We had visitors in our home for the past week and had occasion to make two trips over the Coquihalla. The lack of respect some drivers show towards construction workers is impossible to understand. Is there any reason for someone to drive 100 km-h in a construction zone that is clearly posted as 70?
On our way back from Hell’s Gate on Wednesday, we took Highway 5A from Merritt to Kamloops. On Thursday, a lightning storm moved through the area and now the city is experiencing its first really nasty skies (smoke, ash, embers, etc.) of the summer. Yes, we had been lucky to get this far into summer with mostly smoke-less skies. But we knew it couldn’t last, especially when the temperature reached 35 C for an extended period.
And now there is a fire — the Ross Moore Lake fire — that is 11 or 13 km (depending on what you’re reading) from Kamloops’ southern border. It is between 5A and the Coquihalla (No. 5) and burning aggressively, and people have been evacuated. There is a lot of grassland between the fire and the city, so only time will tell how it will react with less forest to devour.
In the meantime, cooler temperatures are in the forecast — 29 C for Monday and 23 C with showers (ahh, please!) for Tuesday.
As for our visitors, well, they quite enjoyed their stay. Until Saturday when WestJet dumped on their vacation. The flight to Calgary was to have left at 11 a.m., and was listed as ‘on time’ at 8:30 a.m. But it ended up being an hour late leaving Kamloops and the airline chose not to hold the connecting flight to Brandon. (A hold of about 15 minutes is all that was needed.) So, after spending a night in the Calgary airport, our guests arrived home Sunday morning.
By coincidence, a WestJet ad showed up on my Facebook page Saturday night. I noted that it had more than 1,000 responses. A quick check showed that about 99 per cent of them were critical of the airline. Should I have been surprised?
James McEwan, a former WHL enforcer who was one of the original signees of a proposed class-action lawsuit against the CHL, including the WHL, is getting into the coaching racket. McEwan has taken over as general manager and head coach of the junior B Summerland Steam of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.
McEwan, 36, replaces Mark MacMillan, who spent two seasons with the Steam and now is preparing for his first season as an assistant coach with the BCHL’s Penticton Vees.
A Kelowna native, McEwan played four seasons (2004-08) in the WHL, spending two seasons with the Seattle Thunderbirds and two with his hometown Rockets. A forward, he put up seven goals and 10 assists in 208 regular-season games. He also totalled 540 penalty minutes.
He went on to play five seasons in the ECHL, retiring after spending 2014-15 with the Gwinnett Gladiators. In 150 regular-season games, he had seven goals, six assists and 557 penalty minutes.
McEwan doesn’t have any coaching experience, although he is the president of Infinite Ice, which, according to his LinkedIn page, focuses on “providing players with an inspiring, healthy environment (in which) to develop the skills and qualities to thrive long term in the game of hockey and life. Our mission is to elevate the consciousness of players and unite them with their inner power to be connected, balanced, strong, healthy leaders on and off the ice.”
He also lists himself as a meditation and yoga teacher.
In 2019, McEwan and a number of other former players launched a proposed class-action lawsuit against the CHL, including the WHL, and Hockey Canada, alleging that they were negligent by “perpetuating an environment that permitted, condoned and encourage fighting and violence in the game among the underage players they they are obliged to protect.”
Rick Westhead of TSN reported in May that a judge “has set a date for lawyers to argue whether the case should proceed as a class action: Oct. 25-27 in Vancouver.”
McEwan, according to an affidavit filed as part of the proposed lawsuit, had more than 70 fights during his four WHL seasons. He has said that he believes he now is showing symptoms of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive brain disease associated with brain injuries, including concussions.
Headline at The Beaverton (@TheBeaverton) — BC Parks to improve campsite reservation system by partnering with Ticketmaster.
JUNIOR JOTTINGS:
The BCHL, which you will be aware now is operating outside of Hockey Canada’s jurisdiction, has revealed its on-ice officiating staff for 2023-24. In total, the officiating department features four development coaches and mentors, five managers, 26 referees and 24 linespeople. . . . Because the BCHL now operates independently, if any of these officials work in the BCHL after Sept. 30, they won’t be allowed to work in any events that are sanctioned by BC Hockey or Hockey Canada for 2023-24. . . . The BCHL news release, including the names off all on-ice officials, is right here. . . .
Taylor Curry has joined the WHL’s Tri-City Americans as their athletic therapist. From Tacoma, she has been a volunteer assistant athletic therapist with the Seattle Thunderbirds, working with veteran Phil Varney. Curry has a bachelor’s degree in athletic training from Washington State and a master’s in sports medicine and injury studies from Cal State Long Beach. . . . With the Americans, Curry takes over from Midge Pearson, who worked with them for one season. . . .
The Vancouver Giants have hired Cord Ivanco as their new equipment manager. Ivanco, 28, spent the past five seasons with the U of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team. . . . In Vancouver, he takes over from Brodie St. Jacques, who joined the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks in June. . . .
F Blake Eastman has joined the Summerside Western Capitals of the junior A Maritime Hockey League after spending four seasons (2019-23) in the WHL. Eastman, from Androssan, Alta., cleared 20-year-old waivers in the WHL after playing with the Prince George Cougars. In 180 regular-season games, he put up 19 goals and 25 assists.
THE COACHING GAME:
The Everett Silvertips have added Mike Field to their staff as an assistant coach. Field, 39, had been associate head coach with the Arizona State U Sun Devils for eight seasons. He is from Marquette, Mich., and will work alongside head coach Dennis Williams and assistant Dean DeSilva in Everett. . . .
Clayton Beddoes, who is from Bentley, Alta., has joined the Red Deer Rebels as an assistant coach. Beddoes actually is returning to the Rebels, whom he served as skills coach in 2014-15. . . . He played with the Red Deer Optimist Chiefs and the AJHL’s Rustlers before going on to school at Lake Superior State. He played two seasons (1995-97) with the Boston Bruins, then went on to play in the IHL and Europe before retiring in 2002. . . . Beddoes has coaching experience in Germany and Italy, and most recently was with the KHL’s Kunlun Red Star (2021-22) and the Chinese national team program. . . . In Red Deer, he will be working with first-year head coach Derrick Walser and assistant Mike Egener. . . .
Andy Moog won’t be back for an eighth season as the Portland Winterhawks’ goaltending coach. Moog, 63, has chosen to retire. He joined the Winterhawks in time for the 2016-17 season. . . . Brendan Burke, a former Portland goaltender, has been promoted to replace Moog. Burke joined the Winterhawks as assistant goaltending coach prior to the 2022-23 season. Burke, 28, played three-plus seasons (2011-15) with Portland, then finished his WHL career with the Calgary Hitmen. He also got into 19 games with the OHL’s London Knights in 2015-16. After junior, Burke played four seasons with the U of Alberta Golden Bears. . . .
Joël Perrault is the new head coach of the QMJHL’s Rimouski Oceanic. Earlier, Perrault, 40, had signed on as an assistant coach with the Victoriaville Tigres. But that was before the opportunity arose with Rimouski. . . . Perreault ended a 13-season pro career after playing in France in 2015-16. His career included 96 games in the NHL, split among the Phoenix Coyotes, St. Louis Blues and Vancouver Canucks. . . . He spent the past three seasons as head coach of the U18 AAA Saint-Eustache Vikings. . . . In Rimouski, he takes over from Serge Beausoleil, who had been with the organization for 12 years. . . .
Ryan Marsh is the new head coach of the AJHL’s Spruce Grove Saints. Marsh, 48, has been coaching since 2003-04 when he was an assistant with the AJHL’s Fort Saskatchewan Traders. He was an assistant with the Saints for four seasons (2006-10). He also has coaching experience with NAIT and the U of Alberta Golden Bears. For four seasons, he was an assistant coach with the Edmonton Oil Kings, and also spent four seasons as associate coach with the Saskatoon Blades. Last season, he worked with the DEL’s Schwenninger Wild Wings. . . . Marsh takes over from Bram Stephens with the Saints. They had announced on July 5 that Stephens wouldn’t be returning after six seasons as head coach. . . .
The AJHL’s Brooks Bandits are looking for an assistant coach after Nick Prkusic revealed that he is leaving the organization in order to return to playing. Prkusic played three seasons with the Bandits, winning two AJHL titles, then won another in 2022-23 in his only season as an assistant coach. . . . In between, he played four seasons at Robert Morris U in Carnot-Moon, Penn. . . . The Bandits’ news release didn’t indicate where Prkusic would be playing in 2023-24.
Mike Hammond, who won the BCHL’s 2010-11 scoring title, was killed in a single-vehicle car accident near Shawnigan Lake, B.C., on Wednesday. RCMP were on scene at 5:30 a.m., and said the driver of the Porsche Boxter apparently lost control of the vehicle, left the road and hit a tree. . . . Hammond was 33. . . . He played one game with the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets in 2006-07. . . . He led the BCHL with 93 points in 2010-11, splitting the season between the Cowichan Valley Capitals and Salmon Arm Silverbacks. . . . After four seasons in the BCHL, Hammond spent four seasons at Lakehead U and one in the ECHL before going to Europe. He played last season with the EIHL’s Nottingham Panthers. . . . Born in Brighton, he also represented Great Britain in a number of international competitions, including the 2023 IIHF Division 1A championship, where he had two goals and three assists in five games.
THINKING OUT LOUD: How come I don’t see the ubiquitous Burger King butter chicken or Hyundai ‘We Make Wah’ commercials when I’m watching American TV channels? . . . It’s time for Subway to ditch the hungry momma, too. Give her the No. 12 and send her on her way. Please. . . . And don’t get me started on that family in the Save-On-Foods commercials. Stop paying them and maybe the price of groceries would drop a bit. Or maybe not. . . . Meanwhile, there was another thrilling finish in the CFL as the Ottawa Rough, er, Redblacks went into Calgary and beat the Stampeders, 43-41, in overtime. Yes, that was a fun one. . . . There were at least 1,070 new COVID-19 cases in Canada for the period July 2-8. However, only Ontario (450) and Quebec (620) are bothering to report these days. There were at least nine deaths, with Quebec reporting six and Ontario three. Gee, why would Canadian politicians want to keep their heads in the sand and not pass the numbers along to their constituents?
If you are interested in being a living kidney donor, more information is available here:
Living Kidney Donor Program
St. Paul’s Hospital
6A Providence Building
1081 Burrard Street
Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6
Tel: 604-806-9027
Toll free: 1-877-922-9822
Fax: 604-806-9873
Email: donornurse@providencehealth.bc.ca
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Vancouver General Hospital Living Donor Program – Kidney
Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre
Level 5, 2775 Laurel Street
Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9
604-875-5182 or 1-855-875-5182
kidneydonornurse@vch.ca
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Or, for more information, visit right here.
TAKING NOTE 