Follow along all week with CIS Editor Stuart Bowden at the 2011 CIS Championships with his blog updates.
Travel to this year’s championship was considerably easier than last year since the event is in the same province that I live in. No flight – just a six hour drive depending on the construction in Toronto. If one of my suit hangers gets broken this year, I only have myself to blame. Since John and I had such a good experience last year staying at a B&B instead of a hotel, I investigated similar properties in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. What I found was the Boardwalk Homes Executive Guest Houses (www.boardwalkhomes.ca).
The coordinator Erin explained that these houses were specifically designed for executive trainees of U of Waterloo and Laurier, particularly for the China Executive Training Program (CETP). CETP was the last international program that past president David Johnston launched prior to assuming his role as Canada’s Governor General. As his Special Advisor on China development, she went with David to China and promoted not only the universities, but also the cities. One thing they consistently found when they were overseas was that most people do not want to stay in a hotel, but would prefer a hotel style house, with the amenities and comfort of a home. The Boardwalk Executive Guest Houses were subsequently constructed and designed to fit exactly that. The house I am in is massive, very modern, and brand new. There are common areas that everyone shares (kitchen, living room) and everyone has their own bedroom and if you’re spoiled like me, your own bathroom. I have 4 house mates who welcomed me with a fruit dish.
I departed Ottawa Tuesday after work (I know surprising, broadcasting doesn’t pay the bills) in sunny weather and woke up Wednesday morning in KW to a wintery mix. Did I just drive south, or north? While eating breakfast, I ironed my suits for the rest of the week. Next I headed to the Waterloo Recreation Centre, home to the Sunlife Arena, just off the campus of Wilfrid Laurier University. I met Mike Whitehouse, the Golden Hawks SID who gave me a tour of the facility. I started setting up my stuff in the pressbox and then settled in to watch Alberta, then McGill practice. Next it was off to the press conference at the Delta hotel where I had the chance to interview the coaches and captains. KW is a pretty little town (when it is not sleeting) and the organizing committee has done a great job advertising the event – Liz Knox’s helmeted face is everywhere. I do have to say they like their roundabouts too. Back to the arena I went to watch St. Fx and Manitoba skate. During a spare moment, I checked my videotaping ability and learned that my microphone was not working. I began trying to diagnose the problem when I noticed Manitoba’s Kristy Majeran climb over the glass behind the bench, into the stands, in order to get to the running track for her cool down following practice. Her teammates simply walked through the door at the end of the bench and up the stairs. I think she could hear me laughing from the other side of the ice.
I changed into a shirt and tie and headed to the All Canadian banquet. Since the dinner was at the Turret Lounge on WLU’s campus, I thought it was easier to bus over with the McGill team from the hotel. The trip was very informative – I learned Ann-Sophie Bettez thinks video coach Tom Watson has a comb over and that Gillian Ferrari’s nickname is Ronny Textall. I was seated at a table with Karen Hughes and Nicole Kesteris (All Rookie Team Goalie) from U of T. The keynote speaker was Becky Keller, the 3 time gold medal winner with Team Canada, who told the players to embrace the moment of playing in a national championship as she never had the opportunity.
Dinner was not your traditional banquet meal – chicken piccata with fresh vegetable pasta and crème brulee for dessert. The awards were handed out and Hayley Wickenheiser from the Calgary Dinos claimed the Broderick Trophy as player of the year. Well deserved but it would have been nice to see Marieve Provost from Moncton honoured – CIS career leading scorer, member of FISU games championship team, AUS player of the year. I interviewed Andrea Switalski from Mt. Allison, the Marion Hillard Award winner and realized her dad who was with her, coached against me back in Ottawa. Example one of many this week that women’s hockey is a small circle. Then I interviewed the coach of the year, Jim Denham from Brock. We almost coached together at Niagara University several years ago. See example number two one sentence later. Talked to Candice Djukic, a member of Laurier’s 2005 National Championship team who is in town for a reunion on Saturday and was in her full RCMP serge. My younger sister, a former goalie for Wayne State University, just graduated from Depot in Regina in October. Example number three in the same paragraph, see where this is going? I packed up my
stuff and waited in the entrance with the Manitoba Bisons team for the shuttle back to the hotel. They were all reading an article in the Laurier student paper that called their team “average”. Bulletin board material for the Canada West champions. On the bus, the Bisons had a team building exercise where they rocked the bus back and forth. I was the first one off at the hotel before they could see if they could rock anything else. I ran into Regina coach Sarah Hodges there and she was in sandals. She quickly stated she was not crazy and had just arrived from Florida. Ironically I am headed there after the championships for some R&R with my family.
Our camera man Bengt made it in from Ottawa and texted me to say he was setting up the equipment at the arena. I offered to stop by and help but he said he was good and told me to go home and rest up for Thursday. Little does he know that I was up to 1AM catching up on some of my favourite TV shows on the big screen at the Boardwalk Homes Executive Guest House. Well maybe he does now. Before I went to bed, I plugged every piece of electrical equipment (Blackberry, computer, camera) in to charge for the big first day.
Until tomorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment