My column today is devoted to the one hot topic that everyone in the community is talking about.
That topic, of course, is the provincial budget and the impact being felt by people here in the Battlefords.
Oh, to heck with that, let’s talk about the Battlefords North Stars instead.
It is fair to say that the success that the recent Canalta Cup run of the North Stars has gotten everyone’s minds off of all the usual doom and gloom around here.
Believe me, there’s been enough “doom” to deal with over the last few weeks in this area.
The fallout from the provincial budget cuts has been on the minds of everyone. I’ve been to city council and school board meetings where people would voice their disgust and outrage over the decimation wrought by the budget.
I was at the annual “budget breakfast” put on by the Chamber of Commerce and that had to go down as the most tense and unpleasant one I’ve ever been to, given the venom directed at finance minister Kevin Doherty by some in the room.
On top of that, you had the whole Gerald Stanley preliminary hearing in North Battleford, where the judge was determining whether he should stand trial for the murder of Colten Boushie. It was obvious there is still a lot of emotion associated with that case.
The day after it ended, I covered a protest at Herb Cox’s constituency office over library cuts. People were sitting outside reading books and even Kirby the Penguin, the North Battleford Library’s lovable stuffed mascot, was there waving placards.
That gives you an idea of how much misery there has been lately in the Battlefords. When even a stuffed penguin is miserable and waving placards, that about says it all.
So where do the hockey North Stars fit in? Let’s just say these guys have provided a welcome antidote to all of that.
Moreover, it seems like sports teams, and sports in general, have this knack for lifting a community up during its dark moments.
We saw that in New York after 9/11, and we saw that in Boston after the Boston Marathon bombings.
The Battlefords hasn’t seen that level of despair, but this community has had a rough go of it lately dealing with crime, oil spills, an economic downturn, and other adversities.
It’s been gloomy times. In spite of that, it has also never been a brighter time to be a sports fan in the Battlefords.
Only a few months ago, North Battleford hosted the highly-successful Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling, an event which saw visitors to the community blown away by the passion Battlefords fans had for the “roaring game.”
Next year, the Battlefords builds on the momentum by hosting the 2018 Saskatchewan Winter Games.
Now, putting the exclamation point on it, the Battlefords North Stars are Canalta Cup champions.
And they got there with a club-record 48-win regular season, followed by an undefeated 12-0 run throughout the entire SJHL playoffs.
Only two other teams in SJHL history have been able to go undefeated in the league playoffs: in 1976 and 1982. Both those teams belonged to the Prince Albert Raiders, the greatest dynasty in SJHL history.
That is impressive company for the North Stars to share. No matter what happens next, they will be remembered as one of the greatest teams in SJHL history.
What’s more, this title came against the Flin Flon Bombers, a team that made life miserable for the North Stars last postseason. And the victory came with two wins in one of the most intimidating arenas to play in anywhere, the Whitney Forum.
Connor Logan’s overtime goal in game three was a particularly high moment, and then came the clinching game four, in which the North Stars erased a 4-2 deficit to earn a 6-5 win, and the Cup.
I’ll tell you, after following and covering this franchise on and off for the past several years, tuning into the radio to hear the moment Kendall Fransoo lifted the Canalta Cup in Flin Flon was an emotional time.
Locally, people all over the Battlefords are excited. Businesses across the Battlefords have “Go Stars Go!” signs up all over the community.
Attendance at the Civic Centre has been through the roof, reaching a sellout 2,450 for game one of the Canalta Cup finals. That game went on, thanks to the tireless efforts all day by civic employees to stop a flood from coming into the building.
That local fan support was also seen in Flin Flon, with fans travelling seven long hours from the Battlefords to northern Manitoba to see their team play.
After the North Stars clinched their first Canalta Cup title in 17 long years, we opened up our Facebook page to comments, and people from throughout the community flooded our page with congratulations and best wishes for the team.
Regardless of race, colour, creed, gender, or political affiliation, people across the community have come together to cheer on the North Stars.
You know, a lot of people in North Battleford say the city is known for being the “crime capital.” In truth, the city is best known for one thing: its North Stars.
Pick up the newspapers or listen to the radio in places like Yorkton, Melville, Estevan, Humboldt or other places of that size.
Those media outlets don’t mention the Battlefords very often, but lately, the stories are all about how the first-place Battlefords North Stars have once again come into town and beaten their local team, as usual.
Throughout these playoffs, the reputation has grown. The provincial media has picked up the story of the North Stars’ run and shown highlights of games to fans across the province.
To anyone watching on TV, the image they have of the Battlefords is not one of a community riddled with problems.
Instead, the prevailing image is of a community that wins.
Winning is great not only for marketing and a city’s image, but also for morale everywhere in the community.
When the Battlefords North Stars go on to the Western Canada Cup in Penticton later this week, and fingers crossed, to the RBC Cup in Cobourg, that will be the image of the Battlefords brought to the country: a community of winners, taking pride in their hometown team.
Congratulations on the Canalta Cup, you guys. Let’s keep it going.
