'They will persevere': Former SJHL reporter on Humboldt tragedy

The bus was an hour away from Weyburn before a critical playoff game. The boys were nervous. Then someone turned on the cult hit "Hey Baby" and you could feel the tension float away into the canola fields as the whole team hollered along.

"I wanna know, will you be my girl?"

The bus. It's where junior hockey teams bond. It's where 23 teenagers with 23 different backgrounds become brothers. In Saskatchewan, which has more miles of highway than anywhere in the country, there's endless time to make lifelong friendships while riding frozen roads in the middle of nowhere.

Card games, movies, music, laughter. You pass the time any way you can. Over the course of a long season, the bus is your second home. 

You get on that bus and you entrust your safety to the driver. While the boys have their fun, the driver carries the burden of making sure they all get home alive.

The Humboldt Broncos didn't make it.

They played their hearts out all season to get this far. They travelled to 34 road games without incident. This trip was pretty short by Saskatchewan standards.

And yet less than half an hour from Nipawin for Game 6 of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League semifinals, a tractor trailer on a grid road plunged the Broncos into hell on earth.

Of the 29 guys on the bus, 14 lost their lives in the blink of an eye. Another died in hospital. Others were critically injured. 

SJHL president Bill Chow summed it up: "The worst nightmare has come true." 

Anyone who has played competitive team sports, any parent, any coach can relate. That's why Canadians from Saskatoon to Shediac feel a collective punch to the gut. 

Every team knows it could have been them, but it's the small town of Humboldt now carrying a weight heavier than anyone could be expected to cope with.

Any reporter who's hopped on the bus can relate, too.

I covered the SJHL for seven seasons - first the Kindersley Klippers, then the Estevan Bruins. It's a league of 12 community-owned and community-driven teams. Each of those clubs is the beating heart of their respective town. 

It takes many selfless people giving of themselves to make it work. The billet families who take these young men into their homes and treat them like sons. The board members who embrace the task of keeping the club financially sustainable. The game day volunteers. The rink workers. The season ticket holders. It goes on and on.

So when the Broncos are hurting, every team and every community is hurting. I saw it in friends and former colleagues from every corner of the province.

Saskatchewan has never been smaller, or more brokenhearted.

The horror that unfolded April 6, 2018 on Highway 35 near Tisdale will take a long, long time to process. Lives have been forever altered. The grief seems unbearable.

But if anyone can hold on to a shard of hope to carry them through, it's the people of Saskatchewan.

The players, families, fans and first responders will need support from the rest of Canada and the rest of the hockey world long after this tragedy disappears from the news cycle. 

But they will persevere. I know they will. The Prairies are full of strong, good people.

For years, the Humboldt Broncos have been synonymous with success. Now they are inextricably linked with disaster. 

We can only offer a desperate plea that this never happens again.

Stojko to skate in O'Leary

O’Leary will host a Canadian figure skating legend later this month.

Elvis Stojko will hold a seminar for the local figure skating club on Feb. 17 before performing in their annual ice show the next day.

A three-time world champion and two-time Olympic medallist, Stojko does many shows in small towns across Canada.

“I enjoy skating for the towns. They’re really appreciative. It’s something I enjoy and it’s fun times with the kids.”

Stojko appreciates it can be hard for fans in isolated places like P.E.I. to see top talent on display.

Young figure skaters often ask him how to do jumps – Stojko was the first man to land a quadruple jump in combination in 1991 – but he said it’s about more than sport.

“I teach them about going after what they believe in, to go after what they want in life.

“All the things you learn from skating can apply to other things in life. It’s giving you tools that will extend beyond just skating itself. For me, it’s mentorship.”

Learning from a former world-class figure skater is a rare opportunity, and Stojko said he feeds off that energy.

“They treat you like gold. Small towns are always awesome. They get all excited and it’s fun to skate for them. They’re just so pumped to have you there.”

He enjoys the opportunity to see parts of Canada he wouldn’t otherwise get to.

“I’m going to P.E.I., which I love. It’s beautiful there. As long as we don’t have a snowstorm, I can get there on time.

“I’m very fortunate I’m still doing it and can still do it and am still being asked to do it.”

O’Leary figure skating coach Julie MacNeill said the idea to bring in Stojko came from a parent.

“In all fairness, a lot of the kids didn’t know who he was … once he gets here and they get to see him perform live, I think they’ll be pleased. Nothing like that ever happens. The odd time they come to P.E.I., but they never come to West Prince.”

She expects the ice show to sell out with Stojko on the bill.

“That just opens it up to another whole audience. It means our ice show will probably be widely attended in comparison to when it’s just our local skaters.”

Stojko’s seminar was capped at 60 skaters, so those who miss out on that can see him the next day, MacNeill said.

“I just think it’s a neat opportunity for the skating community.”

When he’s not skating, Stojko is busy with a budding acting career.

“The biggest thing I’m working on is going to acting school and doing a lot of film work. Acting is a real direction I want to take. I focus on it quite a bit.”

He and his wife recently bought a 100-acre property outside Toronto. They and their three dogs appreciate the change of pace.

“We enjoy nature.”

Rainnie relishes curling at eighth Olympics

When Daniel Igali won gold on the last day of the 2000 Olympics, Bruce Rainnie’s career took off.

It was Rainnie’s first Olympiad as a broadcaster, covering wrestling and weightlifting – in his own words, entry-level positions.

The assignment paid off for Rainnie when Igali won his third match of the day to stand atop the podium.

“I was the guy who got to tell his story to Canada. That was a huge opportunity for me. It went well – well, it didn’t go great, but I was asked back.”

Eighteen years later, Rainnie will be telling the stories of Canadian curlers at the Pyeongchang Olympics.

The former Compass anchor has plenty of experience with the roaring game, but it’s always a challenge, he said.

“It’s the only sport where every competitor in the game has a mic on. Seated beside you are two curlers who have won Olympic medals. So in terms of knowing what’s going on in the game, you are a distant 11th in the pecking order.”

Part of the job is picking the right moments to talk, Rainnie said.

“You have to really adjust and be patient and let the conversation on the ice flow and be a traffic cop of sorts. Make sure the stars of the game are allowed to be the stars.”

Rainnie’s most vivid Olympic memories involve calling Canadian gold medals – including the double victory by curlers Jennifer Jones and Brad Jacobs in Sochi.

He may get a chance to recreate that magic in Pyeongchang.

“Canadian teams are the teams to watch.”

Rainnie’s duties will begin Thursday – a day before the opening ceremony – when the new mixed doubles event begins. John Morris and Kaitlyn Lawes will represent Canada.

“They’re dynamic shot makers and really good sweepers.”

(edit: Morris and Lawes will go for gold against Switzerland Tuesday at 7 a.m. Atlantic time)

Rainnie expects Canada’s Kevin Koe to face Sweden’s Niklas Edin in the men’s gold-medal game.

“Those are the two best teams there. Them along with Brad Gushue are the top three teams in the world.”

Predicting the women’s tournament is a little more difficult, Rainnie said.

“It could be wide open, although I think Rachel Homan, if they’re on, they’re really, really good.”

Great Britain’s Eve Muirhead and Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg should also contend, he said.

Kevin “Boomer” Gallant, Rainnie’s former partner on Compass, said the veteran broadcaster sets himself up for success.

“I’ve never seen a man so prepared to go on air in my life. He prepares himself mentally. His preparation, his delivery, he’s got a lot of assets to be on television.”

Rainnie has an excellent memory, Rainnie added.

“CBC are lucky to have him right now because he is the complete package when he goes on air.”

CBC anchor, weatherman form lasting friendship

The first time Bruce Rainnie met Kevin “Boomer” Gallant, they were kicked out of the room at a CBC function for laughing too much.

A year later, Rainnie joined Gallant on CBC News: Compass and a lifelong friendship was born.

Gallant, who was the show’s weatherman for 31 years, remembers the day in the fall of 2003 when management told him Rainnie would be taking over the anchor’s desk.

“I said, ‘What?’ Christmas came early for Boomer. I knew we'd hit it off. It's just been magic since then on air.”

The chemistry and humour that came to define the pair’s tenure on Compass began right away, Gallant said.

Rainnie’s first night on air was marred by technical difficulties. Gallant started right in with digs at the new anchor.

“It's a wonder he didn’t leave us with all the technical glitches. People see you having fun with the faux pas, and they have fun at home.”

In the two years before Rainnie got married, he had supper with the Gallants 155 times. The kids kept track.

Rainnie values the friendship greatly.

“It’s irreplaceable. That’s a once in a lifetime partnership, for sure. I would never get that again from anyone at any network.”

Even Peter Mansbridge, former anchor of CBC’s The National, took notice of the bond, Gallant said.

“He said there's no other host and weatherman in North America who get along like this on television. It’s a nice testimonial to the friendship we have.”

And it was all spontaneous, Rainnie said.

“We never rehearsed anything. When it went off the rails and we were there to put it back on, that was really entertaining stuff. It’s all from knowing the other guy will play along and come back with something.”

The comfort level between the two men was crucial, Rainnie added.

“When you find someone you can be totally open with, self-deprecating with, and you know they’re not going to be offended, that’s really watchable. People love to watch that. It’s comfortable. It’s hugely, hugely important and I think it was a big reason why the Bruce-Boomer thing worked.”

They became so close that when Gallant’s wife Mae passed away in 2006, Rainnie and his wife Kendra sang and performed at her funeral. That meant a lot to Gallant.

“He was a true friend, still is and always will be.”

The laughter extended well beyond the airwaves of Compass, Rainnie said.

“We’ve never disagreed about anything. We’ve never had an argument. There wasn’t a single day where he wouldn’t have me dissolved into tears with laughter somewhere in a room at CBC.”

Both left Compass last April. Rainnie took over as president and CEO of the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame and Gallant took the plunge into retirement.

They talk on a daily basis, but they both miss the camaraderie. Gallant compared their bond to Abbott and Costello.

“I miss Bruce, our daily banter before we got on air in the newsroom. We disrupted people doing stories for Compass. I’ve always wanted to have fun with whatever I did in life. The last 13 years with Bruce was fun times 10.”

The time spent together when Rainnie visits the Island are memorable, said the former anchor.

“(Gallant) became, outside of my wife, my best buddy. I hope he feels the same. It’s a pretty special thing when we get a chance to get together. The stories start flowing and get exaggerated more and more.”

Bruce and Boomer enjoying next chapter in life

Kevin “Boomer” Gallant used to own 74 Hawaiian shirts. Now he has 12.

Call it a casualty of retirement.

P.E.I.’s most recognizable voice has been off the air for nine months, and he’s enjoying the change of pace.

Following a 31-year career providing the weather on CBC News: Compass, Gallant has taken up biking and goes to the gym four or five times a week.

“I started to eat healthier, less beer in the evenings, lost a few pounds and I feel like a million bucks.”

Gallant logged over 3,000 kilometres on the Confederation Trail last year.

“I have a pretty good attitude about life and I think that helps me get through every day. People ask me what I'm doing and I just tell them, whatever I want to do that day.”

Gallant and Compass anchor Bruce Rainnie both left the show last April. Rainnie had occupied the anchor’s chair for more than 13 years before being hired as president and CEO of the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame.

The timing of Rainnie’s departure led Gallant to follow suit.

“I was sort of preparing for retirement for about a year. When Bruce got the job offer in Halifax, I said, ‘I'm going to go too, let's go together.’ It's been great.”

Meanwhile, for Rainnie, running the Hall of Fame was an appealing option.

“This job would never have come around again in my working lifetime, so I had to explore it. Every day I get to immerse myself in sports stories and sports heroes. That’s a good gig. It’s a good way to spend the next 15 years, if I can pull it off.”

When Rainnie was hired by CBC in 2003, the pair developed a bond on and off the air that made P.E.I.’s supper-hour news must-watch television.

Maureen Martin of Tryon was an instant fan.

“I thought they were wonderful. I miss the both of them.”

The rapid-fire humour made Compass a staple of the supper hour, Martin said.

“It was just a pleasant show to watch. They were always joking with each other. They both seemed quite knowledgeable about what they were doing – just look where Bruce has got himself today. He’s quite smart. It was a very enjoyable hour at suppertime.”

Covering provincial elections was one of the best parts of the job, Rainnie said. He anchored CBC’s coverage of the 2007, 2011 and 2015 results.

“There are very few things that can match the electricity of a live election night on P.E.I. I’ve always been a political junkie. I always describe those as drama without a script.”

Rainnie was in his element flying by the seat of his pants.

“You had to be ready to make those numbers make sense. I loved those nights.

“I thought they were really challenging and energizing and a real test of what I think a broadcaster should be, and that’s someone who can make sense of things on the fly as they’re coming in.”

Anchoring Compass had special meaning for Rainnie.

“There was a daily feeling that what you were doing meant something. It’s a good feeling to know the work you did that day was going to be watched and valued.”

Still, there was an upside to leaving.

“I do not miss putting on makeup. I do not miss having to find a shirt and tie every day I didn’t wear the night before,” he laughed.

As for Gallant, the future is wide open and he plans to spend time with his son, daughter and granddaughter.

“I’m just looking forward to every day ahead with those people. We’re into February, so I’ll soon have the bike out, the shorts and Hawaiian shirts, and away we go again.”

Reporters recall rewarding results

Armed with nothing but a piece of paper and a 1-800 number, Louise Martin sat down and looked into the camera.

A tornado had just struck a local trailer park and killed 11 people.

Martin couldn’t see her audience, but she knew their spirits were broken. Speaking into the living rooms of Red Deer, she was more than a news anchor; she was a comforting voice for people who needed answers.

“We stayed on the air for a long time, being there for the people of the community. They just needed to hear something from someone,” said Martin, who now anchors CBC Compass in Charlottetown.

“We were feeding them as much (information) as we could. We were the voice of reason for people at home. I went home and cried my heart out.”

While speaking to Holland College journalism students on Jan. 15, Martin stressed local news is important because it directly impacts people’s lives.

“We cover road closures and weather. Those stories matter and it affects your everyday life. That is news to me.”

Some stories are emotional to cover, said Martin, but that helps her connect with viewers and interview subjects alike.

When Anders Breivik murdered dozens of people in Norway in 2011, Martin spoke to one of the victims as he was being prepped for surgery.

“He was crying. I let him cry. You need to see I’m a human and not a robot.”

Martin’s husband, Ken Linton, said that trait made her a good choice to host P.E.I.’s supper-hour news program.

“Louise is a good fit for Compass. She shows emotion. She’s not a robot reading the news.”

The couple didn’t know what to expect when they moved to the Island, but Linton said it’s been a positive experience.

“People warned us about what it would be like. They said Louise would be recognized a lot. The people are very nice and respectful.”

Dave Stewart has been a reporter with The Guardian since 1995. In a career that’s seen it all, he said the heartwarming stories stand out.

“It’s the good people you meet that turn into good stories that really, really stick with you.”

In the summer of 2016, Stewart got an email from a man named Francis Menard, who was trying to find his birth mother on P.E.I. and had exhausted other options.

Stewart wrote the story and was stunned to see what happened next.

“Within hours of that story going up online, his birth mother reaches out to him. That just doesn’t happen in this business, not that quick.”

But the story didn’t end there. Stewart interviewed the mother and Menard also met his birth father. The couple was divorced.

“Some day you’re sitting down in a rocking chair and you think back on the stories you did that might have made a difference. Covering the legislature, press conferences, city council, that’s not the rewarding aspect of the job.

“Knowing you brought a family together – that feeling you get, the tingles down your spine, that warm sensation – those are the stories I remember the most.”

The newspaper industry can be tough to work in, but stories like Menard’s are rewarding, Stewart said.

“When you know you’ve made a difference in someone’s life in a good way, it makes all those bad phone calls you receive over the years worth it.”

Martin told the students the media can play a role in bringing people together.

“Be kind to one another, respect one another and help one another. The world can be a nasty place sometimes.”

Travellers plan around Caribbean hurricane damage

Brodie MacNevin’s wedding plans were plunged into uncertainty when Hurricanes Irma and Maria razed parts of the Caribbean in September.

            

The St. Catherines, P.E.I., native and his girlfriend Andrea were to be married in Cayo Santa Maria, Cuba, in February. But Irma scored a direct hit on the resort town off the country’s northeast, decimating the local airport and causeway.

            

Their resort re-opened after several weeks of reconstruction efforts, but not without some changes, said MacNevin, who now lives in Chezzetcook, N.S.

            

“The resort looks different now. It used to have, I’ll say, that Cuban feel, a lot of bright colours. During the restoration, they modernized it a little more.”

            

But they had chosen the hideaway for its traditional feel, he said.

            

“They had modern resorts down there that looked like a hotel here in downtown Halifax. If you’re going to Cuba, you want to think you’re in Cuba. There’s nothing we can do about that now.”

            

The aftermath of the hurricanes had many Caribbean travellers scrambling to determine the extent of the damage.    

            

Holland College Graphic Design instructor Mike Thomas had tentative plans to travel south in March along with his wife Nancy, several relatives and friends.

            

Their first reaction to the news was one of compassion for the people affected, he said, but they soon realized they needed to do a lot more diligence.

            

“We were planning on travelling down, where do we go, where can we go, how many of these resorts have been damaged beyond repair and when are they going to be fixed?”

Mike Thomas and his wife Nancy had to take hurricane damage
into consideration when planning their Caribbean getaway.

They ultimately decided on a resort in the Dominican Republic, but the decision required a wary eye, Thomas said.

“(The websites) are always going to advertise the best things. They’re not going to say, ‘We’re a wreck! Please still come down.’ They’re going to say everything’s put together.”

Maritime Travel counsellor Larissa Newell said their operations are now more or less back to normal, which is surprising to some of their clients.

            

“A lot of people think things are still pretty ravaged. They’re pretty surprised to hear everything is back up and running and that Cuba recovered so quickly, because certain areas were hit pretty bad.”

            

Some cruises are being diverted to different destinations rather than the still-damaged St. Maarten, Newell said.

            

Puerto Rico was hardest hit by the hurricanes, and Newell said it’s not available as a destination, but cruises leaving from there are going smoothly.

“But I would not send anyone there as a destination. I know certain parts of the island still don’t have any power.”

She said there are no direct flights from the Maritimes to the worst-affected areas, so those operations have not been affected.

As for MacNevin and his fiancée, they still don’t know what to expect when they touch down in Cayo Santa Maria.

“We’re a little nervous about it. They probably lost some shoreline. I know they lost all kinds of trees. The landscape’s going to be different. They don’t really update their pictures that much.”