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Alberta

THE HALFTIME REPORT News from the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame

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Honoured Member Darryl Sutter Wins Jack Adams Award

Calgary Flames head coach Darryl Sutter has won the 2021/22 Jack Adams Award, presented annually to the NHL’s coach of the year.

Sutter was Inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 2000, with his brothers Brian, Duane, Brent, Rich, and Ron. All six brothers grew up and played minor hockey in Viking before moving to Red Deer to play with the Red Deer Rustlers of the AJHL.

The NHL announced the award winner on Sportsnet prior to Game 2 of the Western Conference Final on Thursday, with a video of Brian Sutter, a winner of the award in 1991, presenting the award to his younger brother Darryl.

The Flames missed the playoffs in the 2020/21 season when Sutter took over halfway through the year. In the following 2021/22 season, Sutter captured the 6th best record in the NHL for the largest season to season improvement, as well as winning the Pacific Division.

To learn more about Sutter’s amazing coaching story, click the link below.

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Honoured Member Dr. Willie Littlechild has been Awarded by  the Governor General of Canada

On May 26th Honoured Member Dr. Willie Littlechild received the Meritorious Service Cross (Civil Division), a prestigious award by the Governor General of Canada. The award is given to a nominated individual in recognition of their contributions that bring honor to the country in various fields including advocacy, health care, research, humanitarian, and more.

For more information, please click on the article link below.

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This newsletter is sponsored by Travel Alberta.

Honoured Member in Focus: Edmonton Grads

Basketball Team – Inducted 1974

The amazing record of the Edmonton Grads spans an era of 25 years. Under the expert coaching of the late Percy Page, the Grads played 522 official games in Canada, the United States, and in Europe, winning 502 and losing 20 for an average of 96.2%. The Grads won seven of the nine games they played against men’s teams. In establishing their outstanding record, they had two consecutive winning streaks of 147 and 78 games respectively. They won the Provincial Championship during their first year of existence in 1915, and continued to win 23 of the 24 times they competed for it. In the Western Canadian Championship, the Grads won all 21 games they played from 1926 to 1940. In the Canadian Championships they never lost a series, from commencement of title play in 1922 to the team’s disbandment in 1940.  They were crowned World Champions from 1937 to 1940.

The Edmonton Grads received many honours over the years.  They were inducted into the Edmonton Sports Hall of Fame in 1973 and the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980.  The Grads still have the record for best winning percentage of all time for North American teams.  In 1976, the Edmonton Grads’ achievements were declared a National Historic Event and Parks Canada dedicated a plaque in their honour, two years later, in 1978. The Edmonton Grads Youth Basketball Association was founded in 2002, in Edmonton, to honour the legacy of the famous women’s basketball team.

Honoured Member Profile

Provincial Sport Organization: Alberta Basketball

Alberta Basketball is the governing body for the sport of basketball in Alberta. We believe that our amazing sport is more than just a game; it is – A Game for Life. The game of basketball assists all who participate by developing life skills and habits that will benefit and enrich their lives. ABA’s mission is to champion the sport of basketball by inspiring unity, facilitating development, and delivering superior value.

Visit their website by clicking on the link below.

Alberta Basketball Site
Artifact in Focus!

This large Silver Vase-like trophy that is engraved to read “Offert Par La Municipalite De Monaco 1936” was given to the Edmonton Commercial Graduates Basketball Team while they were in Europe playing exhibition games prior to the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.

June is Pride Month

Every person should have the ability to pursue their dreams without fear of discrimination or prejudice based on age, race, religion, gender, or sexual identity. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Many athletes have faced, and many still do, discrimination from sports organizations, team management, coaches, and even fellow athletes for things they have no control over.

Four of our Honoured Members have come forward to share their journey through sports and coming out to help inspire the next generation of athletes to be true to who they are in all aspects of their lives. By sharing these heartfelt stories with you, we hope that we can start to see the changes needed to allow all athletes regardless of age, race, religion, gender, or sexual identity to feel safe to be their authentic selves in and out of the locker room. Our featured honoured members in this exhibit are Mark Tewksbury, Danielle Peers, Keely Brown and Kessie Stefanyk.

Soon we will be saying goodbye to our ‘True to You in Sport’ Exhibit which highlights these Honoured Members. Mark Tewksbury, for example, became Canada’s first sports hero to openly declare his homosexuality in 1998. He helped start a national conversation on the taboo subject of gays in sport. Since that time, Mark has been an outspoken advocate for inclusive and safe sport spaces for all.

Come see it before it’s gone!

Hall of Fame in the Community

Our Hall of Fame summer students were out in the community attending events geared towards our youth. We were at the Central Alberta Family Expo on May 28 in Red Deer as well as the Central Alberta Children’s Festival which showcases opportunities for the children of Central Alberta to learn, play and be active.

If you would like your Hall of Fame to visit your event please contact us at 403-341-8614 or [email protected]

Donate Now

The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame needs your support to continue the ongoing preservation of Alberta’s sports history and the development of museum exhibits. We are grateful and appreciative of the generosity of our supporters and friends. We would be happy to assist you in choosing how your personal legacy will be fulfilled and the many options available. Here is some information on donating shares to ASHFM and the benefits to you as a donor.

Donate

The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame provides a family-friendly, interactive experience. You will be surprised by what you discover inside! Have fun, laugh, play and discover Alberta sports heroes together. The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame is an interactive, hands-on celebration of Alberta's sporting history. Our over 7,000 square feet of exhibit space includes a multisport area with virtual baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and soccer; an adaptive sports area, including a 200 meter wheelchair challenge; a Treadwall climbing wall; the Orest Korbutt Theatre; the Hall of Fame Gallery; an art gallery displaying works by provincial artists, and much more. Our venue boasts a collection of over 17,000 artefacts of Alberta sports history and showcases many of these items in a number of displays. The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame also offers an education program, group activities, and a unique environment to rent for your birthday party, special event, corporate reception or meetings.

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THE HALFTIME REPORT News from the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame

Alberta

Premier: Stop sending asylum claimants to Alberta!

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Alberta opposes federal government plans: Premier Smith

Premier Danielle Smith issued the following statement on the federal government’s asylum claimants relocation plan:

“Alberta’s government is opposed to the federal government’s plan to relocate tens of thousands of asylum claimants to Alberta, especially without any financial assistance to support the province in doing so.

“Alberta has always welcomed newcomers who possess our shared values – and we will continue to do so.

“However, last year alone, an all-time record of over 200,000 people moved to Alberta. That’s like adding two new Red Deer-sized cities in just one year.

“Although Alberta represents only 11.8 per cent of the Canadian population, we are currently supporting approximately 22 per cent (over 70,000) of Ukrainian evacuees who arrived in Canada.

“Section 95 of the constitution is clear – immigration is an area of shared authority between the federal government and the provinces. Yet, the Trudeau government’s unrestrained open border policies permitting well over a million newcomers each year into Canada is causing significant challenges, and it’s simply not sustainable.

“Excessive levels of immigration to this province are increasing the cost of living and strains public services for everyone.

“We are informing the Government of Canada that until further notice, Alberta is not open to having these additional asylum seekers settled in our province.

“We simply cannot afford it.”

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Alberta

Police seize more than 66 kg of illicit drugs in interprovincial trafficking investigation

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News release from the Edmonton Police Service

The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) has seized more than 66 kilograms of methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl and heroin in a large-scale drug investigation in central Edmonton.

In December 2023, members of the Edmonton Drug and Gang Enforcement Section (EDGE) initiated an inter-provincial drug trafficking investigation.

During the investigation, three male suspects were noted to be involved in various aspects of inter-provincial drug trafficking, including transporting drugs into and out of Alberta, as well as distributing them throughout Edmonton, including the inner-city community. A storage location for the drugs was located in a central Edmonton high rise apartment.

On May 9, 2024, police executed search warrants at three residences and four vehicles.  As a result of the search warrants, EDGE members seized:

  • 55.7 kg of methamphetamine, worth approximately $250,650
  • 8.7 kg of cocaine, worth approximately $696,000
  • 2.5 kg of fentanyl, worth approximately $300,000
  • 83.5 grams of heroin, worth approximately $28,400
  • 20 kg of buffing agent
  • Five handguns, three of which were loaded at the time of seizure and two of which had defaced serial numbers. Two were also reported stolen in Saskatchewan and Alberta, and one originated from the U.S.
  • Four vehicles with hidden compartments
  • Approximately $20,000 in various currency

Drugs and firearms located in one of EPS’ largest-ever drug seizures

“This investigation is believed to be one of the largest, if not the largest, seizure of controlled substances in EPS history,” says Staff Sergeant David Paton, with the Edmonton Drug and Gang Enforcement (EDGE) Section. “Intercepting this huge volume of extremely harmful street drugs before they wreak havoc in our city is a rewarding outcome for our investigators, who have worked tirelessly for months on this operation.”

Jesse Koble, 29, is facing 27 charges, Mitchell Steeg, 31, is charged with nine offences, and Steven Santillana, 34 is charged with two offences, for a total of 38 drug and firearms-related criminal charges.

The EPS takes a strategic approach to drug and organized crime related violence through its Guns and Gangs Strategy. This plan considers the unique factors driving serious crime in the city, identifying key focus areas that require increased and sustained effort to reduce victimization and improve community safety.

The strategy leverages EPS’ internal expertise and external partnerships with other enforcement and social agencies to strike a balance between education, suppression, intervention, and prevention. It encompasses immediate and long-term solutions that both hold those perpetrating violence accountable and lead willing individuals away from gang association.

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