It would have been hard for even him to imagine, when he was growing up in a true rural setting, but Carey Price from Anahim Lake, B.C. is on top of the hockey world. Barring just a Stanley Cup ring, Price has already, while still very young, garnered every prize in hockey that a goaltender can win.
What is very cool about all that is the humility and apparent care for others that covers what must be a spine of personal steel. He almost ran out of things to say while making his fourth trip to the podium on awards night - but he filled the gap with timely references to his heritage and offered himself as an example (a humble one) of what aboriginal Canadians can achieve by believing in and working towards goals both personal and social.
In the wake of the recent revelations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the results of recent government interest (or lack of it) in improving the lives of aboriginal Canadians, the calm, strong iteration of what has been possible for Price - given a supportive environment many aboriginals still do not have around them, of course - and the example he is aware he can set before them, was awe-inspiring.
Class act, and nice to see so soon after the original, unmatchable, class act for the Habs, Jean Beliveau, left the scene.
• The AA Orioles are at Butler on Friday, but no other action this weekend, and staying cool is likely a higher priority, anyway, but in about 10 days there will be a local playoff round lasting two weeks. All of it will be at Butler Park and the schedule is available on the Trail Youth Baseball web site.
After that most of us will be just waiting until the ice goes in.
Happy Canada Day, take care in the heat.