CANMORE – With a smile on his face, U15 Canmore Eagles minor hockey player Max Lescard skated to centre ice surrounded by his peers on the Alex Kaleta Arena at the Canmore Recreation Centre.
Some teammates had lucky No. 7 taped to their skates and sticks – Lescard’s playing number – while others taped a heart sign next to Jasper on their sticks.
That day, though, the team all wore the same sweater – the red Jasper Bearcats jersey, which is from Lescard’s hometown squad.
On Saturday (Jan. 25), a Canmore minor hockey team stood in solidarity with their teammate and Jasper by playing in the Bearcats jerseys just over six months since the devastating wildfire forced thousands to flee Jasper and leave everything behind.
The jerseys were kept a hush to Lescard and his family until a few days prior.
“They’ve all welcomed me since the start, since the first practice they were all putting ‘Heart Jasper’ on their sticks and stuff like that," said Lescard.
It was a big week for the young hockey player, who was also interviewed on-air by Ron MacLean during the 25th anniversary of Hockey Day in Canada in Canmore on Jan. 18.
On game day, with a Bearcats logo on his chest, the local team defeated the Chestermere Lakers 7-5, with speedy centre Lescard looking like Connor McDavid on the ice, dangling through the crowd quickly and scoring twice, including the game-winner.
Watching their son once again with a Jasper jersey over his shoulders, Trevor Lescard used his smartphone to immortalize the moment while Janice Branch watched on as her eyes welled with tears.
An unforgettable moment for the family.
The events from last summer are still a raw subject for the Jasper community.
Last week marked six months since the massive wildfire raced toward the Jasper townsite, forcing evacuations and then burning through one-third of the municipality’s homes and businesses. Thousands have been displaced while the tourism-based businesses struggle to find their footing.
One of the family homes that burnt down was the Lescards and Branch’s. The parents have sought stability for their sons – Max and William – and themselves in Canmore during turbulent times.
“There were a lot of emotions and even seeing ‘Jasper’ written on the tape of a player’s stick with a heart, I felt a lot of love,” said Branch. “Six months ago, we were home like any other night, [and] we had to evacuate very quickly. It all felt like a whirlwind. We felt we had maybe five minutes, although it was definitely more like an hour.
“The timing of having something positive and support has really meant a lot to us.”
They said that they have found a community through hockey, which has been willing to lend a hand wherever they can to the displaced family.
Eagles head coach Mike Hay said the teen players floated the jersey idea around a month ago to acknowledge the community of Jasper and their new teammate. As it turns out, when they contacted Jasper Minor Sports it was meant to be.
The Bearcats jerseys were not only untouched by the blaze, but there were 16 Bearcats’ jerseys available – the same number of players on the Eagles.
Hay said arrangements were made between the two associations, with Trevor even picking up the jerseys but not being told why, until it was revealed to the family a few days before the game.
“We’re a small community, same as them, and I think a lot of our players realize just how special it is and we wanted to make sure that small communities like us, we recognize them and we’re there for them,” said Hay.
“We can’t build houses for them, but a small thing like this, I thought, was pretty special.”
As of now the family of four doesn’t have temporary housing to go back to. They initially planned to stay in Canmore for one school year, and with the Alberta government previously promising 250 modular homes for displayed Jasperites by early 2025, they would head back up Highway 93 North the summer to rebuild their lives.
However, land negotiations for temporary housing between the province and federal agency Parks Canada haven’t progressed, sparking a protest.
Although the uncertainty of when returning home is something no one wants to hear, the family from Jasper has been embraced by the community “above the hockey side and even on the human side”.
“I’ve just been making the most of what I can,” said Max. “The unfortunate happened, so we chose a good place to come.”
