North Shore Indians were widely credited for drawing attention to the sport of box lacrosse in British Columbia in the 1930s. During the Depression years, the team offered out-of-work fans an escape from the cold reality of the era for only twenty-five cents a ticket.

The North Shore Indians displayed amazing stick skills—their passes had the velocity of shots—and they controlled the game by controlling the ball. Although the team never won a Mann Cup and were in a national final only once, the North Shore Indians, who were mostly from Squamish and also from the six Nations reserves, were BC’s most exciting team.

They made it to the Mann Cup in 1936, defeating the New Westminster Salmonbellies 3-0 in the best-of-five game Western final. At Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, the Indians put up a tremendous battle against the two-time defending champion Orillia Terriers before bowing to the powerful Terriers.

With the outbreak of World War II, the North Shore franchise was suspended. In 1945, the team was revived as the PNE Indians, coaxing former stars out of retirement.

In 1957, the team folded. Since 1969, the “Indians” name has been used by various teams in the Senior B league and many of the players on these teams the grandsons, nephews, or cousins of the great 1936 team.

Team Members:
Fred August, Dominic Baker, Frank Baker, Henry Baker, Ray Baker, Simon Baker, Ralph Band, Oscar Bomberry, Stu Bomberry, Ed Downey, Bert Hershank, Bill Huliss, Gord James, Fred Johnston, Joe Johnston, Moses Joseph, Stan Joseph, Louis Lewis, Harry Newman, Andy Paull (coach and manager), Hubie Smith, Russell Smith, Jack Squires, Gilbert Thomas, Cece VanEvery, Bill Wilkes, Bill Wilson.