I am 61 years old and live in Victoria. I spent the first 20 years or so of my life in Rossland and am back several times each year.
Last Saturday, my wife and I watched the Golden City Days Parade. I chuckled when I saw the fire truck go by, but was instantly reminded of the time when the hockey team I played for were the guests of honour at the parade and as such, our team got to ride on the outside of the fire truck and because I was captain, I got to present Nancy Greene with an autographed stick. Greene had won her first of two World Cups that year.
As it turned out, a Rosslander I was standing with heard me reflecting on the time long ago and told me she had a photo of the team — her brother had been a member.
The photo was taken after a celebratory dinner at the Catholic Church’s Parish Hall — spaghetti and meatballs of course, prepared by the legendary Tulio Lendarduzzi. What a happy bunch we were — wearing our beautiful, new, scarlet jackets that we had made for us.
After I got home to Victoria, I realized that it was the 50th anniversary of our championship and ride on the fire truck and perhaps it might make a newsworthy story.
We were a Pee Wee Team, under 12 years of age. We became known as The 67’s and were pretty well thought of in hockey circles because we were the first Rossland Team to win the vaunted East/West Kootenay Pee Wee Championships.
In those days, Trail, Nelson and Cranbrook were the hockey hotbeds so it was quite an achievement.
Rossland 67’s
East/West Kootenay Pee Wee Champs 1966-67
Front Row:
Ken Jenner
Lyall Laface
Brian Arnott
Jim Brinson
Gerry Martin
Pat Vickers
Gary Stanton
Rick Ferguson
Fred Jenner
Back Row:
Stu Langdon-Assistant Coach
Jimbo Leckie
Doug Davis
Jack Wert
Lyall Oliver
Guyle McCuaig-Assistant Captain
Dave Secco-Captain Norm Arnott-Head Coach
Eddie Rosse-Assistant Captain
Missing From Photo-Ken Nichol