Not quite K-Mart: Remembering Kresge’s

Kresge's in Lethbridge a few years before the '80s, but the same downtown location.

Source: Facebook/Lethbridge Historical Society

(May be subject to copyright)

It was a Saturday morning staple, and one of the three stores in downtown Lethbridge we used to visit. With all the recent talk of Woolworth’s, I was reminded of its neighbour on the diagonal corner across the street – Kresge’s.

That store, with the wooden floor boards, the plastic horse you could ride for a quarter, and much more has a lot of memories for me.

The four corners
Growing up on a farm, we used to go to Lethbridge every Saturday. Because my parents went grocery shopping every Thursday, Saturday was more for checking out stores and shopping for the other essentials like clothing, shoes, school supplies, and for me, toys, books and later music.

We would always park on the west side of Galt Gardens and walk a couple blocks to what I have recently started calling “The Four Corners”.

It was an intersection that had a store on three of the four corners and a building on the fourth corner that seemed to rotate through a variety of uses, primarily a restaurant such as A&W.

On the southwest corner was Kresge’s, across the street on the southeast corner was Eaton’s, and across the street on the northeast corner was Woolworth’s.

They all had something a little different, but enough to attract our attention.

Floor plan
The most outstanding memory I have of Kresge’s is the floor. Maybe as a shy child I was prone to looking down all the time. The floor was made up of narrow brown boards that always looked dirty. Up, to the left were short racks upon racks of clothes.

Immediately to the left as you entered, you were greeted by a plastic horse you could ride for a quarter, while to the right were machines that gave you a toy, gum or candy for a nickel or a dime.

Further down, right in the middle of the store was the lunch counter. It was like an island with the entire store surrounding it. Unlike Woolworth’s, I don’t think I ever ate there.

Stationery
There wasn’t much I recall buying at Kresge’s, beyond clothes, except one thing – stationery. I recall buying a box of envelopes that one time, I tried to write letters, and another time, tried to start some odd filing system. I also bought a lot of pads of paper because, well, I was always buying paper for some new or different writing project. I actually still do that.

The one thing all the stationery had in common was it always had the same theme – a big red letter”K” on an aquamarine teal background. The staff wore smocks with the same motif.

That big red “K” made me think.

Kresge or K-Mart?
After I saw K-Mart somewhere, cable TV I think or a trip to the United States, I thought it looked similar to Kresge’s.

So were the two related, like Woolco and Woolworth’s for example?

Some research has revealed they in fact are the same. The operation began as the S.S. Kresge Corporation in 1899 in the United States, and was renamed the Kmart Corporation in 1977.

Kresge stores in Canada, including the one in Lethebridge, continued to operate under the Kresge name after that.

Being one and the same is also why Kresge’s would sell Kmart products.

Parting thoughts
Kresge’s is another in a long line of department stores that were a part of my youth in Southern Alberta that have just gone away. They have been replaced by a few big box stores that exist on the periphery of Lethbridge, not as part of its downtown core or commercial district.

It is true big box stores provide the convenience of offering everything under one roof, so you don’t have to travel around to a bunch of different stores.

From an efficiency standpoint, that makes so much sense.

However, some of my fondest memories are wandering from store to store, seeing different things, and spending time with my mom.

You can’t put a price on that.

Missed him by that much: Some Corey Feldman memories

Corey Feldman in "The Lost Boys" in 1986.

Source: https://www.wonderwall.com/

(May be subject to copyright)

It was going to be a chance to meet an actor who I saw a lot when I was growing up, from a stint on the short-lived “Bad News Bears” TV show to movies such as “The Lost Boys”, and “Stand By Me”.

We were all set to meet Corey Feldman on the Sunday of the 2019 Calgary Expo, and I even bought a photo op with him – then the snow hit.

It was so bad, three people ended up spending the night at our house, because they hit the ditch coming into Claresholm.

We decided it was not worth it to go back to Calgary to meet Corey Feldman.

So, I was left with the memories I already had of him.

Bad news
My first memory of Corey Feldman comes from a show that lasted parts of two seasons in 1979 and 1980. It was based on one of my favourite movies, although I saw episodes of the TV series before the movie. It was called “The Bad News Bears” and starred Jack Warden as little league baseball manager Morris Buttermaker, the role made famous by Walter Matthau. Every other role was played by a different actor as well.

Playing the role of first baseman Reggie Tower was Corey Feldman.

I don’t remember much about him, other than he seemed pretty quiet, and maybe a little brooding.

That wouldn’t be the last time.

TV time
Corey Feldman would guest star in a lot of TV shows in the decade, including, “Mork and Mindy”; “The Love Boat”; “Cheers”; “One Day at a Time”; and “Family Ties”.

That tapered off as his movie career took off.

It’s scary to start
Starting with horror movies such as “Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter” and “Gremlins” in 1984 and “Friday the 13th: A New Beginning” in 1985, Corey Feldman started working regularly in film.

Then, in 1985, he appeared in “The Goonies” as one of the kids who finds trouble.

To be honest, I don’t have a lot of memories of “The Goonies” like other movies of the period. I went to see “The Goonies” at the Green Acres Drive-in in Lethbridge with my buddy Mat and his family. Given it was dark, and much of the movie is set underground, which is also dark, I had trouble following the movie. For that reason, I didn’t internalize any memories, other than my frustration over not being able to see what was going on.

That would change with the next two movies I saw of Feldman’s.

Stand by Me
Feldman would be back in 1986 in another movie where he played part of a group of kids on an adventure. This time around, four boys were going in search of a dead body they had heard about. Feldman played Teddy Duchamp, who came from a bad home, and had a lot going on even if he didn’t say much. His dad, who was a veteran, had mental health issues and almost burned off Teddy’s ear. He also wore thick glasses, kind of adding to his awkwardness. In the end, we learn Teddy tried to get in the army, but was denied because of his damaged ear and poor eyesight. He ultimately, ended up doing jail time too. It was a brooding role where Teddy looked like he could explode at any moment. He did once, when one of the other boys called his dad a “loonie”. Obviously, given the reference to jail time, he did again.

Teddy Duchamp was a supporting role, with most of the focus on the roles played by Wil Wheaton and River Phoenix, but Feldman still did a great job.

The Lost Boys
The Feldman role I remember most vividly is as Edgar Frog in “The Lost Boys”. A single mother, her two sons and daughter move in with her father in a small town where odd things start to happen. The teenage son falls in with some high school boys who introduce him to some strange things. The younger son, played by Corey Haim, gets more suspicious and scared.

That’s where he meets the mysterious Edgar Frog, who is about the same age, and informs him the town is crawling with vampires. Moreover, Frog seems to be an expert on vampires and the two of them team up to defeat one who has his eyes set on the kids’ mother.

Again, Feldman plays a brooding character, but this time he is measured and calculating. I never got the feeling he would blow at any time. Rather he would kill me in my sleep.

The years after
He would close out the decade with “License to Drive” in 1988; and “The ‘Burbs” and “Dream A Little Dream” both in 1989.

He continues acting to this day.

Parting thoughts
It is interesting that Corey Feldman came to Calgary for that Comic Con four years ago to be part of a reunion of “The Goonies”, but I did not even associate him with that movie.

Instead, images of a child baseball player, teenage adventurer, and vampire hunter came to mind.

Those are some of my favourite movies, and I am glad he was a part of them.

Up close for the first time: Remembering the 1986 Alberta election

Don Getty, at right, won his first election as leader of the Alberta Progressive Conservative party in 1986, becoming premier.

Source: https://calgaryherald.com/

(May be subject to copyright)

It was the first time I had ever seen it happen. I was working at Gergeley’s Greenhouse just south and west of Coaldale when a man in a suit jacket, and dress pants came by, looking very official.

He was campaigning for the 1986 provincial election, and that was the very first time I met a candidate running for any office.

As the parties campaign in the current provincial election, I have been reminded of that experience.

Since 1982
The 1982 Alberta provincial election had painted the province blue. The Progressive Conservatives, led by the iconic and legendary Peter Lougheed, had won all but four seats in the 1982 election, taking 75 of 79 seats. The NDP had won two, being Ray Martin and Grant Notley, and Ray Speaker and Walter Buck, two former Social Credit MLAs, running as independents, won the other two seats.

Speaker and Buck, would go on to form a new party, the Representative Party of Alberta, that ran candidates in several ridings, including Taber-Warner, the one I lived in.

Tragically, Notley was killed in a plane crash on Oct. 19, 1984. Martin would then assume the leadership of the NDP.

On June 26, 1985, Lougheed announced he was retiring from politics. The Progressive Conservatives would have a leadership convention in which Don Getty was selected the new leader, beating out Julian Koziak and Ron Ghitter.

After Lougheed had retired and the PCs were looking for a new leader, I had my first connection to party politics. Tony Perlich, my good friend Dave’s dad, was a diehard Conservative. My friend Mat and I dropped in one Saturday afternoon to see Dave, and no one seemed home. Then Tony Perlich opened the door, saying no one was home, and he just popped home for a minute because he was at the leadership convention.

Getty was sworn in as premier of Alberta on Nov. 1, 1985. After a few months in office, he called an election for May 8, 1986.

The election
It would be Getty’s first election as leader of the Progressive Conservatives, Martin’s first election as leader of the NDP, and obviously Speaker’s first election as leader of the Representative Party.

However, Nick Taylor would again be leading the Alberta Liberal Party into a provincial election, something he had done three times – 1975, 1979, and 1982. Not only did they never former government or opposition, they never won a seat. Taylor was perpetually the leader without a seat in the legislature, watching the proceedings from the gallery.

I recall how sorry my mom felt for Nick Taylor, although despising the Liberals, she took some satisfaction from his futility as well.

Brush with fame
Coaldale was in the riding of Taber-Warner at that time, and our MLA was Bob Bogle who was a Progressive Conservative from Milk River – nowhere near Coaldale. However, he did appear at our school periodically so I had seen him before.

Through the news, I learned the candidates running against him were Jim Renfrow of the NDP, and John Voorhorst of the Representative Party.

This is where it gets interesting – for me at least.

It was a week night, a Thursday I think, of 1986. I had been working at the greenhouse since late February so I was still new. I was in the main greenhouse, where the public came.

This guy came in and I recognized him immediately. He said hello, wandered around a bit. Looking back, I think he was looking to shake hands and introduce himself. There was no one around though.

So, he asked to see the owners. They were both out, but one of their sons was around, so I got him.

I told him that John Voorhorst was there, then explained who that was. My boss talked to Voorhorst, and he left soon after.

My boss said, with a smile, that he told our would-be MLA if Voorhorst bought him a beer, he’d vote for him. I just laughed.

Not old enough to vote yet, I saw my boss the night of the election. He said he never did get that beer, but he voted for him anyway.

Good thing for Voorhorst, because he needed all the votes he could get that night.

The results
It was a pivotal election of the time in many ways. The Progressive Conservatives won, but had their majority severely reduced. Having 75 seats, they really could go nowhere but down.

The biggest winner was the NDP who broke through with 16 seats, the most in history, and they formed their largest opposition in history to that point. We see echoes of the same thing now.

The Liberals won four seats, their first since 1969, and Nick Taylor finally won his seat in the riding of Westlock-Sturgeon. He would go on to sit in the legislature until 1996. After that he was appointed to the Senate in 1997 where he served until mandatory retirement in 2002.

Speaker and Buck won their seats for the Representative Party, but folded the party before the next election. Buck would retire, while Speaker would join the Progressive Conservatives, serving in government until 1993. He then took his talents to Ottawa, winning a seat for the Reform Party and becoming their first house leader. He retired after finishing his term in 1997.

I recall watching the results after work. It was a feed from CBC Edmonton and Joanne Stefanik, one of the anchors could not hide her glee at the NDP and Liberal success. At one point she even said she had to keep herself from jumping up and down.

Aftermath

A year later, I lived in student residence at the University of Alberta, down the hall from Scott Reeb who was from Westlock. He was a Liberal supporter and had worked on the Nick Taylor campaign, finally getting the long-time leader of the Liberals into the legislature. Scott had a “Nick Taylor” campaign poster hanging in his room, and it was signed by Taylor. Incidentally, Scott is the older brother of Troy Reeb, of Global TV fame.

Parting thoughts
I became interested in politics all the way back to 1979 and the federal election. I followed Alberta politics as closely as you can in the three-channel universe, on a farm with no access to a daily newspaper. I remember the 1982 election very well, and by 1986, when I was older, was really interested in politics.

Since then, I have met several premiers of this province, including the current one, dozens of MLAs and cabinet ministers, and have come to know my last five local MLAs. The number of candidates I have met is even bigger.

Yet, I still remember that very first one, in a greenhouse outside Coaldale, Alberta in 1986.

That’s where democracy became real for me.

Waking up at dawn: Remembering the 1985 World Hockey Championship

The sun was just coming up. I had set an alarm, but woke up ahead of it. I was so excited my body would not let me miss it.

Team Canada, against all odds, had advanced to the gold medal game of the 1985 World Hockey championship in Prague, Czechoslovakia, and I had to see it.

I was reminded of that game, 38 years ago, when the current rendition of Team Canada played for gold in the 2023 World Hockey Championship.

The team
Team Canada was coached by Doug Carpenter, who was the coach of the New Jersey Devils. The team was made up of players from teams that either did not make the Stanley Cup playoffs, or were eliminated in the first round.

So there was a healthy helping of players from the league’s doormats of 1985 – the Devils; Los Angeles Kings; Vancouver Canucks; Pittsburgh Penguins; and Hartford Whalers.

The roster was John Anderson; Kevin Dineen; Ron Francis; Doug Halward; Steve Konroyd; Grant Ledyard; Mario Lemieux; Doug Lidster; Brian MacLellan; Jamie Macoun; Don Maloney; Kirk Muller; Larry Murphy; Bernie Nicholls; Pat Riggin; Stan Smyl; Scott Stevens; Tony Tanti; Dave Taylor; Rick Vaive; Rick Walmsley; Steve Weeks; Ian Wood; and Steve Yzerman.

Obviously, there are some hall of famers on the roster, but it was early in their careers, before they led their teams to greatness. The two obvious examples are Yzerman, who was in his second season, and Lemieux who was a rookie.

Yet, in a tournament, anything can happen. You just have to beat a team once to win the gold. Sometimes you don’t even have to beat the best team, if someone else does it for you first.

The thing was, Canada never sent its best players to the World Hockey Championship, and it showed. We hadn’t won it since 1961 and didn’t even send a team from 1970 to 1976.

This team didn’t look like it would be much different.

Moreover, there was little hype or fanfare, just as had been the case since Canada started sending teams again in 1977.

That would change.

Round robin
Canada was in Group A, which consisted of the top seven teams in the world. They would play each other once each with the top four teams advancing to the final round where the teams would again play each other once. The team with the best record took gold, the second best took silver, and so on.

Canada opened with a 9-1 win over East Germany on April 17 then shut out West Germany 5-0 on April 18.

After a day off, disaster struck in Canada’s third game, as they lost by a score of 4-3 to the Americans. It was the first time ever that Canada had lost to the United States. Hard to believe now, isn’t it?

With a record of 2-1, the tough games were still ahead for the Canadians.

The next day, April 21, Canada beat Finland 5-2, then played to a 4-4 draw with host Czechoslovakia on April 23.

Up next was the best team on the planet, the Soviet Union, who Canada would face off against on April 25. No one really expected Canada to win, but the Soviets humiliated the Canadians by a score of 9-1. They were serving notice they were the best, and no one should even think they could be beaten.

That left the Swedes, who had finished second in the 1984 Canada Cup the year before. It was roundly observed the Swedes were under-achieving, so when Canada beat them by a 6-3 score on April 27, no one was surprised.

The results left Canada in third place, behind the first place Soviets, second place Americans and ahead of the Czechs.

Still, anything can happen in the final round.

Upset special
The final round opened against the Americans, who had dealt Canada a serious blow in the round robin. However, Canada recovered, defeating Team USA by a score of 3-2 on April 29.

So far so good.

Looming up ahead were the Soviets, who must have looked 10-feet tall. Canada had not defeated the Soviet Union in the World Championships since 1961. The teams were set to meet two days later, on May 1, giving the Canadians plenty of time to think – and plan.

It was the first time the Soviets did not have goaltender Vladislav Tretiak in their net since 1969, either. The truth was, I saw him play, and he was losing a step so a change was not completely unexpected.

Canada came to play. In the midst of the research for this, I found the game on YouTube, and have watched the first 12 minutes or so. They did not look like a team smarting from a 9-1 shellacking. Instead, they are strong on the puck, backchecked well, and Pat Riggin was solid in net.

Mario Lemieux, 19 at the time, opened the scoring at 16:48 of the first period, then five minutes later Stan Smyl scored on a rebound. Lemieux made it 3-0 in the second period, and Riggin slammed the door shut after that. Vlictor Krutov did score on the power play midway through the third period, but it was too little too late.

It was Canada’s first victory over the Soviets in 24 years at the world championships.

Coupled with the other results in the round, the game between Canada and Czechoslovakia would now determine the gold medal winner.

Gold medal game
It was not an actual gold medal game per se, but it did determine who won the gold.

I had heard on the school bus on the way home that Canada had upset the Soviets and were playing for gold, so I determined to watch the game against Czechoslovakia.

When I did tune in to Channel 13 that morning, there was no actual game on the screen yet. Because no one expected Canada to make the gold medal game, there was no one at the game. Ron Reusch was on screen in a studio somewhere, and he explained he was going to call the game by watching a feed CTV somehow picked up from Europe.

That feed was as good as any other international game of the time.

I was more nervous than I expected, when the game faced off.

The Czechs opened the scoring on a goal by Jiri Sejba, but Steve Yzerman tied it 1-1, only to have Sejba score again. This time Rick Vaive tied the score 2-2, as the teams went back and forth. Sejba would then give the Czechs a 3-2 lead at 13:00 of the second period with a power play goal, leaving the score 3-2 going into the second intermission.

Darius Rusnak upped the Czech lead to 4-2 with a power play goal in the third period. Canada never gave up, as Scott Stevens scored to cut the Czech lead to 4-3.

With 96 seconds left, Coach Carpenter pulled Riggin for an extra attacker but Jiri Lala scored into an empty net giving Czechoslovakia the 5-3 win and the gold medal.

Canada did not settle for silver. In this case, they earned it.

I was spent. When I got on the school bus it felt like I had already had a full day – which in some senses was true.

The tournament wrap
Mario Lemieux led Canada in scoring with four goals and six assists in nine games. It would be the only time he played for Canada in the World Hockey Championship. Rick Vaive was the top goal scorer with six goals in 10 games, to go with two assists.

Pat Riggin and Steve Weeks essentially split the goaltending duties, with Weeks playing in five games and Riggin playing in four. However, Riggin seemed to assume the number one spot, because he played against both the Soviets and Czechs in the final round. Rick Walmsley also saw duty in two games. He allowed a total of 11 goals, so he must have played against the Soviets in that 9-1 blowout.

It was telling that no one from Team Canada won an award or was on any tournament all-star teams, illustrating they really did come out of nowhere.

Parting thoughts
It would be another nine years before Canada won their next World Hockey Championship.

The fact they came so close in 1985 was a testament to coaching and the players coming together. I wanted them to win so badly because the tournament really was an un-level playing field. The Soviets were essentially an all-star team that played year round. They trained together, played together and developed into a well-oiled machine.

The International Ice Hockey Federation chose to have their world championship at a time when the best Canadians and many of the best Americans, Swedes, and Finns were playing in the Stanley Cup playoffs and were unavailable for the world championships.

It was not a travesty like the Olympics and their charade of amateur status was, but it still made me cheer that much harder for Team Canada.

That has all changed now. The world has opened up and every country has the same challenges assembling a team for the world championships.

However, when the playing field is level you can see the result.

Canada won the 2023 World Hockey Championship.

Red Apple comes to town: Remembering Woolworth’s

Woolworth's downtown Lethbridge circa 1980.

Source: Facebook/Lethbridge Historical Society

(May be subject to copyright)

Whether it was onion rings with my Opa Jetz at the cafeteria, strolling through the aisles looking at toys, riding the city bus and stopping in front of it, or watching a Grey Cup replay on a black and white TV, Woolworth’s in Lethbridge has a lot of memories for me.

Recently, the Bargain Shop in our town transformed into a Red Apple and, amidst the publicity for the grand opening, I discovered it had its roots in Woolworth’s.

That brought back this odd mix of memories for me.

The four corners
Growing up on a farm, we used to go to Lethbridge every Saturday. Because my parents went grocery shopping every Thursday, Saturday was more for checking out stores and shopping for the other essentials like clothing, shoes, school supplies, and for me, toys, books and later music.

We would always park on the west side of Galt gardens and walk a couple blocks to what I have recently started calling “The Four Corners”.

It was an intersection that had a store on three of the four corners and a building on the fourth corner that seemed to rotate through a variety of uses, primarily a restaurant such as A&W.

On the southwest corner was Kresge’s, across the street on the southeast corner was Eaton’s, and across the street on the northeast corner was Woolworth’s.

They all had something a little different, but enough to attract our attention.

Gaining entrance
What I will always remember about Woolworth’s is the entrance – there were actually two. The one we entered through, on the southwest corner of the building, had the spinning door thing. I am not sure what it was called, but you started walking and were sealed in a little compartment as you moved. Usually I was in one, and my mom behind me. Sometimes, as I got older and started messing around, I would just keep on going, past the point to enter the store and keep on going and going like a circus ride.

There was also an entrance, maybe that was the main entrance, on the south wall. We rarely entered through that one, although I remember it had double glass doors with a vestibule in between. The plastic horse you could ride for a quarter, and some gum or prize machines were also there. I preferred the ones at Kresge’s but that’s for another time.

The one time I distinctly remember going through those glass doors was when I stayed with my cousins Nina and Carl for a few days. They lived on the north side of Lethbridge, and would take the bus downtown. So, Carl suggested we do that. We walked a couple blocks to the bus stop on 23rd Street North and hopped the “Number 5”. The buses were kind of a blue or purple with yellow trim. It was my first ever ride on any city transit. We weaved through the streets then pulled up – right in front of Woolworth’s. That’s where the main stop was, right in front of the double glass doors.

Once inside, the thing that sticks out is the white tiled floors. They brightened the whole store up. They also got pretty gross when people tracked mud in during winter when the snow began to melt.

Lunch is served
Woolworth’s had a cafeteria as well. It was long and narrow, with seating on the right. The seating area was actually bound by a stub wall.

I loved eating out, I still do. What I will remember most was in my first years of high school, so like 1984, 1985, 1986 when we would go visit my Opa Jetz, or meet him downtown. My Oma had died on Christmas Eve of 1984, so he was living on his own.

A couple times, we would go to Woolworth’s strictly because he wanted some onion rings. I was all in too. They made them fresh, which both my Mom and her dad really liked, so we’d pay, have a seat and wait.

This one time, I was really hungry. I kept looking over to see the window where the cook put the finished orders. Then the onion rings appeared.

There was a curly hair on top.

Stuff like that didn’t gross me out, but I could not say the same for some of my family.

Still, as the waitress brought them over, I couldn’t stop looking at that hair. How did it get there? Why was it so long and what made it curl like a cork screw? She set down the plate and, with lightning speed, I plucked the hair off the top.

My mom scolded me for trying to take the first onion ring, when clearly I should have waited for Opa. That was one I was willing to take for the team, so our meal would not get sidetracked. Besides, he said it was all right. To be honest, I can’t imagine anything grossing him out. He lived in a lot of squalor in his younger days, and guaranteed he saw and ate a lot worse than a hair on an onion ring. Even if it was really long and really curly.

Just browsing
We also did shop at Woolworth’s, although of all the stores we went to Saturday mornings, I don’t recall buying a lot there, besides clothes.

I do remember one time, when I was young, I was with my mom and a sales clerk came up, asking her if she needed any help.

“Just browsing,” my mom responded, and the clerk went away.

I saw her do that at another store. I was fascinated. It was like Kryptonite. Those words repelled sales clerks.

When I got older, there was a particularly aggressive sales clerk pursuing me, so I tried the magic words.

“Just browsing,” I said. She disappeared almost instantly.

Action replay
I have another odd memory. It was 1979, and I was just getting into Canadian football. It was the Saturday before Grey Cup Sunday. Back then, CBC aired a replay of the previous year’s Grey Cup. That year, Edmonton was playing Montreal, and it was a rematch of the 1978 Grey Cup.

I was excited to see it, because I wanted to learn more about the players taking to the field the next day.

Then my parents rounded me up to go to Lethbridge shopping. I was so disappointed.

As happens when you’re young, I had kind of forgot about it as everything else got going.

Me and my mom walked into Woolworth’s and started looking around.

Then I heard it, the sound of a football game. I could hear the commentary. The thing was, I don’t recall Woolworth’s having a large electronics department. It had some radios and tape decks but I don’t remember any TV of any consequence.

I looked around, then just followed the sound. It was coming from a small, black and white TV that was maybe 10 or 12 inches. Still, I heard some of that game, which Edmonton had won, and the names of some players who were no longer with Edmonton – George McGowan sticks out.

But, like anything, my mom had finished browsing and it was off to the next store.

I still remember that crappy little TV though, and the joy it gave me to catch a bit of an old football game.

And it was brought to me by Woolworth’s.

Woolworth’s or Woolco
On the far southern edge of Lethbridge at the time was the College Value Mall. The anchor store was Woolco, and I always wondered if it was connected to Woolworth’s in any way.

My mom had always said they were.

Wikipedia revealed to me that Woolworth’s did own Woolco. The difference, according to Wikipedia, was that Woolworth’s were five and dime stores while Woolco was a full-line discount department store. That makes sense, because I do recall a lot more stuff at Woolco.

Parting thoughts
I went off to university in Edmonton in 1987 and really never looked back. When I was visiting Lethbridge in 1993, I discovered, Woolworth’s was gone. In its place was a store called the Bargain Shop. Now, those stores have become Red Apple, whose colours are similar to Woolworth’s.

Shopping, like music, movies, TV, and sports, was a big part of growing up. There are distinct memories tied up in the places I shopped, whether Kresge’s, Eaton’s – or Woolworth’s.

Still, when I have an onion ring, I think about my Opa.

I have Woolworth’s to thank for that.

Riding the bus: Remembering “Safety Dance” by Men Without Hats

It’s strange how songs can take you right back to a specific place or time.

Whenever I hear “Safety Dance” by Men Without Hats, I am taken back to Grade 8 and riding the school bus.

Blame it on the radio
The school bus was always an interesting place growing up. We passed a lot of time by talking to each other, if we had guys our age. Sometimes we did homework, especially if it was something due first period. Otherwise, we wiled away the time by listening to the radio.

Initially, the bus driver only tuned in to the country music station. Eventually, through some friendly persuasion by the older kids, he tuned into 1090 CHEC, the top 40 station.

One of the guys who got the dial turned to pop and rock music was a guy from the public school named Danny Still. He was a couple years older than me, and his brother was my age.

Every time I hear “Safety Dance” by Men Without Hats, I think about riding the bus, and the man who made it possible.

The song
“Safety Dance” holds a special place in my heart, because it was one of the first top 40 songs I heard on the radio by a band from Quebec. Men Without Hats was from Montreal, and had achieved quite a bit of success in la Belle Provence.

I first heard “Safety Dance” on the radio, but I also heard it on Solid Gold on Saturday night. That was where I first realized they had success south of the border.

According to Wikipedia, the song was released in 1982, entered the top 50 in Canada in February of 1983, and peaked at number 11 in May.



Unlike many Canadian artists and their songs, which are better known in Canada than the United States, “Safety Dance” was the opposite, It was released in the States on March 16, 1983 but, initially, did not enter the U.S. charts for a few months. When it finally did, it went all the way to number three on the Billboard Hot 100 staying there for four weeks in September and October. It stayed a total of 24 weeks in the Hot 100, and hit number one on the Billboard Dance chart. It has since been inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.

They would receive Juno nominations in 1984 for Most Promising Group and single of the year for “Safety Dance”. They were also nominated for a Grammy for Best New Artist.

Interestingly, Ivan Doroschuk wrote the song as a protest after getting kicked out of a night club for pogo dancing.

Parting thoughts
So, one day, we were on the bus talking. The driver always dropped off the students at the high school first then went to our school then the public school. That day, about two blocks from Kate Andrews High School, “Safety Dance” came on the radio.

Danny was sitting behind me and he started mouthing the words, then singing them. The bus pulled up to the school and he kept singing louder and louder, as he ran his hand over the top of every seat as he made his way to te front of the bus. Then, in a high school ‘80s crescendo, he jumped off the bus.

I, and all the other junior high kids, just laughed and laughed as the bus pulled away and we could see him mouthing the words all the way into the school.

We can dance if we want to, we can sing!

So could Danny.

Tina Turner: Remembering Private Dancer and more

Tina Turner performing in concert in the '80s.

Source: https://amandafortini.substack.com/

(May be subject to copyright)

She was this powerful presence on stage. Her powerful voice matched by these powerful, yet sensual legs, that just made her a force to be reckoned with.

During the 1980s, Tina Turner re-emerged on the music scene as a solo artist who could bring it every time she appeared on a stage or screen.

Yesterday, the news broke that Tina Turner died at the age of 83.

It brought back all these memories of a period in the 1980s when she was simply the best.

The years before
Tina Turner had gained success and stardom performing with her husband Ike Turner in the Ike and Tina Turner Revue in the 1960s, 1970s and into the 1980s.

By 1983, Wikipedia reveals Tina Turner had become a nostalgia act.

That all changed in 1984 in what has been called one of the greatest comebacks in music history.

“Private Dancer”
Tina Turner’s 1984 album “Private Dancer” coincided with the time I started listening to music. The first single I heard was “What’s Love Got to do With it”, and I recall this video of Tina Turner walking and those powerful legs being highlighted. It was actually, as I recently discovered, the third single released off that album.

That song went all the way to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and was her only number one single. It was the second biggest single of 1984 and made Turner the oldest solo female artist, at age 44, to top the Hot 100 to that point.

She followed that up with “Better be Good to Me” in 1984, which went all the way to number five on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also appeared on the “Miami Vice Soundtrack”.

My favourite single from that period was the next release off that album. It was the title track “Private Dancer” and went all the way to number seven in 1984. What I just loved was that it was written by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits fame.

She capped off her comeback by winning three times at the 1985 Grammy awards. She took home Grammys for Record of the Year for “What’s Love Got to do With it”; Best Vocal Performance Female for “What’s Love Got to do With it”; and Best Rock Vocal Performance female for “Better Be Good to Me”.

“What’s Love Got to do With it” also won Song of the Year, for song writers Terry Britten and Graham Lyle.

The cause of others
Tina Turner seemed to be everywhere as the 1980s continued. When famine and starvation killed millions in Africa, artists banded together in common cause to raise funds for famine relief.

One such effort was USA for Africa, where American artists banded together to sing “We Are the World” in 1985. Tina Turner was right there, singing her part, the words, “We are all a part of God’s great big family”

The song sold more than 20 million copies, raising more than $63 million for aid in Africa and the U.S. That would translate to about $168 million today.

Following on the heels of charity projects Band Aid, Northern Lights, and USA for Africa, was a fundraising concert called Live Aid. It was two concerts in mid-July of 1985, one at Wembley Stadium in London, the other at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. It was in the City of Brotherly Love where Tina Turner brought down the house, singing a high energy duet of “State of Shock” and “It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll” with Mick Jagger, lead singer of the Rolling Stones.

I remember watching that in the living room of my friend Chris Vining, on July 13, 1985. We both just kept saying, “Boy can they rock.” Then she ripped her skirt. It was awesome.

“It’s Only Love”
Turner had another high energy, all-out duet in 1985. This time she teamed up with Canadian rocker Bryan Adams for “It’s Only Love”, which was the sixth and final release from his 1984 breakout album “Reckless”.

"It's Only Love" peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January of 1986; and peaked at number 14 in Canada. The song was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, and won an MTV Video Music Award for best stage performance.

Hitting the movies
The hits kept on coming for Tina Turner, as she ventured to Australia in 1985 to play alongside Mel Gibson in the third installment of the Mad Max trilogy, called “Mad Max III: Beyond Thunderdome”. The story continues the journey of Max, played by Gibson, in a post-apocalyptic world that began with “Mad Max” and continued in “The Road Warrior”.

Turner contributed two songs to the soundtrack, that both had a haunting quality to them. “We Don’t Need Another Hero” utilizes the voices of a children’s choir to give it an extra haunting quality. Wikipedia reveals that group was a choral group from King’s House School in Richmond, London. “We Don’t Need Another Hero” was released on July 8, 1985, and went all the way to number two on the Billboard Hot 100, one of her biggest hit singles.

“One of the Living” was released in Sepember of 1985 and peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song, and Turner, also won the Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance in 1986.

Rule breaker
“Break Every Rule”, Turner’s much anticipated follow up album to “Private Dancer” was released in September of 1986, and it did not disappoint.

The first single was “Typical Male”, which went all the way to number two for three consecutive weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, in October of 1986.

“Two People” was the second single off “Break Every Rule”, released in October of 1986, and peaking at number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100. “What You Get is What You See”, a third single, was released in February of 1987 and went all the way to number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Back Where You Started” was written by Bryan Adams and his song-writing partner Jim Vallance, and it won Turner her third straight Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female. It did not chart, because it was never officially released as a single.

Best for last
Tina Turner closed out the decade by releasing “Foreign Affair” in 1989. It was her seventh studio album and featured the song “The Best”, which was released in August of 1989. “The Best” went all the way to number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of her signature songs.

The years after
Turner continued to keep on performing and recording. Her life story was brought to life in the 1993 movie “What’s Love Got to do With it” where she contributed the single “I Don’t Want to Fight” to the soundtrack. It peaked at number nine on the Billboad Hot 100. She also recorded the title track for the James Bond thriller “Goldeneye” in 1995. It was written by The Edge and Bono of U2.

Parting thoughts
What can you say about Tina Turner. At an age when a lot of people were beginning to slow down, she was just getting started.

She was inspiring, not only for her amazing comeback in the 1980s and all the adversity she overcame, but for the way she performed on stage. She just went out there and gave everything she had. She will be sorely missed for her music, her courage, dedication and energy.

There was no one like Tina Turner.

Kiefer Sutherland: More than Donald's son

Canadian actor Kiefer Sutherland in "Stand buy Me" in 1986.

Source: looper.com

(May be subject to copyright)

He always seemed to be bullying someone, whether it was the four adventurers in “Stand by Me” or would-be vampires in “The Lost Boys”.

Yet as the decade wore on, he began to mature, spread out into a variety of roles and, in the years beyond, make a name for himself on television as an action hero and a statesman.

Through it all, I could not stop thinking, “Boy does Kiefer Sutherland look like his dad!”

Early days
Initially, I heard about Kiefer Sutherland more than I actually saw him. He had appeared in this Canadian movie that won a bunch of Genie awards. It was called “The Bay Boy”, came out in 1984 and has Sutherland playing a man named Donald Campbell growing up in Nova Scotia in the 1930s. When I saw a clip all I could think was how much he looked like his dad.

A year later, in 1985, I saw his name again, this time in an episode of Steven Spielberg’s entré into television called “Amazing Stories”. Sutherland plays part of a Second World War air crew. I didn’t see the show, but when I saw a photo from it, I thought how much he looked like his dad.

Big screen bully
Pretty soon, Sutherland migrated to the big screen. The first time I saw Kiefer Sutherland was in 1986 as the older brother of one of the four boys in “Stand by Me”. That's where he terrorized the young adventurers.

He gave new meaning to the word terrorize in 1987 when I saw him as a teenage vampire in “The Lost Boys", terrorizing Cory Haim and Corey Feldman.

Sutherland was awesome in both roles as a psychotic, violent antagonist.

It would have been easy to get type cast, but he avoided that, for the most part.

Incidentally, he also appeared alongside Michael J. Fox as a self-destructive party animal in “Bright Lights, Big City” in 1988, but I never did see that movie.

Go west young man
His next role was in 1988 where he played “Doc”, one of the more reasonable friends of Emilio Estevez’s “Billy the Kid” in “Young Guns”. My overriding memory of Doc is being in the wrong place at the wrong time, getting blood spattered on the side of his face when “Billy the Kid” shot someone in the side of the head. He just kept on as if nothing happened. It was a bit chilling.

It was also a totally different role.

Double time
Sutherland had appeared in “Young Guns” with Lou “Diamond” Phillips, who was a good friend of Sutherland’s. The two teamed up in 1989 a movie called “The Renegades”. Sutherland plays a city cop who teams up with Phillips, playing a man hunting a murderer.

I saw that movie in the theatre with my good fried Sean Drake. When we were leaving the theatre, the thing we both mentioned first was how long the car chase that opened the movie was.

We agreed it was the longest car chase we’d ever seen.

The years after
Things just got better for Kiefer Sutherland on the big screen after that. He would appear in “Flatliners” in 1990; “Young Guns II” the same year; “A Few Good Men” in 1992 and “A Time to Kill” in 1996. In the latter two movies, he again played a bully prone to violence.

Sutherland would find major success on TV. First, he had a long run as an operative working for a counter-terrorist unit in “24”. Later he played a man who unexpectedly becomes president of the United States when everyone in front of him in the line of succession dies in “Designated Survivor”.

He continues acting to this day with his most recent television role in “Rabbit Hole”.

Parting thoughts
I always root for Canadians in Hollywood, and Kiefer Sutherland was no exception. Yet, initially it seemed as if he played the same role over and over as the bully with a mean streak that often turned violent. He was really good at appearing creepy and, on occasion, soulless. It was the same in “Stand by Me”; “The Lost Boys”; “A Few Good Men”; and “A Time to Kill”.

Yet he would branch out to different roles, most notably in television, and forged a solid career that continues to this day.

He no longer is the actor who looks like his dad.

Remembering Gordon Lightfoot

Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot.

Source: https://www.nightviz.ca/

(May be subject to copyright)

He will always be the one who led-off a star-studded line-up performing a beautiful song to raise money for famine relief.

It said a great deal to me that Gordon Lightfoot was the first voice we heard on “Tears Are Not Enough”, ahead of Burton Cummings, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Dan Hill, Corey Hart, Bryan Adams and so many others.

At that time, I did not know as much about Gordon Lightfoot as I do now, but I still have some odd memories of him and his music.

I was thinking about that a few weeks ago when I heard Gordon Lightfoot had died.

He was 84 years old.

The years before
Gordon Lightfoot was already a household name when I started listening to music in 1984. He was just a part of the fabric of Canadian music and culture. I cannot recall any time I was introduced to him. He was always there.

The songs I first heard, largely because Canadian content requirements meant a healthy helping of legends such as Lightfoot, included “Carefree Highway”; “Sundown”; “If You Could Read My Mind”; and “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”.

Poetry in motion
The first time I recall talking about Gordon Lightfoot was actually in language arts class at St. Joseph’s School in Coaldale. It was either Grade 7 or 8. The reason I cannot narrow it down further was because my home room was the same for both grades, and so was my teacher – Mr. Terry Roth.

When we studied our poetry unit, Mr. Roth gave us this poem about a boat called “The Golden Vanity”. He talked about how song lyrics were just poems, and played a song called “The Golden Vanity” that was essentially the poem set to music.

He also played another song with the theme of sinking the “Turkish Reverie” to illustrate how different artists could interpret poetry differently.

That led into a discussion of poets who were story tellers, and Mr. Roth described Gordon Lightfoot as a poet and story teller. I recall hearing two selections by Lightfoot. One was “Pussy Willows, Cat Tails” and the phrase, “shivering, quivering” in particular. The other song was “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” as a classic example of a poem telling a story.

Solid Gold sound
Once I started listening to music, in addition to the radio, I started watching shows such as “Video Hits”, “Switchback”, and “Solid Gold”.

Unlike most shows, which played music videos, “Solid Gold” had a countdown but welcomed singers and bands performing live on the show.

One Saturday night, I recall Gordon Lightfoot. Everything I had heard about him at the time led me to believe he was a folk singer type with jeans and an acoustic guitar. This was not the case. He was dressed a little more trendy. What really struck me was the electric guitar he played, which did not feel like folk music at all.

I remember that more than the song he played because, by the 1980s, he was not turning out any more radio hits. I don’t recall ever hearing new Gordon Lightfoot music on the radio throughout the time I listened.

Northern Lights
The world was profoundly affected in the latter part of 1984 by the horrifying pictures coming out of Africa and the famine that was wreaking devastation. Musicians, starting with Irish performer Bob Geldof, started raising money for this famine relief by creating these groups of artists who banded together for a single, powerful song. Geldof and Midge Uhr started the trend with an effort called “Do They Know it’s Christmas?” in December of 1984.

A few months later, in early 1985, USA for Africa formed producing “We Are the World”. Included on that album was a song that will forever be stamped on my heart.

It was called “Tears Are Not Enough”, which was uniquely Canadian, and had an actual call to action. It was Canadian in that it had both English and French singers, every major band and performer of the past 20 years in Canada, and footage was included on the video from that year’s NHL all-star game with the players singing “Tears Are Not Enough”.

Leading off that song and, really, setting the tone was Gordon Lightfoot.

His words echo in my ears as I type this – “As every day goes by, how can we close our eyes?”

That was my true introduction to the magic of Gordon Lightfoot.

The years after
As the years went on, and we began to honour the past, and music became more accessible, I heard Gordon Lightfoot, and really began to appreciate how talented a story teller he was.

Following Gordon Lightfoot on “Tears Are Not Enough” was Burton Cummings. It was cool, because I always associated the two. I later discovered they were actually friends too. So much so that when I bought Cummings’ “Up Close and Alone” tape in he summer of 1996, it had a song that makes me laugh every time I hear it.

Cummings calls it, “If Rod Stewart was Gordon Lightfoot’s favourite singer.” In it, Cummings does an imimtation of what he thinks Lightfoot would sound like singing Rod Stewart’s Maggie Mae.

It is one of the funniest things I have ever heard.

Parting thoughts
One of the best things about getting older is to reflect on the things in life. One of those things for me is the music of Gordon Lightfoot. When he died, I found a greatest hits compilation on YouTube and just let it play all day while I worked.

The familiar songs struck a chord because they reminded me of the artist himself.

The songs I had never heard before really moved me, because they all told a story, had this lyrical quality, and evoked vivid images.

I remembered this quote from Bob Dylan, cited often right after Lightfoot died.

Bob Dylan said he never heard a Gordon Lightfoot song that he didn’t like. They were all good.

That was high praise from one of the greatest singers and song writers in history.

I have to agree with him.

The NHL playoffs: How things have changed

The NHL playoffs looked much different in the '80s.

Source: https://logos-world.net/

(May be subject to copyright)

As the NHL conference finals progress, I took a look back and thought, how different it was in the 1980s.

Franchise stability

At the dawn of the decade, the NHL had its last expansion for, well, a decade. In 1979, the National Hockey League had finally vanquished its pesky rival the World Hockey Association, resulting in a merger that saw the Winnipeg Jets, Quebec Nordiques, Hartford Whalers, and Edmonton Oilers enter the league.

That brought the number of teams to 21. That number would not change until 1991, when the San Jose Sharks became the 22nd franchise in the NHL.

There was also one re-location in 1980 when the Atlanta Flames moved to Calgary.

In fact, the league was so stable there would only be one other re-location when the Colorado Rockies moved to New Jersey and became the Devils in 1982. They also moved from the Smythe Division to the Patrick Division, and Winnipeg moved from the Norris Division to the Smythe. This was also the last time a team changed divisions in the decade.

Playoff certainty
The league realigned for the 1981-1982 season where wild cards were eliminated and the top four teams from each division qualified for the playoffs. First played fourth and second played third in each division in the first round, or division semi-finals. The winners played in the second round, or division final, then those winners played in the conference final, with those two winners playing for the Stanley Cup.

The four divisions were the Smythe and Norris in the Campbell Conference and the Adams and Patrick in the Wales Conference.

It created playoff certainty that, for some, led to playoff monotony. The same teams would meet in the playoffs, especially those first two divisional rounds.

Worse, with no wild cards, weaker divisions had teams qualify for the playoffs with records that were worse, and sometimes far worse, than other divisions.

This structure remained until the start of the 1993-1994 season.

Expansion and re-location
The league decided after a decade, it was indeed time to expand, and the 1990s was a period of rapid growth. In 1991 the San Jose Sharks entered the NHL; in 1992 it was the Ottawa Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning; and in 1993 the Might Ducks of Anaheim and the Florida Panthers. It is evident, there was also a desire to move into southern or sun belt markets.

The expansion continued to make the league a full 30 teams with the Nashville Predators entering in 1998; the Atlanta Thrashers in 1999; and the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets in 2000.

Meanwhile franchises also began to re-locate with the Minnesota North Stars moving to Texas to become the Dallas Stars in 1993; the Quebec Nordiques moving to Denver to become the Colorado Avalanche in 1995; the Winipeg Jets moving to Phoenix to become the Arizoan Coyotes in 1996; the Hartford Whalers moving to become the Carolina Hurricanes in 1997; and the Atlanta Thrashers moving to Winnipeg in 2011.

The Vegas Golden Knights joined the league in 2017 and the Seattle Kraken became the 32nd NHL franchise in 2021.

The warm weather teams continued a trend, or achieved a goal of the NHL, to move into southern warmer climates. That began with L.A. after the Gretzky trade.

The playoffs today
What a contrast this year’s conference finals are to the entire decade of the 1980s.

There are no original six team in the semi-finals. There is one second six team, that is the six teams that joined in the first expansion in 1967. That is the Minnesota North Stars who have re-located to Dallas. There are no teams that entered in any of the expansions of the 1970s. There is one team from the WHA merger, the Hartford Whalers who moved to Carolina. There is one team from the expansions of the 1990s, the Florida Panthers. Finally, there is one team, Vegas, from the second most recent expansion.

Parting thoughts
I find it interesting how much the NHL has changed. There was no expansion and complete stability in the league in the entire decade of the 1980s.

Now, none of the four teams in the 2023 semi-finals existed in the 1980a as they stand now. Only two existed at all, but in different forms and different cities.

It is quite interesting.

Strange Advance’s “We Run”: Remembering the quote board

 

"At the point of the knife, you never see anyone.

How the strong will survive, at the end of their gun.
We run." ~ Strange Advance

It was those words I saw written on a dry erase board that made me realize, I didn’t know the actual words until I saw them in writing.

I heard “We Run” by Strange Advance today, and it reminded me of a friend I met in 1988 who did some neat things.

Moving in
It was the fall of 1988 and I was moving into Kelsey Hall for my second year of university. I moved in a week early because I had training as a floor coordinator.

I had gone up with my best friend Chris Vining, who was also going to training. We, along with my parents, were busy getting stuff out of our vehicles to load on a trolley to take to our new home.

That’s when a guy wearing a burgundy tam o’shanter appeared, and helped us move in. I was moving into room 528K on the fifth floor and it turned out he had just moved into 428K, directly below me.

His name was Bruce Freadrich.

Quote wall
Bruce did a lot of interesting things. We had these dry erase boards outside our doors for people to write on, and Bruce was an English major. Consequently, he started writing quotes on his board, and updated them regularly.

I was down on his floor for a number of different reasons, and always had to pass his door and saw the newest quote on my way by.

The quotes were all interesting but, honestly, at the age of 18 I did not recognize a single one of them.

That all changed one day when I read the quote and recognized it instantly.

It was a song, from a few years earlier when I was just getting into music.

“We Run”
It was the chorus from “We Run” by Strange Advance. It was a song that came out in those few months after I got my first ever ghetto blaster for Christmas of 1984. Due, I am sure, to Canadian content requirements, it seemed “We Run” was on the radio all the time.

I really liked the song, but I always thought the chorus “At the point of tonight, you never see anyone” but that makes noooo sense.

It is a Canadian classic now, but when I checked in on how it did on the charts, it peaked at number 28 in Canada. I don’t think it was even released in the States.

Still, it appears on many Canadian ‘80s compilations I have come across online.

Parting thoughts
Music can conjure up some interesting memories.

Whenever I hear “We Run”, I am taken back to that 1988-1989 school year and a friend who exposed me to a lot of things. Some I had not only seen, but dreamed of doing.

I will always be grateful to Bruce Freadrich for that.

And for setting me straight on the lyrics of a great song.

Chad Lowe: Much more than Rob’s little brother

Chad Lowe in the sitcom "Spencer".

Source: tvguide.com

(May be subject to copyright)

It took me a minute before it clicked in. We were watching “911:Lone Star” and Owen Strand, the character played by Rob Lowe, goes to visit his dying father. He meets this really nice guy in the waiting room, and they hit it off.

That guy looked familiar but I couldn’t place him.

As the show continued, we discover that nice guy is actually Owen’s younger half-brother Robert. Needless to say, Owen was estranged from his father.

At that moment it hit me.

I turned to my spouse and blurted out, “That’s Rob Lowe’s real-life little brother”.

Robert Strand was, in fact, played by Chad Lowe.

It reminded me of a time where I wanted to see him but could not, and another time where his performance touched my heart.

Spencer, but not for hire
Part of living in the country and having access to just three channels on peasant vision, meant we did not get all the shows that were airing on American primetime TV.

Making matters worse was that we got “TV Guide” every week and I read about all these shows that looked interesting, but some were just not on our channels.

One was a show called “Spencer”. It was about a high-school student named Spencer Winger. I recall reading it starred Rob Lowe’s younger brother Chad in the title role. I also read that Lowe left the series after six episodes, and it became a show called “Under One Roof”.

That’s all I know because I never saw it.

Still, I was curious. Rob Lowe was pretty popular from a variety of roles, and I wanted to see his brother.

The years beyond
Chad Lowe did have some other acting gigs in the 1980s on TV and in theatres, most notably in TV movies and after-school specials.

His breakout was a role in “Life Goes On”, where he earned an Emmy for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series in 1993.

His career took off after that.

The role where I first really saw him was in “Take Me Home: The John Denver Story” in 2000, where he was just amazing. Interestingly, a guy I knew in Edmonton named Trevor Davell had a bit part in that movie too.

Lowe continues to act to this day in a wide variety of shows. Those have included “ER”; “Touched by an Angel”; “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit”; “CSI: Miami”; “Medium”; “24”; “Bones”; “Ghost Whisperer”; “Pretty Little Liars”; “Rizzoli and Isles”; and “Supergirl”.

Getting Swank-y
The other more recent memory of him was as the husband of Hillary Swank. When she won an Oscar in 2005 for “Million Dollar Baby”, she was gushing over Lowe, all his support, and how much she loved him. I thought that was really cool, because he too looked so happy. I did not know that when Swank won an Oscar in 2000 for “Boys Don’t Cry” she forgot to thank Lowe in her acceptance speech.

In 2006, they announced their intention to divorce, and it became final in 2007.

Parting thoughts
Chad Lowe has also turned into a first-rate director, with turns on shows such as “Bones”; “Brothers and Sisters”; “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit”; “Without a Trace”; “Pretty Little Liars” and more.

Add to that an Emmy, and some great roles such as the iconic John Denver, and Chad Lowe is much more than Rob Lowe’s little brother.

I still wish I had seen him on “Spencer”.

I’ll see you over at YouTube.

Peter Draisaitl: A great first act

Peter Draisaitl in his playing days in Germany.

Source: Instagram/thehockeyhistory

(May be subject to copyright)

Whenever the subject of Leon Draisaitl comes up, and my love for him as a hockey player, some have suggested I like him strictly because he, like myself, is German.

That is absolutely true, but the answer I always give is, “I saw his dad play.”

It is true, my interest in the Draisaitl family goes back to 1988 when Calgary hosted the Winter Olympics, and welcomed a team from West Germany.

West Germany
If you grew up in the 1980s, it is hard to believe the country is one Germany now. Back then, it had been divided into East and West Germany after they lost the Second World War. West Germany, which had been occupied by Great Britain, the United States, and France, was free and democratic. East Germany, which was occupied by the Soviet Union, was Communist and sealed off from the world by the Iron Curtain.

They were two distinct countries until their reunification in 1990. That meant they did everything separately, including send teams to the Winter and Summer Olympics.

The Calgary Olympics
It is also hard to believe it has been 35 years since Calgary welcomed the world for the 15th Winter Olympics. With all the talk of a new arena for Calgary, it is equally hard to believe the Saddledome was a state-of-the art facility built for the Olympics, then to become home to the Calgary Flames.

It was at the Saddledome where Peter Draisaitl played as a member of the West German hockey team.

Prelude to the Olympics
Draisaitl started playing professional hockey in West Germany and had four seasons with Mannheimer ERC under his belt when he travelled to Calgary with the West German Olympic hockey team in 1988.

It would be his first international tournament with the national team. In 1983 he appeared in five games at the European Junior Championship, recording three goals and an assist for four points. In 1984 he played in the World Junior Championship, playing in seven games and scoring three goals and adding two assists for five points.

Now, at the age of 22, he was set to take the stage in 1988 in the biggest international tournament of the year.

Olympic hockey
West Germany was in Group B with the vaunted Soviet team for the First Round. It was round robin where every team played each other. The Germans opened by defeating Czechoslovakia 2-1; then beat Norway 7-3; beat Austria 3-1; lost to the Soviet Union 6-3; and concluded with a 4-1 victory over the United States.

The results left West Germany in second place in Group B with eight points.

The Final Round was unique. The top three teams from each group advanced to the Final Round. The points from their own group would carry over, and they would play the three teams from the other pool.

West Germany therefore had a win over Czechoslovakia and a loss to the Soviets carry over.

They opened the Final Round play losing 8-0 to Finland. Two days later Canada hammered the West Germans 8-1.

Their hopes of a medal were gone. If they beat Sweden, the bronze medal would have gone to Canada because they would have four points and Canada had five. Obviously, if the West Germans lost, they were still out of the medals.

They did lose 3-2, giving Sweden the bronze. The West Germans finished fifth, ahead of Czechoslovakia on the strength of beating them in head to head play.

I recall that West Germany-Sweden game on Feb. 28, 1988. I was walking through the Main Kelsey lounge, and heard the guys cheering for West Germany to win, because it would give Canada the bronze.

Peter Draisaitl played in all eight games for West Germany, recording one assist.

International hockey
Peter Draisaitl would play for West Germany in the 1989 and 1990 World Hockey Championships. After reunification, he played for Germany in the 1992 and 1998 Olympic Games; in the 1991, 1992, 1996, 1997 and 1998 World Championships; and the 1996 World Cup of Hockey.

His international totals were 14 goals and 17 assists for 31 points in 73 games.

Pro hockey and beyond
Draisaitl played professionally in Germany for Mannheimer ERC, Kolner Haie, ESC Moskitos Essen, and Revierlowen Oberhausen until the end of the 2000-2001 season.

His career totals were 279 goals and 401 assists for 680 points.

After his playing career ended, he went into coaching and currently coaches in Germany with the Krefeld Pinguine.

On October 27, 1995, Peter’s son Leon was born.

The rest is history.

Parting thoughts
I can’t say that Peter Draisaitl was a super star as a player, nor that I followed his career closely. Back in the 1980s it just wasn’t possible to follow any player or league other than those in North America. Even then, it was primarily the NHL, maybe the AHL and the WHL where I grew up.

Still, I do recall that 1988 West German Olympic team and, because they were not in the same group as Canada in the First Round, cheering for them. I also recall cheering for them to beat Sweden to give Canada that bronze medal, although not as hard as the guys from Main Kelsey.

And Peter Draisaitl was part of that.

It was a good first act in hockey. The second act, his son Leon, is even better.

Grant Fuhr: Missed him by that much

Grant Fuhr in action with the Edmonton Oilers in the '80s.

Source: Edsmonton Journal

(May be subject to copyright)

He was arguably the best goaltender of the 1980s. Even if he wasn’t, he helped his Edmonton Oilers to five Stanley Cup championships and helped Team Canada win the Canada Cup in 1984 and 1987.

But my memories of Grant Fuhr go back to before his time in the NHL.

Cougar Town
The first time I heard about Grant Fuhr was on CBC Calgary Channel 9. Sports reporter Gary Arthur did a piece on a rising young star goaltender with the Victoria Cougars who was from Spruce Grove, Alberta.

Then I would hear about him occasionally on TV or radio, and read about him in the odd sports page I came across.

The one thing I wondered at the time was “How do you pronounce Fuhr?” Is it “Fuhr like purr” or “Fuhr like pure”? It turned out to be Fuhr as in pure.

That came in handy as the Victoria Cougars were coming to town to play the Lethbridge Broncos during the 1979-1980 season.

I was so excited.

Missed him by that much
Somehow, I was able to convince my parents to take me to the game. I was pumped.

Fuhr wore a distinctive mask. It was fibre glass, with three vertical stripes dividing the entire area of his face. He would wear a mask with a similar design when he started with the Edmonton Oilers.

We got to the Lethbridge Sportsplex in plenty of time to see the teams warm up. There in the net was a goalie wearing that exact mask. After taking about a dozen or so shots, he skated to the bench, where he conferred with another goalie, this one wearing a cage.

The conference broke up, and the one with the cage skated to the Cougar net.

I soon learned his name was Kevin Eastman, and he would be playing goal that night for Victoria.

My heart fell.

It hurt the Cougars too, because I am pretty sure the Broncos beat the Cougars that night.

Future’s so bright
Grant Fuhr was the Western Hockey League’s outstanding goalie in 1981, and led them to the league championship and a trip to the Memorial Cup. He was also a league all-star in both seasons he played in the WHL, the 1979-1980 and 1980-1981 seasons.

The Edmonton Oilers were already strong in net with Andy Moog and Ed Mio, but in the 1981 NHL entry draft, they took Grant Fuhr with the eighth pick overall. He was the highest goalie ever taken in the draft, to that point.

He split his time with Moog over the next few seasons. In 1981-1982, his rookie year, Fuhr appeared in 48 games, winning 28, losing five, tying 14, recording no shut outs and having a 3.31 goals against average.

Stanley Cup success
The following year, 1982-1983, the Oilers made it all the way to the Stanley Cup final, although Moog was the starting goalie for the run that culminated in a loss to the New York Islanders. Fuhr played in 32 games, winning 13, losing 12, tying five, with no shut outs and a 4.29 goals against average. He played in one playoff game, for 11 minutes, allowing no goals. He also played 10 games in the minors, so I wonder if he had an injury that year and was rehabbing it in Moncton.

The Oilers were back in the Stanley Cup final in the 1983-1984 season, for a rematch with the Islanders. This time, Fuhr had been named the starter for the playoffs. He did not disappoint, appearing in 16 games, winning 11, losing four, recording one shut out and a 3.00 goals against average, as the Oilers won their first Stanley Cup. He was injured part way through Game 3 of the final, so Moog played the last two games. In the regular season he played in 45 games, winning 30, losing 10, tying four, recording one shut out and a goals against average of 3.91.

Fuhr was also tapped on the shoulder to play for Team Canada in the 1984 Canada Cup, where he helped win gold, playing in two games, winning one and tying one with a goals against average of 3.00.

By the start of the 1984-1985 season, Fuhr was the number one goaltender for the Oilers. He appeared in 46 games games, winning 26, losing eight, tying seven with one shut out and a 3.87 goals against average, as the Oilers defeated the Philadelphia Flyers for their second straight Stanley Cup.

The 1985-1986 season promised to be another championship season, as the Oilers were top of the league. Fuhr turned in another solid campaign, with 29 wins, eight losses, no ties or shut outs, and a 3.93 goals against average in 40 games. After the Oilers dispatched Vancouver in three straight games, they engaged Calgary in an epic seven-game series, that turned on a simple play involving Fuhr. Defenceman Steve Smith came out from behind his own net and, attempting a cross-ice pass, hit Fuhr and the puck went in the net. It gave the Flames the lead, but the Oilers could not score over the next 15 minutes, so the Flames recorded one of the biggest upsets in NHL history.

Undeterred, the Oilers were back in the Stanley Cup final in the 1986-1987 season, where they outlasted the feisty Philadelphia Flyers in a seven-game series. Fuhr was 14-5 in 19 games in the playoffs, with no shut outs and a 2.47 goals against average. During the regular season he had 22 wins, 13 losses, three ties, no shut outs and a 3.44 goals against average.

That season, the NHL replaced the all-star game with a two-game exhibition against a team of Soviet all-stars called Rendez-Vous ’87. The teams split the two games, with Fuhr apearing both games for the NHL all-stars.

Before the start of the 1987-1988 season, Fuhr backstopped Team Canada to a win over the Soviet Union in the Canada Cup. He appeared in all nine of Canada’s games, including the epic three-game final. He had six wins, a loss, two ties and a goals against average of 3.34.

The following season was Fuhr’s best. Andy Moog had been dealt to Boston, so Fuhr played in 75 games, winning 40, losing 24, tying nine, recording four shut outs, and a 3.43 goals against average. The Oilers won their fourth Stanley Cup, defeating my beloved Boston Bruins in the final. Fuhr won all 16 games, lost two, and had a goals against average of 2.91. That year he also won his only Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goalie and finished second in balloting for the Hart Trophy as the league’s most valuable player.

Things changed in the 1988-1989 season for the Oilers. In a trade that shocked the hockey world, Wayne Gretzky was sent to Los Angeles. Subsequently, the teams met in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs with the Kings winning in seven games, and ending the Oilers hope for a third straight Stanley Cup and fifth in six years. Fuhr played in 59 games, winning 23, losing 26, tying six, recording one shut out and a 3.83 goals against average. He appeared in all seven playoff games, recording one shut out and a 3.45 goals against average.

The decade close with the 1989-1990 season, and the Oilers winning their fifth Stanley Cup, defeating my beloved Bruins once more in the final. Fuhr was injured much of that season, appearing in just 21 games for the Oilers, winning nine, losing seven, tying three, recording one shut out and a 3.01 goals against average. He did not make any appearances in the playoffs, as his replacement Bill Ranford backstopped the Oilers to the Stanley Cup and won the Conn Smythe as playoff most valuable player.

By the close of the decade, Fuhr was also a first team all-star in 1988, a second team all-star in 1982, and played in the 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, and 1989 all-star games.

The years after
Grant Fuhr would go on to have ups and downs in the years that followed, including a 59-game drug suspension in the 1990-1991 season. He would go on to play for Toronto, Buffalo, Los Angeles, St. Louis, and Calgary before retiring at the end of the 1999-2000 season.

His final NHL career totals were 403 wins, 295 losses, 114 ties, 25 shut outs and a goals against average of 3.38 in 868 games.

He was the first Black player to win the Stanley Cup and the first Black player inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003.

Parting thoughts
Although I thought I would see Grant Fuhr in 1980, it took another nine years to actually see him for the first time in a game against my beloved Boston Bruins in February of 1988.

It was not his finest hour, as he got chased by the Bruins and replaced by Warren Skorodenski.

Yet, I would see him several more times in an Oiler uniform, and he was an unbelievable goaltender.

On several occasions, Wayne Gretzky has said Grant Fuhr is the greatest goalie in NHL history.

Given his record in the playoffs and the Canada Cup, I wouldn’t want anyone else.

Paul Reinhart: Underrated in the ‘80s, proud dad in 2023

Paul Rerinhart when he was with the Calgary Flames.

Source: Facebook/Calgary Flames Alumni

(May be subject to copyright)

When Florida Panther Sam Reinhart scored a goal recently to help eliminate my beloved Boston Bruins in Game 7 of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, I kept thinking his dad must be so proud.

It was more than 40 years ago, when I was cheering for the Calgary Flames, that another Reinhart was patrolling the blue line for the team. He caught my attention, as one of the best, and most underrated, defenceman in the league.

That was Paul Reinhart who has not one but three sons who played in the NHL. Along with Sam who plays with the Panthers, there is Max who, like his dad, played with the Flames, and Griffin who played with the New York Islanders and Edmonton Oilers.

The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.

In the beginning
Paul Reinhart’s NHL career began before the Calgary Flames existed in their present form. He was drafted 12th overall in the 1979 NHL entry draft by the Atlanta Flames, after a solid junior career with the Kitchener Rangers.

He made the team, appearing in 79 games in Atlanta, recording nine goals and 38 assists for 47 points. It was the second highest total among rookie defenceman. Only Ray Bourque had more points.

After the season, the Flames were sold and moved to Calgary to start the 1980-1981 season.

Magic ride
The 1980-1981 was a magical first season for the Calgary Flames, and Paul Reinhart was a big part of that. After recording 67 points on 18 goals and 49 assists in 74 games, he tied for the league lead for playoff assists with 14. The Flames beat Chicago in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, beat Philadelphia in seven games in the quarter-finals and took the Minnesota North Stars to six games in the semi-finals. It was a great run for the Flames’ first year in Calgary.

Reinhart caught the attention of Team Canada, who invited him to pay in the 1981 Canada Cup, but injury limited his play to just two games.

Sustained success
Reinhart had another great season in 1981-1982 with 13 goals and 48 assists for 61 points in 62 games. In 1982-1983, he appeared in 78 games with 17 goals and 58 assists, setting a franchise record for defenceman. He joined Team Canada for the World Championships in 1982 and 1983, winning bronze medals in both tournaments.

Comeback
The 1983-1984 season was one of comebacks for Reinhart and the Flames. His action was limited by injury in the regular season. He appeared in just 27 games, recording six goals and 15 assists for 21 points. He was ready for the playoffs, where he had six goals and 11 assists for 17 points in 11 playoff games. That was tied for the most points by a player who did not make the finals. In fact, the Flames only played in the first two rounds, but what a run it was.

After they defeated Vancouver in the first round, they looked to be overmatched by the Edmonton Oilers in the Smythe Division final. The Oilers went up three games to one, but then something happened. The Flames rallied, winning the next two, including a stirring overtime win on a goal by Lanny McDonald, to force a Game 7. The Oilers prevailed, but it showed it was a season of comebacks for the Flames and for Reinhart.

Stanley Cup run
Reinhart had a career high 23 goals to go with 46 assists for 69 points in the 1984-1985 season. The Flames were defeated by Winnipeg in the first round of the playoffs, but Reinhart was selected to his first all-star game, which was in Calgary.

Injury hampered his 1985-1986 regular season again, as he played in just 32 games, with eight goals and 25 assists for 33 points. Again, he was ready for the playoffs, and was a big part of Calgary’s run to the Stanley Cup final. He contributed five goals and 13 assists for 18 points in 21 games as Calgary beat Winnipeg in the first round, shocked Edmonton in the Smythe Final, and outlasted St. Louis in seven games in the Campbell Conference Final. They ended up losing to Montreal in the Stanley Cup final in five games.

The end in Calgary
Reinhart was healthy for the 1986-1987 season. He appeared in 76 games where he had 15 goals and 54 assists for 69 assists, finishing fourth among league defencemen. He also played at centre, and scored his 100th career goal in November of 1986. Unfortunately, Calgary lost to Winnipeg in the first round of the playoffs.

Injury struck again in the 1987-1988 season, as Reinhart played just 14 goals, recording four assists and no goals.

At the subsequent 1988 NHL entry draft, Reinhart was traded to the Vancouver Canucks.

Last laugh – almost
Reinhart’s first year in Vancouver was a comeback that almost culminated in an upset of epic proportions with a healthy helping of irony.

He had seven goals and 50 assists for 57 points in 64 games. The Canucks finished fourth in the Smythe Division, giving them a first-round date in the playoffs with the Calgary Flames. Reinhart was heroic in the series, which saw the Canucks take the Flames to seven games before losing. In those seven games, he recorded two goals and three assists for five points, but his leadership was his biggest contribution. The Canucks are credited with giving the Flames enough of a scare to harden their resolve as they ran to the Stanley Cup championship. So, ironically, Reinhart did play a hand in the Flames winning the Stanley Cup.

Reinhart would play the next season, 1989-1990, where he had 17 goals and 40 assists for 57 points in 67 games. For the second straight season he was also named Vancouver’s top defenceman.

However, injuries sunk in their teeth again, and Reinhart announced his retirement in 1990.

He finished his NHL career with 133 goals and 427 assists for 560 points in 648 games.

Parting thoughts
Paul Reinhart has been described as one of the most underrated defenceman of the 1980s. I have several images of Paul Reinhart in my mind. He is carrying the puck into the offensive zone, looking to set up a goal. Then he is back in front of his own net, going down to block a shot or ice the puck on the penalty kill. Then he’s logging 30 minutes of ice time anchoring the Flames’ blue line.

He was a great all-around player, and a leader, so it is no surprise his boys Max, Sam, and Griffin all played in the NHL.

After all, the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.