City Notebook: Unfamiliar foe from pretty familiar place

By Collin Gallant on May 10, 2025.

Some rivalries are obvious, bred from familiarity or geography.

Lethbridge or Swift Current seem to the Tigers top foes of late. Their fans show up for games or moved here a while ago. They play a half dozen times a year. It makes sense.

This may change as the WHL title series fires up this weekend, but, honestly, before Friday, the Spokane Chiefs are an unknown commodity to Hat hockey fans. (Or are they? More on this later).

In terms of hockey though, the closest anyone might have to split loyalties in the series is former Tiger Tom Maxwell,

He grew up in Spokane, played minor hockey there, but captained the Tigers in the early 2000s.

“I grew up watching the Chiefs – loved the Chiefs – it was my dream to play for them,” said Maxwell this week from Oklahoma City where he works in oilfield sales after retiring in 2018 from a long minor league career.

His junior career began with a camp invite with the Chiefs that didn’t go any further, said Maxwell. The next year, he got called to Medicine Hat’s tryout camp, and what followed was four seasons playing north of the border, including a league title in 2003-04.

“Spokane is a great hockey town, but coming to Medicine Hat,” he paused. “I keep telling people that hockey isn’t just a sport in Canada – it is a way of life,” said Maxwell.

As for the current series, he’s followed a bit of the buzz about top-forward Gavin McKenna this season, but adds that a team record of 12-1 in the post season is “just incredible.”

“I’m really pulling for Willie and the boys,” said Maxwell. “I hope they smash ’em.”

What is Bloomsday?

Something Albertans do know, but Spokanites likely don’t, is that local newscasts have been beamed into Alberta homes for six decades.

That’s created some recognition of the Eastern Washington in our collective unconscious.

In days of yore, Medicine Hat was the terminus of the Spokane Flyer that linked Canadian railroads to the inland northwest. Not much after that though Spokane native Bing Crosby was a frequent visitor to the province as he played the ponies and palled around with the oil tycoon McMahon brothers (whose stadium you may be familiar with).

Before the bazillion channel universe, the city introduced most Albertans to Monty Python and Fawlty Towers marathon PBS fundraisers.

It’s given up someone to cheer for – Gonzaga – during NCAA basketball seasons, and intrigue about local features.

Bloomsday? Hoopfest? Bonner’s Ferry (where KXLY, KREM and KHQ have a transmitter)?

Also what exactly is at the corner of Division and Sprague, where every other TV advertiser seems to be located?

Quick ones

This column was filed well before puck drop on Friday, so the question this a.m. is whether anyone booed the U.S. anthem? I hope not.

Months after the Four Nations Cup, silence seems like a good option for those looking to take a stand on U.S.-Canadian relations, rather than booing kids who are mostly from Canada. Polite applause, the so-called golf clap, might also work.

Let’s get it together

The Seven Persons community parade is set for Saturday as part of day-long events in the hamlet west of the Hat.

Other centres are prepping their homecomings, fairs, rodeos and events this spring and summer, and wouldn’t it be nice to drop in on the neighbours?

A challenge is issued this summer to take a weekend drive, head to an event, support those local businesses and maybe even have a chat with our neighbours in the region.

We expect them to come here, but shouldn’t rely on being the centre of the region by default.

Big fairs are at Bow Island Bean-Pot Days, Irvine’s 20 Mile Post days, Brooks Rodeo Weekend, among others. We’ve also heard very encouraging rumours about a potential restart of the Ralston Rodeo.

A look ahead

Expect a local tourism review and look-ahead to be presented at a city committee on Monday. The federal cabinet will be sworn in on Tuesday. If needed, Game 6 between the Tigers and Spokane Chiefs would be held Sunday, May 18 at Co-op Place.

100 years ago

A Hat handyman was fined for performing plumbing work without a licence after his test of a gas stove connection with a match led to an explosion at an Industrial Avenue home, the News reported May 7, 1925.

The gas wasn’t shut off during repairs, and the back wall of the home was blown out, though no injuries resulted.

Co-operatives in Saskatchewan would propose at debate creating a wholesale retailer in the province at the group’s summer meetings.

Maple Leaf Milling, of the city, contributed 130 train cars of flour to a “world record” shipment to Soviet Russia that left port in Montreal worth $16 million,

Town of Redcliff treasurer F.H. Courtnall was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to making $3,400 in improper payments to himself.

Collin Gallant covers city politics and a variety of topics for the News. Reach him at 403-528-5664 or via email at cgallant@medicinehatnews.com.