This is the first of a series of posts that will explore the stories behind the names of the existing Canadian Football League teams.
In 1953, a group of Vancouver businessmen got the greenlight for an expansion team in the Western Interprovincial Football Union (WIFU). The new team would begin play the following year and play their home games at the new Empire Stadium. Annis Stukus of Toronto was hired to be the club’s first head coach.
With all the pieces in place, it was time give the new club a team name. A name-the-team contest was held and generated over 15,000 entries. The leading contenders were Lions, Grizzlies, Totems, Loggers, Tyees, and Cougars.
It ultimately came down to Lions and Grizzlies. The Grizzlies was the name of Vancouver’s earlier entry in the WIFU that played just one season before ceasing operations after the WIFU suspended play as a result of the Second World War.
Ultimately, a committee settled on the name Lions. Locally, “the Lions” is the name given to twin mountain peaks near Vancouver that are said to resemble mountain lions. So, it was a natural pick.
The team adopted a mountain lion for its logo and orange and black uniforms, paying homage to another historic Vancouver team, the Meralomas. Annis Stukus wanted to ensure the football team represented the entire province and not just the city of Vancouver. Thus, the British Columbia Lions were born.
