National Bronze Medal

My fondest memory of the Leisure Centre/Johnny McDonald Arena was the 1989 Canadian Colleges Athletic Association (CCAA) National Women's Basketball Championship. I had moved to Grande Prairie in July 1988 to work as a news reporter at CJXX before moving into sports in November of that year. So part of my role was covering the CCAA Nationals. From interviewing the World Famous San Diego Chicken (aka Ted Giannoulous) to watching a tremendously entertaining tournament in what normally was a hockey arena transformed into a basketball venue, the event has so many memories for me. To see the emotion when the Grande Prairie Regional College Lady Wolves (as they were known then) captured the national bronze medal in front of hundreds of cheering fans was something I will never forget. And neither will I forget the postgame scene outside their locker room, where I interviewed late coach Kelly Ohlhauser who by then had also become a friend. His son ran up and gave him a huge hug and Kelly and I spoke of that shared moment for years to come. There were plenty of other moments in the Leisure Centre from hockey to Stampede wrestling to concerts to swim meets to birthday parties to summer and winter games and more, but that tournament in 1989 tops them all for me.