Perseverance will triumph
Athletics at CBU has been prominent over the decades
At the end of the 1974-75 College of Cape Breton school season, a young Carl “Bucky” Buchanan, director of athletics, wrote in his yearly report, “the athletic department became the first department to be fully integrated with programs, faculty and staff.”
That same year “Capers” was adopted as the name for the varsity sports teams and the now country-wide recognizable colours of orange, green and white were instituted.
CCB athletics offered 17 intramural activities including archery, bowling, curling, sailing, a rifle club and even Cape Breton’s most beloved card game, tarbish. Athletics also ran eight service instructional leisure courses, such as golf, skiing, folk and square dancing, plus nine courses for physical education major students.
On top of this athletics included seven varsity sports including male and female volleyball and basketball, female field hockey and male soccer and ice hockey. There were four full-time faculty staff including Wayne Clarke, Jack Porter, Sandra West and Buchanan. Faculty coached a varsity team each with other local community sports people such as Lowell Cormier and Father Jake Andrea also taking a coaching role.
CCB’s varsity sports competed in the Nova Scotia College Conference (NSCC), which began in 1967, against the University of King’s College, Nova Scotia Technical College, Nova Scotia Teachers College and the Nova Scotia Agricultural College. Winners of the college conference seasons would then represent the province at the Canadian College Athletic Association (CCAA) national championships.
In March of 1975 the Capers in their debut season in the NSCC hockey league finished with a record of 14:1 under coaches Buchanan and Fr. Jake Andrea. They went on to win the regional playoffs and took part in the first national CCAA championship which they hosted. Three teams from Quebec, Ontario and Alberta participated as well. The Capers came in consolation winner.
The souvenir booklet for the national championship boasted that CCB was “a college on the move,” with the recent merger of trades, technology and university courses. A blend of trades/technology with traditional university programs was highlighted to meet the needs of “new professions in our changing work climate.” One new program mentioned was Environmental Technology was has evolved since then into the highly populated B.Tech. (Environmental Studies) degree.
Two years later Buchanan coached a star-studded Capers hockey team to the national college championship, recently revisited by this paper’s Greg McNeil (March 23/18).
In his remarkable career as Caper’s hockey coach Buchanan’s record was 345 wins, 159 losses and 13 ties. Other hockey coaches included Paul Hanna (1979-80) and Dave MacLean for two seasons from 1982-84. MacLean played on the 74-75 team leading the scoring with 90 points.
Over the years CCB grew academically, changed names as well as sports. Co-ed badminton became a varsity sport. In 1987 soccer, women’s basketball and hockey joined the Atlantic University Athletic Association. There was one surprising year of football in 1990.
Big changes came in 1996 for athletics with the end of the hockey program and a stronger focus on soccer and basketball. Two years ago women’s volleyball was removed from the roster leaving Cape Breton University with four varsity teams, men and women’s basketball and soccer, plus club teams in rugby and baseball (2005 national champs).
A continuity evolved through the athletic department as former players became coaches (Jim Charters, Basketball) and in the case of a star basketball player, John Ryan, who became CBU’s present athletic director. Ryan credits Buchanan as having the greatest influence on him.
Capers varsity teams have had much success since they began competing over 45 years ago. To list all the conference awards would take another column. In 2007 the women won the soccer nationals and last year was a banner one with the men’s soccer team winning the national championship, while the women took silver.
Much of this can be traced to early days of CBU and its long standing athletic director Bucky Buchanan. Successive ADs, coaches and staff have added to this. Past athletes go on to amazing careers and never forget their beginnings. Sporting success gives a university national prominence. Four Canadian championships stand testament. CBU athletics has proven the university motto correct. Perseverance does triumph.