One of the first things CBC sports reporter Elliott Friedman made mention of upon arriving in Stratford Tuesday for the start of the city’s Hockey Day in Canada celebrations was how Toronto just doesn’t seem to have the sense of community you find in smaller cities like Stratford.
“Community spirit” is a term so often used we in the news business could type it standing on our heads with our eyes closed. Not that we’re complaining. The residents of this city have shown time and again what they can achieve when there’s a cause worth fighting for, worth supporting, or worth getting excited about.
Nowhere was that more evident than at the end of last year when the Olympic torch passed through Stratford, stopping for a special celebration. As many as 10,000 people packed into Market Square to cheer, sing and wave flags. We proved that not just community spirit, but Canadian spirit, was as strong here as anywhere, and surely made the torch relay organizers happy with their decision to stop in the city.
On the heels of that event, Stratford is being thrust back into the national spotlight this week as host of Hockey Day – and once again “community spirit” is the million-dollar phrase for good reason.
The celebration surrounding Hockey Day began on Tuesday and runs until Saturday. There’s lots of hockey themed events and on-ice action to get excited about – who wouldn’t want to have their picture taken with the Stanley Cup, get up close with some of the NHL’s most recognizable personalities and alumni and be part of a live broadcast?
As our mayor noted in an interview last week, the success of Hockey Day, and its five-day schedule, rests in the hands of the community. If it comes out and supports the event, the city’s profile – which is reaching new heights thanks to the University of Waterloo’s Stratford Institute – will only continue to grow.
The mayor also noted that the likelihood of Hockey Day ever coming back to the region is slim, which makes it all the more important that our community spirit spreads past municipal boundaries to surrounding communities. Hockey Day may be hosted by Stratford, but it’s here for anyone to enjoy who loves the game.
A quick look at our downtown core will show you just how much our city’s businesses have also embraced this truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Blue and gold ribbons hang on many doors and hockey memorabilia adorns many storefronts. There was also no lack of support seven months ago when the city was first announced as host. Organizers were flooded with volunteer requests; many even had to be turned away.
With that kind of community spirit we’re sure – to steal the words from CBC Hockey Night in Canada host Ron MacLean, it’s going to be a beautiful couple of days.
–JH
