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1867 Our Country and Our Game 1411x2100We finally got our reproduction Claxton Banner installed in our new Hall of Fame/ Museum in October 2016. 

Based on a design from 1868 which features the original emblem of the National Lacrosse Association of Canada, a Claxton Banner was awarded in the early, formative days of the game in lieu of trophies when teams competed for championships. Claxton banners get their name from James Claxton [1830-1900] of Montréal, Québec, who moved to Canada from England as a young boy and became the founder and president of the first YMCA chapter in North America

A great philanthropist in amateur and youth sports, the first banners he donated cost $250 each to make – or $4200 in modern money – and were offered up for championship challenges by Montréal teams for a period of three years. Decades before there were the Minto and Mann Cups, this is what the very first lacrosse teams in Canada would have competed for. 

This banner probably dates from the 1967 centennial and was likely made to honour the 100th anniversary of Dr. W. George Beers codifying the game.