Author Archives: Dean Herman

BC’s Most Beloved Colour Guy

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If you grew up watching Vancouver Canucks hockey around the turn of the century, you probably got very familiar with John Garrett.  

Garrett, often and affectionately referred to as “Cheech” was originally paired with play-by-play announcer Jim Hughson, and later John Shorthouse. The voice of Garrett’s colour commentary was warm, familiar, and friendly, and over the years of his voice over Canucks games, it was like he became part of the family.  

Over the 20 years John served as the primary colour guy, he became infamous for his stellar game analysis, food references, and let’s say, his unique brand of optimism about the Canucks.  

When Garrett announced in March 2023 that the 2022–23 NHL season would be his last as the regular Canucks colour commentator, it sent shockwaves not only across BC, but the entire hockey world.  Following his last broadcast alongside his longtime broadcast partner, and close friend John Shorthouse was an emotional one, ending with tears in his eyes, and a big smile. Showing just how much the job, the team, and the city of Vancouver meant to him. 

But John didn’t only represent the Canucks on the broadcast. One of his most well-known stories was during his playing career. Four days after he was traded to the Canucks from the now defunct Quebec Nordiques, The Canucks starting goaltender, legend Richard Brodeur, who was selected for the 1983 NHL All-Star Game, would not be available due to injury. Needing a replacement representative, Garrett would step in to the All-Star Game.  

After having the game MVP stolen from him by none other than the great one himself, Wayne Gretzky, Garret said on an interview with Canucks Army, that if he had won game MVP and the new car that came along with it, he would have sold it to cover team gambling losses. As you can see, the seeds of one of the most entertaining colour commentators in the league were in there long before he put a microphone in front of his face.  

So obviously I’ve been avoiding the elephant in the room. Partly because I don’t want to face the reality. John Garrett passed away this morning at the age of 74.  

John leaves behind a long life that touched more people lives than you or could count. Full of fantastic stories, crazy experiences, and most likely, no regrets.  

GinoHardHockey/Facebook

From across the province, the nation, and the entire hockey world, he will be missed. 

State of the Whitecaps

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To the surprise of no one, Vancouver is a huge hotspot for sports. The city is crazy for Canucks and has massive hype around the newly added PWHL team the Vancouver Golden Eyes and the recent news that the city approved a motion and is actively working to bring an MLB team to the city.  

However, one team, at least until recently, always seems to get lost in the shuffle.  

The Vancouver Whitecaps.  

For a while now rumors have been swirling that the Whitecaps might not be in Vancouver much longer. The team has been up for sale for a while, over two years, in fact. So, why has it been so hard to find an owner willing to take on a team in a major Canadian market?  

The Whitecaps have been… how do I say this? Rather mid, caught in the mushy middle. It is like they’re not bad enough to completely ignore, not good enough to truly care about. They’ve been background noise in a city dominated by other sports teams. This has led to attendance not being the highest. This, combined with a lease deal with BC Place that severely limits the team’s revenue, the club has been left financially fragile.  

However, the start of this season could finally be the turning point. Because for the first time in a while, they’re not just putting together decent results. They’re winning convincingly and consistently, including a gutsy 2-0 win over New York early in the season. Right now, the Whitecaps aren’t just doing well, but they’ve had one of the best starts in MLS history and sit on top of the standings with a record of seven wins in their first eight games. 

And the most important part, fans are showing up. Although it is early in the season, the Whitecaps are averaging the second highest average attendance they’ve had in their history, with already an over 2000 increase over last season. 

Strong attendance is key for enticing investors and potential owners; a winning team can rebuild its own market. It also strengthens the case for a new stadium, not only is the current deal with BC Place unsustainable, with the Whitecaps making tens of millions less than their rivals, but the stadium is rather outdated, which is why the city is kicking tires on building a new stadium for  possible MLB franchise coming to Vancouver. 

Their performance alone won’t save the Whitecaps, but it does give them the most leverage the club has had for a while and could be the catalyst for a turning point to being heading in the right direction. 

Stadium Food – Have We Gone Too Far?

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Let’s be real, sometimes the best part of going to a game in Vancouver isn’t even the game. It’s the food. Even if overpriced a good stadium snack can elevate if not carry the entire experience. You’ve got the classic, hot dogs, nachos, popcorn, and there’s usually a steady rotation of upgraded options or seasonal items. 

But have we gone too far? 

Recently while I was on Evolution 1079, I made my own segment that I dubbed, “fat guy corner” where I go through all the new menu items from fast food places that just look ridiculous. 

But this is another level of insane; this takes a cake (wink wink).  

While I was scrolling on Instagram this morning, I saw that the Toronto Blue Jays unveiled a new menu item at their games. If you guess what it is you should consider buying a lottery ticket, you’ll never see it coming. 

They call it cotton candy mayo fries. 

What in the udder heck?  

Of course it comes from Toronto, Who in their baked mind came up with this? And then who approved it?!  

Quote from the team’s post, “The Toronto Blue Jays are taking ballpark food to new heights with their buzzworthy and polarizing Cotton Candy Fries, a unique blend of crispy fries, creamy mayo drizzle, and fluffy blue-and-white cotton candy,”  

This monstrosity was referred to as smuf fries in the comments. I’m honestly shocked that this isn’t some AI hoax. Now look, I get it. Stadium food is supposed to be fun, over-the-top, and a little ridiculous. But there’s a difference between “creative” and “what were you smoking?” 

Alright, enough manic energy. Let’s actually break it down. French fries are the posterchild for salty food. It’s not supposed to be sweet. It doesn’t work when you dip them in your DQ soft serve and it’s so bad its offensive here.  

To be honest, this feels like social media rage bait. Something that would go virla online for the WTF factor. Which if it is, its pretty good. But I genuinely wonder how many of these they expect to sell.  

At the end of the day, cotton candy fries are a harmless, if not slightly cursed menu item. And will most likely be quickly phased out within a month or so. No one should be shamed for indulging in them.  

However, some ideas should be left on the drawing board.  

New Art Exhibit at Museum of Vancouver Hits Different

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The Museum of Vancouver is tapping into a new kind of exhibit. Opening May 28th, Becoming: The Art of Gu Xiong isn’t just any art show, it’s more like walking through someone’s life story. The exhibit mixes sculpture, photography, video, and large-scale installations. And the best part, it’s not in some boring, glum, just the facts kind of way, it’s all about personal connection.  

If you’re not caught up to speed with Gu Xiong and his work, his life is a journey of all kinds of twists and turns. Born in China, he lived through the Cultural Revolution, worked labor-intensive jobs, and later immigrated to Canada. However, that was not the finish line. Coming to Canada alone would not propel Gu into instantly being a big a name artist.  

He would work long hours as a dishwasher, janitor, or even a pizza chef, all while continuing to create art in his basement. The kind of grind anyone would go through while trying to find their place in a city as large and competitive as Vancouver. Now, he is referred to as an “internationally recognized multidisciplinary artist”. Showing that hard work and a never give up attitude pays off.  

What makes this exhibit special is how it connects the story of Gu Xiong to something bigger. Vancouver is one of the most multicultural cities in Canada and is commonly referred to as a cultural melting pot. Whether you’re first-generation, an international student, or just trying to find your place, there’s something in this story that might connect with you and hit you right in the feels. It’s not about the artist, it’s about one shared experience of struggling, learning to adapt, and evolving from it.  

One of the most interesting parts about the exhibit, is even though some of the piece’s spans as long as decades, it still manages to feel current. Themes such as identity and culture shock are still prevalent discussions today. Especially for younger audiences who are constantly cycling through different versions of themselves both online and in real life in an attempt to discover their true selves.  

At the end of the day, this isn’t just an exhibit you go to because you feel like you should. It’s one you might actually connect with. And there’s no better place to host it than the city of Vancouver, that kind of story hits a little closer to home.  

Becoming: The Art of Gu Xiong opens May 28th at the Museum of Vancouver and will run into early 2027