“The Paris Crew” Heritage Minute

A title appears on the screen: Paris, 1867. The title fades.

The scene opens on a view of a river with three four-person rowing sculls competing on the water. There is a fourth boat on the water used for judging. The scene then changes to a group of spectators setting in the stands. They are all wearing traditional period clothing, typical of 1867.

A title appears on the screen: World’s Fair Regatta. The title fades.

There were two four-person rowing teams featured in the next image. One dressed in all white pants, rowing caps, and white and blue striped long-sleeve shirts. The other, “The Paris Crew”, is wearing brown trousers, white long-sleeve shirts and their signature rowing caps.

Narrator: Canada was just a few days old when four young men from Saint John, New Brunswick dared to challenge the French and British world champions at their own sport.

The camera begins to focus on each of the players faces individually. A third team is revealed dressed in white shirts with red trim, straw hats with red ribbon accents. The three teams brace themselves to begin the race. A man on the shore raises his starter pistol into the air and fires. The three teams begin rowing and the crowd begins cheering. The camera begins to alternate from close-ups of the teams, to a panoramic image of the river and the excited expressions of the spectators.

The camera is now focused on the members of “The Paris Crew”.

Narrator: In their absurd pink caps and brown suspenders, few gave them a chance against Oxford, or the legendary Parisians.

The camera continues to alternate from close-ups of the teams, to a panoramic image of the river and the excited expressions of the spectators. The chattering is a mixture of the crowd yelling to their favourite teams, and the competitors yelling various commands to their fellow teammates.

Narrator: Their hometown had bet $100,000 and would not be disappointed.

“The Paris Crew” pulls ahead in the race, and the official waves the white flag signaling the winner. The camera focuses on the spectators who have shocked expressions on their faces. Those who are there to support the Canadian team begin to cheer and celebrate. The camera switches to the team pumping their fists in the air, they begin cheering and yelling in celebratory fashion.

Narrator: Ross, Hutton, Fulton and Price, unbeaten for the rest of their rowing career, they’d be known worldwide as “The Paris Crew”.

The crowd image the spectators who were there to celebrate the other teams are clapping, with a distained expression, as if to be clapping to be polite. The final image shifts back to “The Paris Crew” still celebrating in their scull on the water.

The image shrinks in size to expose a copy write page which says “A Heritage Minute brought to you by Historica Canada, RBC Foundation, The CRB Foundation and Actra. Logos for each of those organization appear along with the www.historicacanada.ca website and #HeritageMinutes. The scene fades.