Sleiman Dept: Today, Ms. Sleiman and other Arab Canadians rate among the most passionate hockey fans in the country, second only to Italian Canadians. A new survey by Environics Analytics and Research Now looks at the game’s popularity through the prism of Canada’s other national preoccupation, our ethnic and cultural heritage. It also probes concerns about violence in hockey, support for NHL expansion in Canada and building new arenas with public money, according to The Globe and Mail. The survey shows that while roughly half of all Canadians say they are somewhat or very interested in watching professional hockey, the level of interest in several ethnic communities is much higher than the average. The results suggest hockey acts as a kind of glue in the Canadian mosaic. Becoming a hockey fan, for a new immigrant, is a very public way of declaring an identification with Canadian culture. “I didn’t understand anything, but I knew we were cheering for the team in white,” said Ms. Sleiman, now 24. She has since shelled out hundreds of dollars to attend Habs games, and often teaches the game to newcomers. She says the appeal of hockey is simple. In a place like Montreal, “The city is hockey. You are either a fan, or you are an outcast.” Peter Kalamaris keeps a wide selection of Leafs paraphernalia at his shop, World Famous Peter's Barber Shop, in Toronto. As
reported in the news.
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21.5.10
