STACKHOUSE SOAPBOX (Yorkton This Week Oct 19)

The September Showcase for the SJHL was held in Estevan over the weekend.  There were over two dozen scouts taking in the action, including eight National Hockey League teams that were represented.  For me, the real story is the beautiful Spectra Place and the show put on by the organizers.  Executives are constantly looking at ways to make their game more of an event and not just a sixty minute hockey game.  Well, the Bruins have it cased.  They have a jumbotron at centre ice where they are flashing Bruin highlights before the team skates out.  When they do, it’s accompanied by loud rock music and strobe lights.  The intermissions are busy too with pretty girls throwing stuff into the crowd and the camera guy is panning from section to section getting people to cheer as they see themselves on the big tv.  There is a sports door that keeps regular hours right inside the playing surface part of the arena and they stock Bruin merchandise.  Both sides of the ice are loaded with top of the line luxury suites.  To top it off, the food is super expensive so they can pay off the massive price tag to build this palace!

Estevan is a city that may be growing at a rate faster than what it can handle.  The downtown was bumper to bumper even on a Sunday morning.  And, if you get a chance to talk to anyone in Yorkton about what it is like to wait in line for a coffee at the drive-thru, you are likely to get nothing but unsatisfied customers.  Well, Yorkton has nothing on Estevan.  The coffee shop there had three ways to enter the parking lot.  All three were clogged with vehicles trying to merge into one line.  If you were inside the restaurant, good luck trying to get out.  I’m still not going to wait in the Yorkton line, but it made me realize it can be worse.  By the way, the franchise I’m talking about is one that should have more of its stores open in Yorkton.  I grew up in Fredericton, which is triple the size of Yorkton.  They have fifteen of these franchise outlets open for business.  We have one.  And, we have more disposable income than people from New Brunswick.

Long time Yorkton residents are likely familiar with the name Bob Rhinas.  Bob lives in British Columbia now and is 56-years-old, but is in need of a kidney transplant.  Monday, Brenda Walsh (his sister) donated one of hers in a life saving gesture.  I used to work for Brenda’s husband, Lyle, and he told me at the Terrier game last Wednesday of Brenda’s amazing decision to give the gift of life.  Lyle and Brenda are not the type of people who go around publicizing their good deeds, but I felt this is something folks should know about, especially if you don’t see Brenda around for awhile.  Lyle tells me it’s about a three month process for Bob and Brenda to fully recover.  Brenda will be in the hospital for about five days after the transplant and then will be an outpatient for a number of visits and then it’s hoped she can return to Yorkton. 

If fans want to send the Saskatchewan Roughriders a real message that means something, they will not attend the last home game of the season on October 29 against Hamilton, even if you already have a ticket.  The Riders make money in the food you eat, the drinks you consume, and the merchandise you wear.  If you don’t go, it will be reflected in their gate.  It’s not that I’m a Rider non-supporter, but this organization has to understand the fan base means business when it comes to putting a competitive product on the field.  If you accept the Riders as lovable losers, they are simply nothing more than the Toronto Maple Leafs of the CFL.  Rider brass has insulted the fan base by continuing to trot out the same bunch of losers week after week after week without major change.  Furthermore, they played injured quarterback Darian Durant and injured receiver Andy Fantuz (perhaps the two players they should make sure they keep) on Sunday despite the fact this team didn’t have a snowball’s chance in Cuba of making the playoffs.  I am imploring Jim Hopson to please FIX THIS MESS. 

I snapped a picture of a small sampling of what the Gallagher Centre parking lot looked like last Wednesday night at the Terrier game.  Oh boy do we have lots to learn.  Clearly, the stalls are marked and the row ends where indicated, but three more vehicles figured they’d squeeze in too just to get that much closer to the building and minimize the walk.  Of course three more vehicles parked behind those guys!

Nice person mentions this week to Dean Brockman, Becky Tait, Ron Holloway, and Rob Hart.