Canada Day weekend can mean many things for Prince George residents, especially when celebrating culture and inclusion.
In the game of fastpitch, for the last 50 years, it’s meant coming together, seeing old friends, and enjoying company in the setting of good sport.
This past weekend, the city witnessed its golden anniversary of the Canada Day Fastpitch Tournament at Spruce City Stadium, where 19 teams from across Western Canada took part in what is described as the ‘measuring stick’ for the national championship.
Tournament Coordinator Sheldon Bjorklund says, despite the subpar weather, the event brought in hundreds of residents and ball fans alike.
“A lot of people come here and just visit each year because that’s when a lot of people get to see each other is through this tournament,” he told PrinceGeorgeMatters. “Anyone that’s involved with fastball in Prince George, we always pull together, we want to put on a good show, and we want as many players playing as we can.”
Bjorklund believes the comradery with the teams brought in every year is second to none, explaining these events can turn such a big country into a local neighbourhood.
“In any sport, tournament games mean way more than regular season games and I don’t care what anyone says. Tournament ball means that much; it’s a measuring stick for the Native Canadian Championships and Prince George has that great reputation for that.”
In the 13-team men’s division, the Regina Hawks (Saskatchewan) came out on top, shutting out the Prince Albert Thunderbirds (Saskatchewan) 7-0 in the final.
The tournament’s winning pitcher was Prince Albert’s Dustin Keshane while the MVP of the weekend belonged to Regina pitcher Bo Thomas.
Prince George’s two teams in the contest, Custom Edge Sports and Big Guy Kings, came in third and fourth respectively.
On the women’s side, the Secwepemc Saints won the title 7-2 in the final with their pitcher Brianna Billy as tournament MVP.
B.C.’s northern capital had two teams as well in women’s play; the Prince George Chaos and Falcon Contracting.
“Hats off to all the great volunteers that helped make things run smoothly,” says Bjorklund. “I get too much credit for how good of job you guys did and hearing nothing but good things from the weekend.”
The 2019 Canadian Native Fastball Championships take place in Winnipeg this year from Aug. 1 to 4.
