Kudos to the St Albert Humboldt Remembrance Committee! The Humboldt Jersey Gala was an evening to remember, honour, and celebrate four incredible young hockey players from St Albert, and honour them & their treasured families, we did.
I anticipated some tears, but I didn’t expect any of them to be about my father.
Peter Mansbridge delivered a keynote speech that weaved together the fabric of this nation that left everyone in awe of what it means to be Canadian ... and what it means to extend kindness for kindness’ sake. It was a beautiful presentation and he had us fully engaged and actively listening.
How could I have ever imagined seeing my father and his fellow Veteran buddies up on the big screen, while Mr. Mansbridge spoke of his time in Apeldoorn, Netherlands?!
My dad had been interviewed by Peter at a pub, and the photo shared was of that particular memory. I had to catch my breath!
It certainly was a heart swell kind of moment and I know my dad would have been touched that his story and that of his comrades was somehow drawn in to the way Canadians have rallied to support the Humboldt Broncos and more specifically as per this Jersey Gala, the four players from St Albert.
Incidentally, Peter (my new best friend) remembered the interview with my dear dad ... as the story my father shared was about a young girl, about 6 or 7 years old, asking if she could touch him. My dad adored children and gleefully reached out to her. Instantly, her eyes lit up as she exclaimed, “I touched a Liberator! I touched a Liberator!” This exchange was made all the more poignant because my father told that story with a grateful heart.
I pray the families of the boys that we honoured that night know that their sons will forever be remembered – it’s difficult to explain how the stories shared by Peter Mansbridge came full circle, but they did.
“Canada ... good.”
Humboldt strong – hockey is about more than hockey –
love never ends.
Brenda Muir, St. Albert
