Page 6 April 1986 Cassiar Courier With the 1986 edition of the Annual Bonspiel now just a fond memory, we thought we would focus on a Cassiarite who has a long history with the Curling Club and its shenanigans, Bill Pratt, and his wife Cecile. Some background first: Bill was raised in Fairview, Alberta. He attended SAIT in Calgary, graduating in 1969 with a diploma in petroleum geology. He was originally hired for Cassiar but was persuaded at the last moment to go to Clinton Creek, where he worked as a geological technician. Cecile grew up in Hampshire, England. After working for a couple of years after her ‘A’ levels, she moved to | Canada and worked in Banff. Here she met Bubs Crossley and the two of them decided to move to Whitehorse: “A single woman’s paradise in 1970,” Cec tells us. After 6 months, the girls had blown all their savings and had to | find work elsewhere. Cecile hired on at Clinton Creek, working in the warehouse office. Eventually, Bill and Cecile met and became engaged. They were married by the Customs Officer from Dawson City on April 1, 1972. (Cec’s father was convinced it was an April Fool’s joke.) The happy couple left Clinton Creek 5 days later for good, as there was no place for them to live together. For their honeymoon, they travelled to London. After purchasing a VW van (which quickly became part of the family), they continued on overland through Iran, India, Pakistan and on to Singapore. They then shipped the van to Perth, Australia and drove it to New Zealand (how did you manage this, Bill?). Their timing was impeccable. They reached Queens- town, New Zealand the day Cassiar Resources opened an exploration office. Bill had to wait 6 weeks to be hired on, during which he was a housemaid at a local hotel. Shortly after he started, the staff was informed that a very important Canadian company was booking in and was to be given the red carpet treatment. The company was Cassiar Resources! Bill eventually started with the company and spent his first six months trying to get a cat train along the anadian Pacitic# Cassiar Country by Karen Taplin Cecile & Bill Pratt coast. Bill said, “The area was very similar to here: mountainous, but it was also dense rainforest.”” A base camp was established at Red Mountain, about 40 miles from Queenstown, and Cecile finally moved into camp (after some discussion with the other men). She helped out in the kitchen and learned to build furniture, inclu- ding a bookcase that had to be nailed to the wall. “The exploration tent was the largest place Bill and I had lived in up to that point,” Cecile told us. A year later, Cassiar Resources shut down their office and Bill and Cecile returned to Canada. Bill managed to go through 3 jobs in 10 months: he hadn’t even unpacked in Pickle Lake when he received a call from the Chief Geologist at Cassiar, Dave Budinski. Bill and Cecile jumped at the chance to come back to this area. Bill started as the Geological Technician and Cec worked in the Warehouse as Purchasing Clerk (a position she still holds). GSC LG) Shortly after they arrived, the O & T Union was started and Bili became its president in February of 1976. He was president for three years, and even had a brief media stardom in 1978 when he and Glen Billingsley were interviewed by Laurier LaPierre for CBC News during the strike. In 1981, Bill became the Mine Geologist and in December of 1983, he transferred to the mill in the position of Lab Supervisor. He is responsible for qual- ity control, circuit research and lab work for the wet milling project. He supervises a crew of 8 lab techs (all women - no comment from Cecile here) and 2 test mill operators. He also takes a mean message. The couple enjoys travelling, and have been to every province and territory in Canada. Things are a little more spacious now: the VW van was sold off in New Zealand ( ata profit,” Bill says) and they now have a Sifth-wheel. Bill is quite an accomplished photographer: his work can be seen in Rosemary’s office in the town adminis- tration building. They also both read a lot but this has caused some problems. “TI like to chat when I’ve finished a book, but I read faster than Bill.”’ Cecile said. Prim :rily, however, Bill and Cecile have been in- volved \ ith the Curling Club. Over the years, Bill has been or the Club’s executive, he has managed two bon- spiels 1d he’s been the drawmaster for many years. In fact, in February and March, you can find Bill huddled over the draw sheets, trying to see how he can give Rachel a worse draw time than the previous year. As well, Bill has just become the Bar Manager and now has an excuse for his constant presence in that vicinity. _ Bill hasn’t been the only member of the family involved with the curling club. Cecile has been recording secretary and helped Bill both years he co-ordinated the annual bonspiel. As well, we understand she is responsible for the choreography of the talent portion of several banquets, most notably the infamous “Pas de Deux” from “Don Quixote”, performed in 1981 at the windup ban- quet. This performance will be long remembered for Gary Continued on Page 16. Air Lines Watson Lake FLIGHT TIME CHANGE EFFECTIVE APRIL 26th -WEDNESDAY - FRIDAY - SUNDAY Flight 661 Arrive 5:35p.m. Flight 662 Depart 6:10p.m. RESERVATIONS/TICKET OFFICE — WATSON LAKE HOTEL PHONE 536—7455 MONDAY, TUESDAY, THURSDAY — 9:00 A.M. — 5:00 P.M. WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY — 11:00 A.M. — 7:00 P.M. AIRPORT OFFICE PHONE 536 — 2581 MONDAY, TUESDAY, THURSDAY, SATURDAY — 9:00 A.M. — 5:00 P.M. WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY, SUNDAY — 11:00 A.M. — 7:00 P.M. CALL YOUR TRAVEL AGENT OR CANADIAN PACIFIC AIRLINES ORM iit cb 14. Ce Pye J In and Around C assiar, Secondary Sct 00 TELEVISION AUCTION As many citizens of Cassiar have proven by their support, the CSS Television Auction was another great success. The Auction, produced by the CSS and WSTV, was held on Sunday, March 2nd. Many people had worked for months to organize and bring together items for “the air”. The calm presence of those ‘‘on camera” was not necessarily the same at all work stations at WSTV. Your bids first arrived at one of four phones gener- ously supplied and installed by NorthwesTel and Mr. Rudkowski. The bid was passed to a controller who radioed it to ‘‘the board” where the bid was written down in front of the “on-air” personalities, This circuit was - usually repeated many times for each of the 200+ items. Once sold, the item was taken and entered on a computer terminal; taken down to the entrance of WSTV with the address of the last bidder; and delivered with payment returned to WSTV. As some people experienced, this flow was not always without flaw. During the more frantic periods, short-circuits developed. For this we apologize, particu- larly to those who were disappointed in not receiving the items they had bid on. The Auction was a financial success with profits over $4,000. Special thanks must be extended to Mr. and Mrs. Schneeberger for literally giving the CSS “the run of their house” and to the countless others who donated by David Hogg items, bid on items, or worked in many different capa- cities for the Auction. EXEMPLARY STUDENTS The exemplary students for the month of February are Travis Penno, Joanne Coran, Ellen Artico, Jennifer Pewsey, Mary Molan, Troy Wanner and Jacqueline Molan. EAGLES BASKETBALL Mr. Prier and Mr. Vickery have concluded their basketball programs for the year. Their Eagles teams have had very successful seasons. Both teachers are to be con- gratulated for their patience and perserverance over a season which began in late November. Congratulations to the players for a tremendous season in which they developed their skill levels and matured on many levels. . SPRING BREAK Not that anyone needs reminding but the Spring/ Easter Break will commence Good Friday. Classes will resume Monday, April 7th. TERM THREE REPORTS The term three report to parents will go home with the students on Friday, April 18th. Parent-teacher inter- views will be held on Thursday, April 24th. Cassiar Secondary Teams Compete In First Yukon Junior Basketball Championships by Merv Prier On the weekend of March 7-9, the Cassiar Eagles boys’ and girls’ basketball teams made the long journey to Whitehorse to compete in the inaugural Yukon Junior Basketball Championshirs. Players and coaches had been looking forward to this tournament for a long time, as the culmination of a lengthy season, and a chance to capture one more award before it was over. The tournament schedule called on both teams to play a round-robin schedule against the Whitehorse junior teams on Friday and Saturday. The boys’ team, “led by Grade 10’s Garred Huber, Edo Carin and Andy Gowan, emerged from the round robin with a 3-1 record, and a place in the Saturday night gold medal game. “hg girls’ record was 2-2, good enough for third place in the round robin and a chance for a bronze medal. Both teams played well in their final games, with the Eagle girls defeating Whitehorse Christ the King for the bronze medal, and the Eagle boys losing to White- horse F. H. Collins in the gold medal contest. Following the final games, the boys’ and girls’ teams were presented with their silver and bronze medallions, respectively, then retired to a nearby restaurant for the season-ending pizza banquet. This basketball season, which began in mid-November has been the most successful in recent years at Cassiar Secondary. Players on both teams should be commended for the energy and enthusiasm they devoted to all prac- SQUASH, ANYONE? When you think about it, most sports when reduced to their basics are really rather silly. Squash certainly is no exception. People run around a small white room, chase a soft rubber ball and whack it with a racquet so that, hopefully, the opponent will not retrieve it. In the process, the players work up a sweat, sometimes running almost to the point of exhaustion. And after- wards there is that wonderful feeling of relaxation which follows a hard workout. Not so long ago, active sports were generally per- ceived to be the realm of children and students. Adults worked hard at their daily toil, whether at home, in the office, or factory or mine, and then had to cope with the joys and pressures of bringing up children. Why would a reasonable adult ‘work’ at an activity that did not, at least, provide remuneration! Games like squash do not ‘achieve’ any result other than a score. Yet, to my mind, the achievement of enjoying and learning a physically demanding sport can provide a spark and zest for life unattainable through more sedentary activities. The body performs better through regular exercise. I prefer the enjoyment of a competitive game rather than the’ discipline of calisthenics. With the mind focused on the game you tend to not pay attention to how much you are running or sweating. A Most squash players I know find squash rejuvenating. Perhaps immediately after the game they will feel tired or exhausted. But, usually, a few minutes later they are feeling more energetic than before the game. This feeling of well-being has nothing to do with winning or losing, although- Vince Lombardy might never be convinced. Tournaments provide a chance to meet new people, compete against new players, and measure your progress tices, games and fund-raising. Our tournament is now an annual, and Whitehorse teams look forward to coming here next year. Most important, our players are impro- ving as individuals and as team members, giving our school a source of pride. With this kind of commitment, we will continue to improve in the future. Ke KKK KKK K KKK BRONZE FOR THE GIRLS IN WHITEHORSE by Norm Vickery, Coach The girls’ team came away from the tournament with a 3 win-2 loss record giving them a Bronze medal. The teams included Cassiar and four Whitehorse schools. We were especially proud of our success because previously we had not been able to beat the Whitehorse schools. All games were close except the Cassiar vs F. H. Collins game. We were able to rationalize that loss to the fact that F.H. Collins was allowed to use over-age players. F.H. Collins won the gold medal. Patricia Quash had an outstanding final game. Janice Joseph scored well throughout the tournament. Sheena Billingsley, Ellen Artico, Jennifer Brocklebank, fe Mary Molan and Darla Creyke made strong contribu- tions. Other members of the team are Kelly Huber, Lisa Ray, Nicole Deyo, Julie Creyke and Korlaina Boutin. by Jim Gilpin in the game. Dances, dinners and camaraderie are all integral components of a successful tournament. After playing hard and sweating hard all day, squash players . usually choose a wonderful antidote for dehydration: cold beer. Seldom does it taste better than after a good match. _ Squash can be enjoyed by beginners or pros. In order to accommodate the wide range of skills and abili- ties, leagues and tournaments are divided into A,B,C,D and possibly more divisions. ; One drawback to squash, normally is that it can be expensive. User fees are usually about $4.00 per person per session. A session is usually about 45 minutes. Most players have had an adequate workout by this time. In Cassiar, squash is a great deal: $10.00 per month in addition to the C.C.C. fees, with no additional hourly fees. Another good reason_to consider playing squash is that it can be enjoyed no matter what the weather. During the daytime, the courts are rarely used - an ideal time for housewives to give it-a try. Racquets, balls, shoes, etc. are available at the C.C.C. Pro Shop. Why not give it a try? Cassiar Courier April 1986 Page 7 Minor Soe Vp Hockey ¥ o) by David Hogg ;-—-= A On March 7th, the Novice A and Atom teams tra- velled to Fort Nelson to compete in a Minor Hockey tournament. Forty-four players, coaches, and parents made the trip. The Novice A “Peats Warriors” met Watson Lake in their first game, winning 14-1. Scoring goals for Cassiar were Steven Howard (7), Justin Borsato (5), Jason Quinn and Duncan Hogg. Assists went to Justin Borsato (4), Jason Quinn (4), Steven Howard and Bradley Creyke. The Hustler Medallion for the Cassiar team was awarded — to Steven Howard. In their second game ‘‘Peats Warriors” lost an exci- ting game to the eventual winners of the division, the NorthwesTel Novices from Fort Nelson. This was the game of the season for the Warriors. The Warriors, leading 2-0 at one time, succumbed to some “bad bounces” but played hard to the final buzzer, losing 5-4. Scoring for the Warriors were Steven Howard (2), Justin Borsato, and Jason Quinn. Assists went to Scott Cameron and Justin Borsato. Fort Nelson was awarded a penalty shot but Kevin Loughran was equal to the task. Kevin was awarded the Hustler Medallion for Cassiar. In their third game on Saturday, the Warriors came up flat against the speedy West Coast team from Fort Nelson, losing 6-0. At the end of a long hockey day, the Warriors were no match. Duncan Hogg was the Cassiar Hustler in this game which saw most of the action in the Cassiar end of the rink: Kevin Loughran and Damian McGuinness also had good games. The Atom “Cassiar Resources” team played their first game against the Fort Nelson Teachers, losing 5-1. The lone Cassiar goal was scored by Jason Hardy with assists to Robbie Randell:and Leslie Creyke. The Cassiar Hustler was Jason Hardy. The second Atom game was against Watson Lake which they lost 10-1. Scoring for Cassiar was Robbie Randell who was also the Cassiar Hustler. game was a 9-1 loss to the Fort Nelson Elks, The Cassiar scorer and Hustler was Steve Vidovic. Also having a strong game were Danny Loughran, Chuck Quash, and Leslie Creyke. ‘i Two Cassiar Pee Wees also made the Fort Nelson trip. Travis Penno and Shannon Joseph played for the Watson Lake Pee Wee team. Lee Callow and Manley Guarducci were selected to play for the Whitehorse Midget A Rep. Team. This team will compete in the BC Midget Championships. The Cassiar Minor Hockey Tournament was held March 21-23. Results will be available in the next Courier. 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