A BIT OF OSOYOOS COMMUNITY SPIRIT IS LEAVING
It appears certain the Osoyoos Storm “ this town's Junior B hockey team “ is leaving.
Storm owner Barry Dewar says he's frustrated by years of difficult dealings with the town over the team's tenancy in the Sun Bowl Arena, and by declining numbers of fans at games. So, he has let his agreement with the town lapse and he has applied to move the Storm to Kamloops, a city he says is eager to be a helpful partner, working with him to help his team succeed.
It would be tempting to say this is just bad news for local hockey fans. But it's actually a sad day for everyone in Osoyoos. A little piece of what has made our town a 'community' has been lost.
Sure, activities will carry on in the Sun Bowl Arena. Figure skating, public skating, and a lot of minor hockey will all continue to keep participants, coaches, parents and friends happily occupied.
But our Storm meant more in terms of appeal to the larger public in Osoyoos and the surrounding area. Hundreds of people besides coaches, family and friends came out to cheer on our 'home team'. Last year, when the Storm won the league championship, crowds cheered them at a victory parade down Main Street. The high-quality Junior B hockey squad added greatly to our collective sense that we live in a vibrant community.
With the Storm leaving, we lose a bit of that. But hopefully we will learn a lesson.
It would be easy to blame Town Council or the local administration. While they ended up recently offering the Storm an attractive deal to stay in Osoyoos, it wasn't enough to overcome Dewar's unhappiness with years of a less-hospitable attitude from Town.
But it's not just a Town Hall problem. Really, it has been up to all of us to be welcoming and supportive of a team that has provided so much to our town's spirit and sense of pride “ and we haven't been in the stands in sufficient numbers.
Mayor John Slater says we're looking for another team to replace the Storm. Let's hope we can find one “ and if we do, let's show it we appreciate it and really want it to be here.
