Let Me Earn Your Business!
From Environment Canada WED., MAR. 10 THUR., MAR. 11
CHRIS BABKIRK
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FRI., MAR. 12
SAT., MAR. 13
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390 Talbot St. N. Essex
SUN., MAR. 14
519-776-6447
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chrisbabkirk@kenknappford.com
Wednesday, March 10, 2021
Local memories of Walter Gretzky By Mark Ribble With the passing of Walter Gretzky last week, many local people who had met or befriended ‘Canada’s Hockey Dad’ reacted with sadness. Walter Gretzky was the epitome of the Canadian hockey parent and a role model for many who came after him. His dedication to teaching his sons the game was second to none. The father of ‘The Great One’ made several trips to this area, either with the NHL Alumni groups or often, with friends. Two years ago, Mr. Gretzky appeared at a local greenhouse label maker and made himself available for an entire day, signing autographs and shaking hands. The open house was held to promote the business and it brought hundreds through the door that day. Walter made sure that every person he spoke to felt welcomed. During that same trip, Mr. Gretzky was introduced to Leamington’s Deputy Mayor, Larry Verbeke, who arranged to give him a tour of his Wayne Gretzky shrine in his Leamington home. Verbeke, a long-time Gretzky super-fan, has a room dedicated to number 99 in his basement. “It was always my dream to get Wayne Gretzky to come and look at my Gretzky room,” said Verbeke this week. “Instead, it was an honour to have his father come and see it.” Verbeke told of Walter Gretzky spending a couple of hours with he and his family two years ago, with a promise to come back in 2020. That trip didn’t happen because of COVID. “He sat down with us and started telling stories,” said Verbeke. “He was a great gentleman, down to earth and very humble.” Paul Arrowsmith, who grew up in Leamington, but moved away as a teenager, returned to Leamington a couple of years ago and was responsible for bringing
Walter Gretzky surrounded by the Verbeke family, from left, Margaret, Larry and James. Verbeke family photo
his long-time friend, Walter Gretzky, to town that day in February, 2019. Arrowsmith met Walter many years ago when he was working for Kraft Canada. He had approached Mr. Gretzky about being involved in some campaigns and he gladly said yes. That decision cemented a long friendship between the two. Arrowsmith’s brush with the Gretzkys happened long before that meeting, however. In 1973, the Chatham Kinsmen Peewee baseball team went to the Canadian Championships and won the Canadian title. They were allowed to pick up a couple of standout players from other cities to bolster their roster. One of them was Leamington shortstop Paul Arrowsmith, while the other was 12-year-old Wayne Gretzky of Brantford. “I have a heavy heart today,” said Arrowsmith on Monday. “I’ve never met anyone like Walter and I never will.” Arrowsmith’s connection with the family kept him in the loop on Walter’s recently deteriorating health and although it came as no surprise, it was still a shock to realize his friend was gone. “I’m going to miss him,” he said. “I never saw him complain or talk bad about anyone. He was a wonderful person.” Another local story about Mr. Gretzky occurred several years ago when a local hockey team was playing in a Brantford tournament and one of the fathers decided to take a couple of the players to find the famous Gretzky house. Once they located the house, he sent his son to the door to knock and ask Walter for an autograph. Not only did he get his autograph, the entire bunch was invited in for a tour of the Gretzky home and a great chat with Walter Gretzky. Mr. Gretzky touched many local hockey fans and parents alike and his loss will be felt in many circles throughout Canada and the world.
From the February 27, 2019 issue of the Southpoint Sun, the late Walter Gretzky reads the local community paper on the Verbeke couch. Verbeke family photo
Walt.Cherneski@araymond.com
www.araymond-agriculture.com
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Sports flashbacks 1981
Mount Carmel wins hoops tourney The Mount Carmel boys basketball team won a four-team tournament on the weekend. Team members are Tim Bunn, Jerry Tiessen, Rodney Sallmen, Rodney Martens, Jim Toews, Scott Wilkinson, Troy Whittle, Mark Pannunzio, Todd Bell, Aaron Diewold, Mark Chalmers, Phil Cornies and Kirk Brown. Jim Miller was the coach. Firebirds move into OMHA semi-final Leamington’s Erie Sport Peewee Firebirds have moved on to the semi-final round of the OMHA playoffs, winning a fifth and deciding game with Sarnia Township by 2-0 score on Sunday. Sarnia had forced the fifth game by beating the Firebirds 5-2 on Saturday. Stewie Froese shut the door on Sarnia as Dave Hodgson and Craig Lehn scored the goals. Rams beaten 13-3 The Leamington Roma Club Midget Rams dropped a tough 13-3 exhibition decision to Chatham on the weekend. After building a 5-3 lead, Chatham scored the final eight goals of the contest. Jeff Hyrnewich scored twice for the Rams, while Mark Weil added the single. A&W trounces Plumb’s 11-4 The A&W Bantams thumped Plumb’s Flowers by an 11-4 score in house league play on Saturday. Rob Crawford led the rout with five goals. Geoff Playford and Leo Rauzino each scored hat tricks for the winners. Jeff Greenwood had a pair for Plumb’s, while singles went to Mark Johnson and Scott Wilkinson. Couture edges Johnston Fishery Couture Cement finally got the best of Johnston Fishery, with a close 6-5 win on Saturday in Atom house league play. Jim Toews led the winners with a hat trick, while Gary Quenneville scored twice. George Turner picked up a single goal, which was the winner. For Johnston, Kelly Charlton had two, while Chris Babkirk and Derek Brown each scored once. Erie Ramblers beaten with one second on clock In a very close Bantam house league contest, Morden & Helwig edged Erie Ramblers by a 4-3 score. The Ramblers led 3-2 late in the game until Angelo Batista tied it and Greg Miller scored the buzzer-beater. Rich Clifford and Randy Szenegeto had the other Morden goals. Todd St. John scored two for the Ramblers, while Carl McCracken scored a single. Legion Midgets top Wheatley 9-6 The Leamington Branch 84 Legion Midgets came back from a 5-1 deficit to beat Wheatley 9-6 on Sunday in an exhibition contest. Paul Paliani sparked Leamington with three goals, while Steve Haas and Jeff Chambers each scored twice. Greg Quick and Larry Johnston scored singles for Leamington. On the Wheatley side, Doug Adamson and Randy Wright each scored twice, with singles to George Imeson and Rob Johnston.
European solutions for greenhouse growers Walt Cherneski
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Southpoint Sun - 21
ARAYMOND AGRICULTURE Tel.: 1-226-936-1563
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