Doris Parkes, often celebrated as Queen Doris Parkes, was more than a name on a trophy shelf; she was a force of nature who dominated the athletic landscape of early 20th‑century British Columbia.
Her versatility shone across disciplines — swimming, diving, cross‑country skiing, speed skating, and even tandem canoeing with her future husband, Bud Wagner — earning her repeated victories in events such as the Corfield Trophy at the Deep Cove Canoe Marathon.
While her achievements in the water and on the snow were impressive, it was on the frozen surfaces of Vancouver’s nascent rinks that Parkes would become a cultural touchstone, helping to lay the groundwork for organized women’s hockey in the region.
From Field Hockey to Ice: The Early Women’s Clubs
In 1896, women in Vancouver first took to the sport of field hockey, forming the Vancouver Ladies’ Hockey Club and challenging a Victoria side in a series of matches that captured local headlines.
Around the same period, Lady Isobel Stanley, a British aristocrat residing in Ottawa, organized what is recognized as the first documented women’s ice‑hockey game at Rideau Hall in 1890, a moment that inspired Canadian women to pursue the sport on frozen ponds.
The Patrick family — Lester and Frank — brought professional ambition to the game, constructing the Denman Arena in Vancouver and spearheading the formation of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association in 1912, which featured teams such as the Vancouver Millionaires.
Women’s hockey in the city adopted the colors of the Millionaires, but a symbolic shift occurred when the club rebranded itself as the Swastika Club, a name then associated with good fortune before the term fell into disrepute.
The Swastika Club’s 1917 showdown against the Vancouver Ladies’ Club for the ‘mainland title’ ended in a 4‑2 victory for Vancouver, a match that underscored the growing competitiveness of women’s hockey in the region.
Soon after, a new franchise — the Vancouver Amazons — emerged, inheriting the mantle of the Swastika Club and becoming a cornerstone of the city’s women’s hockey narrative.
The Enduring Influence of a Pioneering Athlete
Although the Rossland Ladies’ Hockey Team held an unrivaled streak of 17 consecutive wins, it was the Patrick sisters — Myrtle, Cynda, and Dora — who carried forward the familial passion for the sport, joining the Nelson Ladies’ Hockey Club and later contributing to the broader tapestry of BC hockey.
Artificial ice rinks, first proposed in Vancouver as early as 1899, finally became a reality, ensuring that hockey could be played year‑round despite the city’s mild climate, a development that cemented the sport’s place in the local culture.
Today, the story of Doris Parkes is remembered not only for her personal trophy cabinet but also for the pathways she opened for generations of female athletes, a legacy that continues to echo across Canada’s hockey heritage.