Monthly Archives: August 2023

A Very Special Celebration

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By Terry Hughes

There have been many celebrations of couples like us both before and after this one but I wish to announce that Carolyn and I are celebrating our sixtieth wedding anniversary today, August 31, 2023. 

Pictured here is my beautiful bride (left) taken on the patio by Nick Bogner of Bogner Photography at the Beacon. How lucky I found my girl, lover, the mother of our two sons, partner and best friend. Our union was not by chance but was destined to happen due to a series of events long before we met. 

Our fathers attended Empire School and after graduating went on to attend Welland High during the early 1930’s. When I joined Optimist Boys Town Cub Scouts in 1950, Carolyn’s father was the head scoutmaster. The women’s auxiliary that supported the group was attended by our mothers. In the late 1950’s while working at Cross Street Pool I met Paul, Carolyn’s older brother. While teaching swimming to kids in the wading pool, I was called to the fence by a woman who asked if I could give her son a little more attention. The lady was Carolyn’s mother and the boy, her younger brother, Wayne. Although we still did not know each other we both transferred to Notre Dame in 1958. 

In 1959, a friend and I decided to attend the dance following the Tribune Basketball Tournament to check things out. Across the dance floor, I happened to notice a girl with a great smile so I asked a friend of hers if she would dance with me. She said yes and two weeks later we went out on our first date. By our third date we were going steady and four years later after a brief separation we announced our engagement to be married. 

The second picture (centre) shows us at my parents’ fiftieth wedding anniversary as we were about to celebrate our twenty-fifth. The most recent photo (right) was taken this summer at the cottage in Haliburton while enjoying all our family’s company for two weeks.

Now, here is the secret to our wonderful marriage and relationship for the past sixty years:

‘Cause you’re my lady and I am your man,
When faced with life’s problems,  
We did the best that one can.  
While solving these problems,
 With any success,
 Each time we searched for a solution,
 It was based on the power of our love.

(Terry  Hughes is a Wellander who is passionate about heritage, history and model railroading. His opinion column, Heritage Lives, appears on the blog once or twice monthly.)

Book About Canadian Hero Terry Fox ‘Completely Different’ Than Others Before It, Author Says

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Terry & Me, front cover./Gail Harvey photo

By Joe Barkovich, Scribbler-at-large

In Terry & Me, a sharing of experiences and encounters, memories and moments, and triumphs and tears from Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope, Bill Vigars just may have a national bestseller on his hands.

Vigars, a former Welland resident, joined Fox on the road June 24, 1980 near Montreal and was with him until Sept. 1 near Thunder Bay where recurring chest pains prompted Fox to go to a hospital. The following day at a press conference, Fox revealed his cancer had returned, spreading to his lungs and forcing him to end the run.

Vigars and his family lived in Welland from 1975 to 1980 when he was hired by the Canadian Cancer Society as Ontario director of fundraising and public relations. That became the link to his involvement with Fox and the Marathon of Hope.

I first learned of his plan to write a book late in 2021 when he called to talk about it. He sounded excited, nervous about the challenge, fired up by opportunities it presented and experiences he could see along the way.

He spent more than a year working on it. I won’t go into the methodology because I think it should be part and parcel of the rich and rewarding reading experience. I can say that because of an opportunity to see an advance copy of his work. But I will say it has humorous, emotional, poignant connections to Welland through names that many will know and relate to. Rather than reveal them here, I will keep these as a surprise for the reader, too.

Following disclosure of his book project, I was curious about why Vigars was so consumed by it and what led him to pursue his dream. In occasional email correspondence and telephone conversations over the past few months, I found out why.

Ever since that summer in 1980, Vigars has found himself sharing stories about Fox and the Marathon of Hope wherever he encountered people who knew of his involvement.

“Every time I did, people would say, ‘you have to write a book,” he told me.

Among that crowd was Sheldon Posen, who was curator of the Canadian Museum of History in Ottawa. In 2015 it staged the much-acclaimed Terry Fox — Running to the Heart of Canada exhibit. Vigars remembers Posen telling him “You have to write a book because you’re the only person who remembers over the years.” So, this urging and encouragement from so many supporters provided the moral and emotional suasion Vigars needed.

White Rock, British Columbia-resident Vigars says his purpose for writing the book “was to keep Terry’s legacy alive. It’s 43 years since the Marathon of Hope, there are many Canadians who don’t know the story.”

In his view, Terry & Me is “completely different” than anything written before it. Vigars says “It’s funny, it’s emotional, it tells the story of who Terry was as a human being.”

For Vigars, Fox’s story is as relevant today as it was 43 years ago.

Back then, Fox brought Canada together, says Vigars.

“He brought hope, he brought cancer to the forefront. I think we’re in a time right now where not just Canada but the whole world needs hope, needs a good story, something positive, and that’s what Terry & Me is.”

Some big names have given their support to Vigars’s book:

“A grippingly told story by one of the few people on earth who was actually there. A once in a lifetime read.” —Douglas Coupland, Canadian novelist and artist, author of “Terry”, writes.

And,

“Reading Bill Vigars’s book deepened my understanding of the summer that formed Terry’s legacy; from the daily itineraries of the run, to the logistical maneuvers of such a large-scale event, Bill’s insights fill out so much more of the picture.” — Steve Nash, Two-Time NBA MVP

And, an excerpt from a piece by ghostwriter Ian Harvey adds:

“He (Vigars) was an integral part of Terry’s inner circle and the man who made a lot of the big events happen which led to the Marathon of Hope snowballing as it did. He’s waited 43 years to tell his stories and there are going to be some tears and laughter. Bill has been a friend for 35 years and has regaled me and others with his road stories. We urged him to write a book.”

Ringing endorsements from heavyweights such as these aside, I was also taken by gentle commentary from Bill’s wife Sherry.

As Vigars tells the story — there you go, another story — the writing experience turned out to be “very emotional, very hard.” Some days when he found himself completely drained, he came out of his office and slouched on the couch where Sherry was sitting.

“She would put her hand on my shoulder and say, ‘You’re doing a good thing, just keep going,’ ” Bill Vigars said.

Release date for Terry & Me in Canada and the United States is August 29.

City of Welland’s Fall And Winter Program Registration Opens On August 30

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WELLAND – Starting on August 30, residents of Welland can register online for the city’s recreational programs for the fall and winter seasons. The city offers a comprehensive list of activities and programs for these upcoming sessions.

Residents must purchase an Active Pass membership before signing up for any programming. This pass not only grants access to registration but also provides access to professional staff and qualified instructors.

Membership options are available for all age demographics within the City of Welland. The Active Pass allows users to register for all drop-ins and programming ranging from aquatics to fitness, for example.

“We are excited to offer residents of all ages a variety of programming to support them in staying active, mentally and physically,” said Laura Chatterton, recreation coordinator. “Whether it’s a drop-in drumming program, a piano lesson, a Zumba class, or a children’s art program, we have something just for you.”

To register for programming, residents have two options: in-person registration at the Welland Community Centre or online registration through the City’s ActiveNet portal. Online registration begins at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, August 30. For those who prefer in-person registration, they can do so at the Community Centre on Thursday, August 31, at 9 a.m.

Browse and register for recreation programming opportunities at www.welland.ca/wwc for information on the Community Centre and its programming.

(Attribution: City of Welland media release)

Rick Jeanneret, Buffalo Sabres Legendary Broadcaster, Gifted With ‘Passion, Energy And Talent’

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By WAYNE REDSHAW

  The sports world lost an icon and I lost a personal friend Thursday night, August 17.

   Rick Jeanneret, the voice of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League, passed away following a two-year battle with multi-organ failures. He was 81.

    For more than five decades, Jeanneret was the voice of the Sabres, first on radio starting October 10, 1971, then on television in 1995 replacing the late Ted Darling. His last game was April 29, 2022 when Buffalo edged the Chicago Black Hawks in overtime.

Jeanneret calling a game for legions of Buffalo Sabres fans. /Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame archives.

   Jeanneret was well-known and celebrated around the NHL for his exciting, colourful  and unconventional calls. In fact, you could say he was the narrator of some of Buffalo’s greatest hockey memories. 

   The one that sticks out most in my mind was “May Day! May Day! May Day!” in 1993 when Brad May scored the game-winner in overtime at Memorial Auditorium to earn Buffalo a 6-5 victory and gave them a four-game sweep over the Boston Bruins marking their first series conquest in 10 years. I was covering that game but I have heard and seen replays of Jeanneret’s call of that goal a hundred times if not more over the years.

  He also had some other great lines over his illustrious broadcasting career. For example, when a Sabre put the puck in the top corner of the net Jeanneret would add “top shelf where mama hides the cookies.”

Then he had a knack of stretching out some player names. When defenceman Phil Housley would make an outstanding play on the blueine Jeanneret would come out with “woowwee Housleey.” Then there was centre Pat LaFontaine in the 1990s and when he scored Jeanneret broke out with “La-la-la-la-la-LaFontaine scores”.

Sometimes a game may have been boring listening to it on radio or watching on television but somehow Jeanneret with his passion, energy and talent had a way to make every game he broadcast sound exciting. He was an outstanding broadcaster and had an extremely high following not only in Western New York but in Southern Ontario during the 51 years he was the voice of the Sabres.

He was born in St. Catharines and got into broadcasting working as early morning disc jockey at CJRN Radio in Niagara Falls. He actually fell into hockey by accident.  The regular play-by-play man for the Niagara Fall Flyers Junior “A” Club was sidelined with illness and Jeanneret was asked to fill-in. He did and never looked back. It was just the beginning of a legendary career. He joined Buffalo in just their second year of existence in the NHL.

It was 1971 that I got to know Rick while covering Sabre games at the Aud. I had heard him a few times on his morning show on CJRN but never crossed paths until I met him in the press box. And when I went on some road trips to Montreal, Quebec City, Boston, New York, Long Island and Chicago to name a few stopovers, that is where I really got to know Jeanneret as the media hung out together when on the road. Rick was a fun guy to be with and a barrel of laughs.

I have a number of fond memories from the road trips but one I will never forget is a trip to Quebec City. The Sabres got whipped 6-0 by the Nordiques. As I was packing up my gear in the press box Rick came up and said to me: “Weiner (that was my nickname) why don’t we take a taxi to the airport instead of waiting for the bus because Scotty (Bowman) Is going to be pretty ugly after this showing.” I agreed so the two of us shared a taxi to the airport. We cleared customs and were told our charter plane was ready to board so we did.

  Once on the plane Rick asked the stewardess if she would serve us some beer while we waited for the team bus to arrive. She replied: “Sir, I can’t serve you beer until we are in the air. It’s regulations.” Rick replied: “Aw, come on, this is different. This is a charter flight and the two of us are waiting for the team to arrive.” She finally gave in and said “okay, what would you like?” Rick turned and said: “Six for Weiner and six for me.”

 We didn’t get the six each but we did get a couple each to quench our thirst and drown out the 6-0 beating. By the way, as I recall, that flight home was pretty quiet all the way to Buffalo.

  Jeanneret was a character but a master at his job. He achieved the NHL’s highest broadcasting honour in 2012 when he was named winner of the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award and inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. During that induction ceremony the “May Day, May Day, May Day” was replayed which was most fitting.

In addition to the Hockey Hall of Fame, Jeanneret has been inducted into: the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame, the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame, the Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame and the Terrace Bay, ON Wall of Fame. He is also an honorary inductee into the Bare Knuckle Boxing Hall of Fame.

In 2022 before he officially retired Jeanneret was honoured by the Sabres when a banner bearing his initials “RJ” was hoisted to the rafters of the team’s Key Bank Center arena. He is just one of 11 individuals to be bestowed that honour. That list includes: former owners Seymour H. Knox III and Northrop B. Knox and alumni: Gilbert Perrault, Rick Martin, Rene Robert, Tim Horton, Danny Gare, Pat LaFontaine, Dominik Hasek and Ryan Miller.

  It was quite a tribute but indeed most deserving. After all, Rick Jeanneret has left a lasting impression on Sabre land.

(Wayne Redshaw covered sports in Niagara for over 60 years and covered the Buffalo Sabres for over 40 years. In 2000 he was inducted into the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame.)

Barky’s Billboard

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Please Support/Attend This Outstanding Community Event

Concerts On The Canal announces the performer for its final and biggest concert of the year: Pink Floyd Niagara, returning to Welland for the second consecutive year.
There is no concert this Friday, but the program will be back on August 18, welcoming Exodus: The Bob Marley Tribute with special guest Andrew George Poirier./Barky’s Billboard is a recurring feature on the blog. Supplied graphic.