Page 18 - IssueNo101

18 Issue #101 June 2021 www.sportsenergynews.com

Continued from page 11 Stew’s age group. “I was on the Blue at Domtar Fine Papers in the lab’s “One of my biggest thrills has been
Devils, there were the Red Devils, research department, eventually coaching both Senior and Junior
cents plus another 50 cents to get it and the third team was coached by moving to the powerhouse and women’s box lacrosse - some of
strung. We played at the old hockey
Norm McCrimmon who drove a earning his Third-Class certification those ladies had never held a lacrosse
box at Alexander Park on Seventh Buick LeSabre, so they were the as a Stationary Engineer. In 1972, stick in their hands before and to see
Street having to repair the boards,
Sabre Cats. They had the nicest Stew joined the OPP and was posted them develop their skills was just a
hammer all the nail heads in, and fix
sweaters and were the best team, but to Bancroft which is about one hour wonderful experience. In 2019, there
the wire screening at the ends. The we did a few things to make sure that northeast of Peterborough. There was eighteen months of work involved
surface was hard ground with some
they didn’t win all of the games.” was no lacrosse in Bancroft at the leading up to the World Lacrosse
grassy patches and some areas with time, but Stew met up with Brian Men’s Indoor Championships in
a cinder surface. The lines, creases, Lacrosse continued to grow Coffey, a local surveyor and former Langley, BC. There were 22 countries
and face-off circles were lime and in popularity. Stew played until lacrosse player, and the two of them involved with many details to look
getting scraped up was common. If 1965 and then his focus shifted to decided to start a program. “I had after. The people from Langley
a cut came into contact with the lime, refereeing.
contacts with the Canadian Lacrosse Township were phenomenal to work
you really had to flush it out. We had Stew mentions the fire at the Association (now known as Lacrosse with in organizing the event. We
to improvise our equipment. The Mohawk Lacrosse stick factory in Canada) and so we were able to get had two facilities going at the same
goalies were allowed to wear steel 1968. “It was devastating. Lacrosse a donation of 15 sticks, a couple of time and it all went smoothly. I had
toed work boots, they had baseball was growing in the area and there nets, and some balls to get it started. to be unbiased and couldn’t cheer
shin pads which would break if hit weren’t that many places to buy good Between the two of us, we got it up for a team, but Canada did win the
with a really hard shot, a baseball sticks. A manufacturer somewhere and running, and it turned out pretty tournament by defeating the team
umpire’s belly pad, a hockey goalie’s in the Toronto area was trying to good.” from the Iroquois Nationals in the
trapper, and a football helmet with introduce plastic sticks which we finals.”
a face guard. We wore soccer knee called “Tupperware sticks”, but In 1981, Stew transferred to
pads for protection from the cinder everyone wanted a real lacrosse the RCMP and spent the next five Two highlights from Stew’s thirty-
surface, leather rugby helmets which wooden stick, so it wasn’t long years working out of Cardston, six years as a police officer is his
provided some protection on the before the lacrosse community pulled Alberta, which is located south of involvement in the Restorative Justice
forehead and at the back, but none together and got the factory running Lethbridge near the Montana and and Witness Protection Programs.
on the top. We had hockey gloves again. Mark Mitchell is one of the British Columbia borders. There was “In Restorative Justice, we would
which were cumbersome, and there main producers today and I still have no lacrosse program in Cardston, bring a young offender who had been
were no throat guards in those days, my original Mohawk International but Stew stayed involved with the involved in some sort of criminal
Games were 4 fifteen-minute periods Lacrosse stick hanging on the wall one in Lethbridge. He also started activity before our committee and
as opposed to today’s 3 twenties.” by my desk.” the Cardston Bullhorn Boxing Club discuss their role in the incident. In
on the Blood Reserve and was the some cases, rather than send them
Initially there were three teams in In 1965, Stew started working president of the club and also a fight to criminal court and have them end
judge. “We received some grants from up with a criminal record, we would
Sport Alberta, so with a brand-new assign them to a community service
facility at Moses Lake on the Blood task. We would review it later to see
Reserve, we purchased a boxing ring if there were any additional programs
with the Cardston/Bullhorn emblem that may help. We had great success
on the canvas. When we put on a fight with Restorative Justice in Alberta.
Sheds and card, it was professional looking with With the RCMP Witness Protection
all of our judges dressed in white, Program, it was very rewarding to
Storage Units wearing bow ties and the fight card see cases where individuals who
had been involved in certain crimes
was shown on Lethbridge TV.”
turn their lives around and become
In early 1986, Stew was transferred
protective members of society.”
to Fort Saskatchewan where he and
his family still reside. The population Commenting on his more than sixty
was only about 12,000 (24,000 today) years of being involved in lacrosse,
and they had a good lacrosse program Stew sums it up by saying, “Having
in place with a strong governing been involved in Canada’s national
body and lots of participants. Stew sport for so long, one would think
was part of an Alberta group that that I have lacrosse in my DNA. In
formed a referees’ association, review of my long history associated
working diligently with the Alberta to lacrosse, one would think that is a
Lacrosse Association to develop long time, yet it feels like my journey
Large variety of styles training programs for officials. Stew started just yesterday. I feel that I have
later went on to develop the National been the luckiest person in the world
and sizes Contact Officials Certification Program for to not only hold the positions I have

in stock us Today! Canada. had, but the opportunity to travel the
world, and meet so many wonderful
In his sixty plus years of being
people in our lacrosse family. Having
involved in lacrosse, the highlights
have been numerous but two that said that, I would never have been
840 Tenth Street East, Cornwall stand out are his time spent coaching so fortunate without the guidance
of my parents and the very strong
613 932-5660 ladies’ lacrosse and his involvement support of my family. Thank you for
in bringing the world lacrosse
www.emardlumber.ca championships to Canada in 2019. the friendships that have been made
along the way.”