Carl (Bucky) Buchanan has been a builder of hockey, soccer, and gymnastics in Cape Breton for close to forty years. As hockey coach at UCCB he won 15 Nova Scotia College Conference championships, including the national championship gold medal in 1978.

He also made a mark in university sport as athletic director and coach at the University of Cape Breton. As president and CEO of the 1987 Canada Winter Games held in Cape Breton, Bucky was instrumental in securing new facilities and legacy funds.

He has been inducted into the Cape Breton Sport Hall of Fame in the Coach/Athlete and Builder categories and is a life member of Hockey Nova Scotia for his contribution to the development of hockey on Cape Breton Island as a coach and administrator.

Annual Program

Dr. Carl “Bucky” Buchanan, educator and sport administrator, occasionally calls the Sport Hall of Fame and reminds me not to work too hard. This is funny advice from a man who has built a legacy on hard work.

New Brunswick-born Bucky arrived at what is now Cape Breton University in 1968 and found himself in uncharted territory. As the first full-time athletic director, one of Bucky’s initial moves was to organize the first Nova Scotia College Conference. Next, he was challenged to amalgamate two former colleges that now constitute CBU. He merged teams, unifying the young athletes with new team colours and a name that represented the whole island — The Capers. Under Bucky’s excellent coaching abilities, the Capers brought home a gold medal from the 1978 Canadian Colleges Athletic Association men’s hockey championship.

Bucky says he found university sport appealing because varsity athletics not only builds character in young men and women, but also serves as an excellent “example for amateur sport groups” within the community.

Bucky has always strongly supported the community, giving back extensively to the Island with which he fell in love. He linked the community with the college through sport, offering such initiatives as clinics and a gymnastics club, while involving himself with the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association.

“Bucky was always trying to get more coaches,” recalls long-time friend Russ MacNeil of Bucky’s endeavours to organize sport. Former coach Laura Sanders attests to her athletic director’s compassion for his coaches, saying that he stuck by them during the bad times and “worked hard to make our lives easier.”

Bucky served as chairman of physical education at the University College of Cape Breton for many years, further promoting sport in the public education system by introducing a Bachelor of Arts degree program with a sport concentration.

Bucky took his enthusiastic promotion of sport to a national level when he was appointed president of the 1987 Canada Winter Games. Thanks to Bucky, the legacy of the event is still being enjoyed by residents of Cape Breton Island today. Bucky worked with architects to construct top-notch facilities, such as the Canada Games complex, the Sullivan Fieldhouse, and the Max Bell Sports Clinic.

The latter resulted from Bucky’s successful proposal to Max Bell for a grant and property to build a facility that would offer modern medicine and nursing services. The Sports Clinic currently provides students and local residents with health care, while the Fieldhouse offers the community a venue for many athletic activities.

Bucky also made many symbolic cultural contributions to the Canada Games. He created an identity for Nova Scotian athletes by expanding the sport event to include choirs, bands, anthems, and even a tartan. Bucky’s fondest memory of the Canada Games is “the pride [that was] exhibited” by the tournament’s volunteers.

Bucky takes equal pride in his career that has been founded on an extensive education in sport. He has attended multiple universities, obtaining a BSc, a Masters, and finally a PhD in sport administration and educational administration. His commitment to improving sport in Nova Scotia has been recognized on multiple levels. He was inducted as a life member of Hockey Nova Scotia, and received such awards as the Canadian Celebration Medal and the Queen’s Jubilee Medal.

Bucky’s dedication to athletics has been made worthwhile by the mutual learning experience and the “energetic and enthusiastic people” who he claims “are a dream to work with.” His feelings are reciprocated by Russ MacNeil who affirms that “working with Bucky was a pleasure.”

Aside from being the ideal sport ambassador and community advocate, Bucky Buchanan has proven that hard work is a pleasurable task when you have a job that you love.

Annual Program Courtesy of Katie Wooler