Wilkie’s support for Fernie, B.C.’s campaign to become the 2018 Kraft Hockeyville winner was met with open arms from the community of Fernie. All the eastern Kootaney region knows there is support coming from not only Saskatchewan, but Alberta has also stepped up to support, as well as the West Coast of British Columbia.
Their Facebook page; Fernie Memorial Arena Kraft Hockeyville, can be easily reached when searching for it on the monster media site.
On a whim, Wilkie Delta Co-op was approached for any 2018 Kraft Hockeyville signs in order to send to Fernie. Amanda Roth, manager at the Wilkie Delta Co-op when asked; found the signs and donated all of them to Fernie’s bid! Special thanks to the Wilkie Delta Co-op for your generosity and support!
Then the question was how to get the signs to Fernie. Upon contacting Mayor Mary Giuliano, Mayor of Fernie, to let her know we had these signs for her town and her campaign, she provided he address for them to be sent by bus. This seemed so impersonal. The decision was then made to hand deliver the signs to Fernie, as organizers of the Wilkie’s campaign for Hockeyville 2017 felt that in their stomach this was the right thing to do. One can only help someone from behind a computer screen, or over the phone via texting/talking. The magic of the Kraft Hockeyville sign had to be shown. Wilkie has seen and felt that magic itself once before, as well as the many other communities that have had the pleasure of entering the Hockeyville campaign; Unity and Ituna to name a couple.
The truck was packed up at 9 a.m. Friday, Jan. 19; along with luggage, winter gear, the Kraft Hockeyville signs, gifts from the Town of Wilkie, as well as gifts from the Wilkie Outlaw Executives and Senior Outlaws, for the Mayor of Fernie, Mary Giuliano.
Looking back on the horizon as Wilkie disappeared seemed surreal.
Down through Hanna, Alta,, on to Drumheller via Calgary, the scenery seemed to come alive with terrain that can take one’s breath away. But once one could see the mountains in the distance, the reality of the journey seemed to set in.
The windmills at Pincher Creek, Alta., was a signal of the descent up onto the Crow’s Nest Pass and the southern B.C. Kootaney region. On descending and seeing the Highway sign saying Fernie 115 km, one knew that this Paying it Forward journey would be one no one would ever forget.
The Welcome to Sparwood sign passed by the window, and right away it was like the Mayor of Fernie knew we were close. The message to meet within an hour and a half was arranged.
Finally, the Welcome to Fernie sign was seen and, instantly, the emotions were released. We had made it, it was so surreal. Next was to meet with Mayor Mary Giuliano, her husband Nick Giuliano, and CEO Norm McInnis.
Upon receiving a Town of Fernie hat from the mayor and several hand-picked gifts, we gave Mayor Mary Giuliano the beautiful gifts from the Town of Wilkie, including a green golf tee-shirt with our logo on it. The mayor of Fernie said the shirt will hang in the Town of Fernie office indefinitely! A special Wilkie Outlaw Jersey will be kept safe and placed in the arena at Fernie, once it is repaired and given to the community! Copies of The Outlaw History Book: 100 Years of Terror, compiled by former Wilkie resident Linda Clifford and editor of the Press Herald, Helena Long, was given to the president of The Fernie Ghostriders, Barb Anderson, Tracey Audia, President of Fernie Minor Hockey, Mayor Giuliano, and to the owner of The Bridge Bistro Restaurant in Fernie. This exchange of gifts between Wilkie and Fernie will be remembered by both communities as a new founded Sister City, tucked amongst the mountains.
The next morning, coffee and conversation and then down to business. The Kraft Hockeyville sign and the inflatable puck were brought along with Barb Anderson, Tracey Audia, Mayor Mary Giuliano, and myself, Helen Urlacher, who took to the streets and businesses to start the pictures with the signs. The excitement was felt in every store and, to be exact, the first four businesses that were entered, the business owners were all from Saskatchewan! One lady’s father was originally from Wilkie.
People were stopping on the street to participate, storeowners showing nothing but generosity and thankfulness.
The spirit of Hockeyville is one of many magical things that brings communities together, so they are unstoppable. The look of hope when there is none, the pride in the town you live in that comes alive the help to bring a community back together once they have been devastated... a chance for everyone to stand together and fight together. A second chance for them to have their lights turned back on, and for generations of children and people to cheer loud when their team scores, or when that curling rock glides right onto that button.
Leaving Fernie and seeing it disappear in the horizon behind us, I felt humbled. Humbled for everyone we met, everyone who got in the Hockeyville spirit there, humbled for my dear friend who drove me, most importantly for my dearest friend, for having everyone in Wilkie and surrounding area supporting someone, no matter the distance or cause. That’s what Saskatchewanians do.
