As World War II entered its second year, rosters of baseball clubs in western Canada are becoming thinner with an influx of players joining the military. 80 Canadian pilots participate in the Battle of Britain.
Canada declared war on Italy.
Unemployment Insurance was introduced in Canada.
Opening Day in major league baseball saw Cleveland’s Bob Feller toss a no-hitter as the Indians prevailed 1 – 0 over the Chicago White Sox.
The New York Rangers won their third Stanley Cup by taking down the Toronto Maple Leafs 4 games to 2.
The 1940 World Series matched the Cincinnati Reds against the Detroit Tigers, with the Reds winning a closely contested seven-game series.
In Southern Saskatchewan, in a season filled with conflict and confusion, the Weyburn Beavers, who finished second during the regular season defeated Moose Jaw Elks in the playoff final to capture the league championship.
Elmer Ekdahl (right) of the Beavers was the batting champion for the 1940 season, hitting .460.
Further north, following the demise of the Northern Saskatchewan Baseball League, a revival of the Saskatoon City Baseball League transpired during the spring of 1940. The newly-formed loop consisted of four member teams -- A.C.T. (also known as the Travellers, Hilltops, Northern Distributors, and Tigers. Max Bentley (left) of the Hilltops, was among the stars.
One of the big tourneys was the Saskatoon Exhibition Tournament, a week-long event, won in 1940 by Lanigan.
Norwood annexed the 1940 Greater Winnipeg Senior Baseball League title with a crushing 19 to 4 victory over the Selkirk Fishermen.
The Ponoka Stampeders won the four-team 1940 Central Alberta Baseball League pennant, finishing ahead of two Edmonton entries, the Arrows and Dodgers, as well as the Wetaskiwin Mustangs. However, come playoff time they were upset by the last-place Dodgers in the best-of-five final series.
1940 playoff victors in the lone B.C. lower mainland league that completed the season were the Vancouver Asahis (Burrard League). The Tillicum Athletics of Victoria were the best of the four-team bunch in the provincial Capital.
On Sunday, June 16th, little Roy Izumi, who played on two different teams, had quite the day in BC ball. In a morning game, Izumi pitched his Chamainus Nippons to a victory in the Mid-Island Japanese League. Then, at his usual keystone sack, he suited up for the Duncan Cubs in a double-header against Nanaimo. All he did was crack a bases-loaded triple to lift the Cubs to a win in the first game, then he went five-for-five with a bases-loaded double in the second while keying a pair of double plays among his achievements in the field.