Salmonbellies, Vancouver Burrards, and Victoria Shamrocks. Crowds routinely packed their local arenas. During WWII the war effort caused major roster shortages—with thousands of athletes leaving to serve—civilian sports leagues in Canada were forced to restructure. To keep morale and physical fitness up, service members stationed at domestic bases formed local military squads. They entered them into surviving civilian leagues such as the Pacific Coast Field Lacrosse League (PCFLL). By supplying players, these bases kept civilian sport leagues from folding.
Nanaimo entered the Inter city League in 1951 as the Nanaimo Native Sons. In 1955 they rebranded to The NANAIMO Timbermen. In 1956 they won the Inter city League Championship & headed east to play in the national championship for the Mann CUP. The Mann Cup is named after Sir Donald Mann Canadian Railway Contractor & Entrepreneur. The Timbermen played the Peterborough Trailmen at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens winning the series 4 games to one. The Timbermen were the first western team to win the Mann cup in the east. There were a few eastern players who moved west to join the Nanaimo team for their championship run: Harry Whipper moved from the east & was their playing Coach in 1956. Harry had won the Mann Cup 4 years in a row from 1951-1954, Don Ashbee ( A prolific scorer and future Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Famer from Peterborough Ont.) Arnie Dugan (Peterborough, ON) & A highly skilled forward) John and Bob Lumley (Owen Sound, ON) – Adding toughness and strategic depth) The high scoring Bobby Allen also moved from Peterborough Ont to join the Nanaimo championship team. There were a total of 8 Easterners who joined the TIMBERMEN FOR THEIR LEAGUE & National championship. In the 1956 season Bobby Allen set a Western record that stands today , 89 goals & 38 Assists for 127 points in 29 games.
The Toronto Young Torontos were the first MANN CUP winners in 1910 defeating The Toronto Maitlands.
In 1968 The New Westminster Salmonbellies, The Vancouver Burrards, The Victoria Shamrocks & The Coquitlam Adanacs left the Inter city League to form the Pro National Lacrosse Association. It was a colossal failure. The reasons were: Poor attendance, financial losses, & arguments between the western & eastern franchises. The NLA folded in 1969. In 1969 The WLA was formed from the pro teams returning to amateur status. Including the Coquitlam Adanacs, The New Westminster Salmonbellies, The Vancouver Carlings ( formerly Burrards) & Victoria Shamrocks.
For a single season in 1968, the Adanacs moved to Portland, Oregon ...When the National Lacrosse Association collapsed prior to the 1969 season, and efforts to relocate the Adanacs in Seattle failed, they returned to ...
The Thunder originated as the North Shore Indians in 1994 before relocating to Kelowna as the Okanagan Thunder (2000-2001) and after a brief return to the North Shore (2002-2003) established their roots in Langley in 2004. The Thunder have played out of The Langley Events Centre since 2009 and captured the Western Lacrosse Association Championship in 2011, hosting the 2011 Mann Cup. They lost to Brampton Excelsiors 4 games to 1. Also losing The Mann Cup in 2012 and 2022 to the Peterborough Lakers. The last time a western team won the Mann Cup was in 2015. When the Victoria Shamrocks of the Western Lacrosse Association defeated the Peterborough Lakers in six games at The Q centre in Victoria. That was Victoria’s 9th MANN Cup Championship. The last time a Western team won the Mann Cup in Eastern Canada was 1986. When the New Westminster Salmonbellies defeated the Brooklin Redmen in a six-game series in Whitby, Ontario.
In 1973 The West Coast Lacrosse Association formed as The Senior B league. The teams playing in BC at the Senior B level are; Ladner Pioneers in Delta, ... They play for the Presidents Cup in the National Championship. The competition features provincial and league champions from across Canada as well as First Nations representative teams from leagues like the Can-Am Lacrosse League. The 2026 Presidents Cup is taking place in Edmonton, Alberta. The tournament runs from August 30 to September 5.
The game has changed a lot over the years since the aboriginal wars, the inter city league, & the WLA. There are the usual rules & penalties, holding the stick, checking from behind, too many men, roughing & slashing. In 1953 the position of the rover was eliminated. Rule changes made for a speedy game ...
A lot of rule changes came in 2022. There use to be 5 face off circles : centre & the four corners of the arena. THE 4 face off circles in the corners were eliminated. When the ball would go out of bounds the referee would determine who touched it last to determine possession. Now teams have to advance the ball from their end over centre in 8 seconds. You will see the official counting down with their arm. The team will lose possession if they don’t get it over in 8 seconds. Sudden death overtime was begun in 2022. THIS YEAR IN 2026 overtime was adjusted to 3 on 3 offensive players & of course the goalie & continues with sudden death. Face-offs formerly were both players had their sticks flush against each other with the ball in the middle & at the whistle they would draw back quickly to win possession. Now sticks are 8 inches apart & touching the floor then referee blows the whistle for them to win possession.
My experience as a lacrosse player in the Nanaimo Minor lacrosse system goes way back to the late 1950’s. I was 6 years old when i attended my first lacrosse game in 1956 at the Nanaimo CIVIC Arena. That was the championship season of the Nanaimo Timbermen winning the league & National championship. My Mom signed me up to play lacrosse when I was 9 years old. The lacrosse level at that age was midget. The level categories in that era were, midget, pewee, bantam, Jr B & Jr A, Senior B & Senior A. The team I started with stayed together all the way up to Jr B. We developed a lot of camaraderie, there were a few new players along the way & the nucleus of the team began at the midget level. We enjoyed 2 championship seasons for NANAIMO winning the BCs in 1962 at the Pewee level & at the Bantam level winning the BCs in 1963.
Living one block away from the Lions Lacrosse Box in Nanaimo BC was a great advantage as games & practices at those early levels were nearby. When advancing to the Jr B level we practiced & played our games at the Nanaimo Civic Arena. There were wonderful benefits in playing lacrosse, one was travelling to other towns: Victoria, Esquimalt, & Vancouver. When we were in Jr B we played in a league that included New Westminster, Victoria, & Esquimalt. Playing at Victoria’s Memorial Arena brings back a couple of good memories. Often i would be on the penalty kill. We formed a four man box in front of our net keeping our sticks high to intercept & kill the penalty. One time was very special, I picked up the ball & ran it down to the Victoria end & killed a lot of time off the clock. What was great was i had several of the opposing team attempting to get the ball out of my stick. There was no way they were getting it. It feels like it was yesterday that’s how good a memory it is. Again in Victoria their player Peter Liska was slashing away at my body. I stared him down as he was really going at it. We dropped our sticks & he didn’t have a chance i was ready with gloves dropped & my fists taking care of him. My 1st & only lacrosse fight & coming out the winner with us both getting 5 min for fighting. Loved that my Dad was there & he was a box.
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