Last week, Ottawa was the site of the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance’s annual Sport Events Congress. In eleven short years this event has mushroomed to almost 400 delegates, representing many aspects of the sport tourism industry including: hotel chains, municipal and provincial sport tourism departments, event promoters, and national sports organizations. They are part of a multi-billion dollar industry that really doesn’t get its fair share of attention by politicians, economists, and industry pundits.
The Sport Events Congress is like a singles event. It matches events with hosts and hosts with events. It creates partnerships and new relationships. It educates. It provides sharing of best practices. It inspires.
One group that it inspired was the town of Brantford. Several years ago they attended the CSTA event and witnessed the success of the World Pond Hockey Championships held in Plaster Rock, New Brunswick every year. The first event of its kind was launched in 2002 hosting 40 competing teams from Canada’s east coast. The WPHC has since grown tremendously, now featuring over 120 teams from across the globe.
The Brantford team, led by Pat Shewchuk, went home energized and motivated to create something they could utilize to shine a light on the Telephone City.
It didn’t take much brainstorming to recognize the opportunity lay at their feet in the city’s role as hometown of one of the greatest sportsmen Canada has produced.
You might be thinking of the GREAT ONE, # 99, and recent birthday boy – Wayne Gretzky! But no, I’m actually referring to the GREATEST, Wayne’s Dad, Walter.
Ask anyone in Brantford and they will tell you that nobody does more for the community than Walter Gretzky. Recipient of the Order of Canada, he is a tireless ambassador for the city. So naturally, creating an event that celebrates Walter was an easy choice. And soon, the Walter Gretzky Street Hockey Tournament was born.
From its humble beginnings as a small-scale, non-profit, charitable event with less than 30 competing teams in 2006, the Walter Gretzky Street Hockey tournament has grown with tremendous force. With help from film director and actor, Kevin Smith (Jay & Silent Bob), who fielded a team and played as a goalie, in 2009 the tournament saw 94 teams.
Its greatest accomplishment, however, was the staggering 205 teams and 2,096 participants who joined forces and steered the City of Brantford to a Guinness World Record for ‘Largest Street Hockey Tournament’ in 2010.
The success of this event resulted in Brantford being awarded a “President’s Award” during the CSTA Prestige Awards luncheon held to recognize the outstanding events, sponsors, and stakeholders in the sport tourism industry. Brantford celebrated their win by inviting Gretzky senior to attend the entire conference.
Walter did more than attend. He stole the show! Literally.
When I first spotted him at the Wednesday social, my birthright flaw of being a chronic skeptic tricked me into not believing it was him. So imagine my surprise and delight when he descended upon me, and several of my clients from Speed Skating Canada and Volleyball Canada, during the Thursday lunch. Didn’t even cross my mind that this was the funniest man on earth.
He probably won’t love me for publicly busting him on this, but Walter Gretzky has more Leaf jokes than the Leafs have wins. A quick sample:
“So I went on tour with General Hiller and the Stanley Cup in Afghanistan. I learnt then, that the Taliban were closer to capturing the cup than the Leafs.”
“Why won’t the NHL give Hamilton an NHL team? Because then Toronto will want one!”
“Where is the Red Light District in Toronto? Behind the Leaf’s net.”
Beyond joking about the buds, this is a man who motivates, entertains, and engages people at a mile a minute. One of my staffers asked for an autograph and wound up with a half-dozen. Walter volunteered one for her parents, one for her boyfriend, one for her sibling…well you get the idea. It was clear that every time he pens his John Hancock a burst of pride erupts from his twinkling eyeballs!
Clearly being Wayne’s Dad brings its benefits. But as Canadians, we have all heard and readily accept the tremendous role that Walter had in the development of the Great One. But unlike the stereotype parent of a prodigy, this is a man who feels like Canada has done well by him and not the other way around. In his acceptance remarks for the Prestige Awards, Walter talked about how much he wished his parents could have been there to see them.
Walter’s Dad was an immigrant from Grodno, Belarus and his mother from the Ukraine. When they came to Canada they were classified as “DPs” – Displaced Persons. Through their hard work and the acceptance of a strong community, they built the foundation for a strong family life. Clearly the fruits of their hard work can be seen in the genealogy of Walter and his offspring.
Today Walter Gretzky is 72 years old. He was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s. He talked about it openly, showing me how sometimes his left hand shakes uncontrollably. But he doesn’t share this news for pity or remorse. He tells you these things because he loves to report on the magical, mystery tour of life as Walter Gretzky.
My opportunity to meet him in Ottawa was incredibly serendipitous and a memory I will have forever. Walter Gretzky is truly THE GREATEST.