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‘Once again the only one in Canada, eh’: Williams Lake proclaims Jan. 2 Wrestling Day

Council unanimously endorsed the proclamation at the regular meeting, Dec. 7
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Williams Lake has celebrated the unique civic holiday of ‘Wrestling Day’ since the 1930s. (Photo courtesy of the Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin)

Once again the community of Williams Lake will celebrate Wrestling Day, something that originates back to the 1930s.

Marked as a civic holiday each year on Jan. 2, the tradition requires city council to endorse proclaiming Wrestling Day during regular meeting early December.

Council unanimously endorsed the proclamation during its meeting, Tuesday, Dec. 7.

“Once again the only one in Canada eh,” said Mayor Walt Cobb afterwards.

The city’s corporate officer confirmed because Wrestling Day falls on Sunday, Jan. 2, it is treated like a statutory holiday and is recognized in the city’s collective agreement.

“As such, city hall will be closed on Tuesday, Jan. 4, in recognition of Wrestling Day,” he said.

Credited with the idea for the extra holiday are Syd Western and Alistair Mackenzie.

Western was chair of the village commission and Mackenzie owned a department store.

On a cold Jan. 2 morning they decided because ‘everyone in the village was wrestling a hangover,’ if Christmas Day was followed by Boxing Day then perhaps New Year’s Day should be following by Wrestling Day.

READ MORE: Wrestling Day civic holiday dates back to 1930s in Williams Lake



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Monica Lamb-Yorski

About the Author: Monica Lamb-Yorski

A B.C. gal, I was born in Alert Bay, raised in Nelson, graduated from the University of Winnipeg, and wrote my first-ever article for the Prince Rupert Daily News.
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