TORONTO – As the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators prepare to square off for a tie-breaking Game 3 of their seven game series in the first round of the play-offs, fan furor on both sides of the rink is riding high. In the inevitable war between hockey fans, social tact can sometimes be the main casualty.
Several Habs fans started an impromptu fashion show in downtown Ottawa, using celebrated Canadian war heroes as models.
Global National’s Steve Alexander watched as six people in Canadiens attire put jerseys on several statues of the Valiants Memorial.
According the National Capital Commission’s (NCC) website, the monument “pays tribute to the people who have served this country in times of war and the contribution they have made in building our nation.” The statues paid tribute to; Georgina Pope, a Canadian nurse who served in both the Boer War and World War 1, Captain John Wallace Thomas, a Newfoundland native who served in both World Wars and Joseph Brant, who fought in the War of 1812.
A spokesperson for the NCC said they had not received any complaints about the display, which took place around 3 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
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They pointed out that if a conservation officer witnessed the event, they could have been fined under regulations under the National Capital Act.
Though fines are issued on a case-by-case basis, altering historical monuments is not a practice that should be encouraged, the spokesperson said.
“Generally speaking, these are symbols of the nation and history of the nation, and they should not be made to look differently.”
When approached, the group declined to comment and left the premises.
They took their jerseys with them.
With files from Global News’ Steve Alexander
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