That was the scenario facing the Seaton Sonics and host Vernon Panthers at the B.C. High School Senior Girls AAA Volleyball Championships at the Panther Pit Friday, Nov. 28.

Both teams started play Friday morning in the Round of 16. Vernon and Seaton were in the same part of the tournament’s championship bracket, meaning win Friday morning and they’d face each other for the first time since Nov. 15. That’s when the then-11th seeded Sonics swept the sixth-ranked Panthers at VSS for the Valley title.

Seaton tamed Richmond’s R.A. McMath Wildcats in straight sets, 25-21, 25-22, 25-22, Friday morning at VSS.

Right beside them, the host Panthers, who won their round-robin pool, dispatched the MEI Eagles of Abbotsford 25-7, 25-18, 25-10.

Rematch set.

Before a large, partisan VSS crowd Friday, the Panthers exacted their revenge on their cross-town nemesis, doing to the Sonics what Seaton did to them, sweeping to victory, 25-17, 25-19, 25-22.

The Panthers now draw the tournament’s top seed, the Point Grey Greyhounds of Vancouver, in a Saturday morning semifinal at 10 a.m. at the Panther Pit.

The other quarterfinals were played at Fulton and Kalamalka secondaries, with Surrey’s Holy Cross Crusaders taking on the College Heights Cougars of Prince George, and the Notre Dame Jugglers facing the Crofton House Falcons in an all-Vancouver match.

The Okanagan’s three squads in the 16-team field all advanced to the quarterfinals. The 11th-ranked Valleyview Vikings of Kamloops, who won their round-robin pool, knocked out the York House Tigers of Vancouver 25-21, 25-19, 25-23 to advance to the Elite Eight, where their tournament ended Friday with a loss to Point Grey.

The Sonics can finish no higher than fifth. They will play Valleyview at 8:30 a.m. at Kalamalka Secondary.

The provincial semifinals go at 10 a.m. Saturday at VSS, followed by the bronze-medal game at 1:30 p.m., and the title game at 3 p.m.

SENIOR BOYS A

Vernon Christian School Royals, the second seeds, took on the seventh-ranked Unity Christian Flames of Chilliwack in the quarterfinals in Abbotsford late Friday afternoon.

The Royals won their preliminary round pool, and advanced out of the Round of 16 Friday morning with a 25-20, 25-19, 25-16 win over the 15th-ranked Duncan Christian Chargers.

Oh how Vernon Panthers senior varsity football head coach Sean Smith wishes he had another week to prepare his charges for the B.C. High School AA championship.

The Panthers, who have been ranked No. 1 in the provincial polls since the pre-season, play their third consecutive provincial final – sixth in nine years – Sunday, Nov. 30, against the second-seeded Argyle Pipers of North Vancouver.

Kick-off is 3 p.m. at BC Place Stadium in downtown Vancouver.

“I always find like there’s so much we have to do. Because as you move on, the opponents get tougher, and the challenges that you have to wrinkle out, and get the wrinkles out in practice, get harder,” said Smith prior to an early week practice at Greater Vernon Athletic Park.

“So, you know, the time challenge, especially this year, we play the (final) game on a Sunday, so we didn’t have that extra day on Sunday to prepare, so we’re kind of a little bit under the gun. So I would prefer to have another week if I could like they do in the Super Bowl.”

That being said, Smith and the Panthers will know a bit about their opponents even though they haven’t played one another this year. Each team watches the other’s game films. The Pipers will present a lot of different looks for the Cats offensively and defensively.

“Argyle mixes up its coverages, blitzes, and stunts, so they’ll make it a little bit difficult for us,” said Smith. “We have our work cut out for us. Same thing offensively. They run a lot of different formations, they run some power stuff, spread you out. They can throw the ball, they can run it. We’ve got to be ready.”

The Panthers enter the provincial final undefeated, including a pair of pre-season wins over AAA schools Sardis and Rutland.

In the Interior AA Conference, Vernon went 6-0, outscoring their opponents by nearly 200 points, 246-47, and advanced to the B.C. final with victories over Nechako Valley of Vanderhoof (41-0) and Mt. Douglas of Victoria (45-7)

The Pipers, who will play in the program’s first-ever provincial final, dropped both of their exhibition games to AAA opponents in Carson Graham of Vancouver and Belmont of Victoria, but haven’t lost since.

In the regular season, Argyle ran the table, going 6-0 with four shutouts, including a 36-0 romp in their final game against the defending B.C. champion Windsor Dukes (Windsor beat VSS 17-14 in the 2024 final).

Argyle outscored its opposition 187-14, and advanced to the championship with a 41-14 victory over the Ballenas Whalers of Parksville, and prevented a first-ever all-Interior B.C. final with a 29-22 decision over the South Kamloops Titans. The win over South Kam avenged a triple overtime loss to the Titans in the 2024 post-season.

As one would expect, there’s nothing but respect for both teams in the championship.

“Our team has really come together throughout the year with a balance of offence, defence and special teams,” said Argyle head coach Mac Ward to Bernie Crumb in the B.C. Secondary Schools Football newsletter. “We know we will have to play our best against the always powerful Vernon Secondary.

“The Panthers are led by one of the most dynamic players in the conference (Player of the Year, quarterback Ayden McDonald) and we will need a strong run and pass game defence to keep their offence in check. They are always well-coached and are no strangers to playing in the big game.”

Said Smith: “We’re proud of our playoff performance and excited for another opportunity at a provincial title. Argyle’s program is impressive — their success at both junior and senior levels reflects strong player development and preparation. Having two teams in the AA finals is a remarkable achievement.

“For us, the focus remains on fundamentals: tackling, blocking, and executing the techniques we’ve emphasized all season. This matchup will come down to discipline and precision in every phase.”

Argyle’s Junior Varsity team is ranked No. 1 and will face the John Barsby Bulldogs of Nanaimo in the provincial final. The Bulldogs eliminated the Vernon Panthers’ JV squad, 16-6, in the provincial semifinals.

Campbell, 56, was a resident of the Tiki Village Motel – Vernon’s longstanding motel which opened in the late 1960s on the corner of 25th Avenue and 34th Street – when the motel gave six-day eviction notices to its residents on Nov. 13.

The four-line notice – which included only the number 19, no month – said tenants must be out by 12 p.m. on (presumably Nov.) 19 due to electrical problems at the motel.

Tenants, including Campbell, shared their stories on the eviction, as well as the trauma caused by online comments written about them.

Campbell touched base with The Morning Star Tuesday, Nov. 25, and said she’s moved out of the motel three times, and still, she has nowhere to go.

“Things are still not so good. They had promised payout once we leave. Many have fled with hopes of being compensated,” said Campbell. “But payments are failing. Places that we tried to book for December are canceling us as we don’t have payment to cover the expenses this unexpected move has caused.

Each time Campbell received a refund, it was declined when she tried to cash it, she said, so she moved back into an empty motel room.

The motel, she said, “looks like a wasteland.”

“Some rooms have doors open to a hastily rushed departure,” she said. “Fitting all they can into their modified UHaul grocery carts.”

A man described by Campbell as an elderly war veteran remains at the motel, and, she said, he is crying, but acting like “a true war hero, stating he is going to make his stand and not budge.”

Another tenant is trying to fight back.

Campbell said the tenant tried to serve legal papers to a woman named Regina, who Campbell said is the acting manager and the person who handed out the eviction notices, but the woman refused to take the papers.

“I witnessed the event. How can we have no say or legal recourse?” asked Campbell. “This is becoming extremely traumatic.”

Campbell’s belongings, she said, are in storage.

The utilities remain on at the hotel.

Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs Response

The Morning Star reached out immediately Wednesday, Nov. 19, to the ministry for clarification on the eviction.

In a response Nov. 26, the ministry encouraged residents to reach out to the Compliance Enforcement Unit (CEU) of the Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB) if they have questions or concerns, as CEU has the power to intervene to ensure compliance with the law, if required.

A ministry spokesperson said while the Residential Tenancy Act (RTA) does not generally apply to vacation or travel accommodation, such as motel rooms, it may apply if the motel room is the primary and permanent residence of the occupant. Some factors that may determine if there is a tenancy agreement are:

• Whether the agreement to rent the accommodation is for a term;

• Whether the occupant has exclusive possession of the hotel room;

• Whether the hotel room is the primary and permanent residence of the occupant; and

• The length of the occupancy.

“If a tenant is unsure whether their type of housing falls under the RTA, they can apply for dispute resolution through the RTB and request that an arbitrator make a legal decision,” said the ministry.

A number of tenants told The Morning Star their tenancy is covered by the RTA, and the ministry confirmed in its email that there are clear rules for when a landlord is allowed to end a tenancy and certain protections for tenants.

“When a tenant is served a notice to end a tenancy, they can apply to the RTB’s dispute resolution process and request that the notice be cancelled,” said the ministry. “During the dispute resolution hearing, an arbitrator reviews evidence from both parties and makes a legal decision.”

If a tenancy covered under the RTA is illegally ended, landlords may face significant financial liability.

This could include paying the tenant(s) an amount equivalent to 12 times the monthly rent payable under the tenancy agreement(s). If a CEU investigation results in a finding that a landlord deliberately contravened the Act, this can result in administrative monetary penalties of up to $5,000 per contravention for each day the contravention continued, to be paid to the province.

The province, however, is not able to comment on whether the Residential Tenancy Act applies in this situation with the Tiki Village.

“Determining applicability can only be done through the dispute resolution process or as part of a CEU investigation,” said the ministry.

Landlord repair and maintenance responsibilities

The ministry said if a tenancy is covered by the RTA, then the landlord must maintain a residential property in a state of decoration and repair that complies with the health, safety and housing standards required by law. For more information, visit the RTB webpage.

Another option available to tenants is to reach out to their municipal officials for information on local bylaws. Some municipalities have adopted standards of maintenance bylaws that establish the minimum standards for rental housing and have provisions for enforcing them, such as fines for landlords who do not comply.

Tenancy deposits and fees

Landlords can’t keep a tenancy deposit unless the tenant agrees in writing or the landlord receives permission from the RTB. After receiving the tenant’s written forwarding address, the landlord has 15 days to return the deposit, agree on deductions in writing, or apply for dispute resolution.

If, after receiving a forwarding address, the landlord does not proceed with any of the above options within the 15-day timeline, the tenant can apply for dispute resolution requesting their deposit be returned.

Multiple calls to the motel owners by the Morning Star have not been returned.

The RTB’s Compliance and Enforcement Unit (CEU) ensures compliance with the residential tenancy laws of British Columbia by proactively providing information and direction, assessing complaints against landlords and tenants, and conducting investigations when warranted.

The CEU also has the power to impose administrative penalties on landlords and tenants who repeatedly or seriously violate the law.

Vernon’s Seaton Sonics – who only two weeks ago at No. 11 were on the outside of the B.C. High School Senior Girls AAA volleyball top-10 rankings, looking in – find themselves seeded fourth and in the top-four Power Pool A for the opening of the provincial championships.

The B.C. finals – which start Thursday, Nov. 27, and finish Saturday, Nov. 29 – are taking place on the same court the Sonics won the Okanagan Valley championship on Nov, 15, the Panther Pit at Vernon Secondary School.

Seaton defeated the sixth-ranked Vernon Panthers for the Valley title. The Panthers are still at No. 6 for the provincials as host team, and in Pool B.

Provincial tournament games are also being played at Fulton Secondary and Kalamalka Secondary.

“I told the girls at the beginning of the year, I didn’t really care about winning or losing in the tournaments, as long as we kept getting better, and that’s proven to have sunk in with the girls,” said Seaton head coach Jay Jackson, helped on the bench by assistant coaches Coralee Hamilton and Melaina Ovington.

Power Pool A features the top four ranked teams. The Sonics will open Thursday, Nov. 27, at 10:15 a.m. against the No. 1-rated Point Grey Greyhounds of Vancouver.

Seaton will play the No. 2 Holy Cross Crusaders of Surrey at 12:45 p.m., and will finish opening day at 3:15 p.m. against the No. 3 seeded Crofton House Falcons of Vancouver. Crofton House is the reigning provincial champion. The Sonics won bronze in 2024, and return four players from that squad.

“They’re like an underdog. Teams don’t take them seriously,” said Jackson of his charges. “We’re peaking at the right time. We haven’t been in the top 10. We should have, but they never put us in there.

“The girls have seen pool and they say, ‘Have you seen who we play?’ Yes, I’ve seen it but I tell them ‘this is what you’ve wanted. This is where you want to be. You play better against the better teams. None of the other teams know. They know nothing about us, we know nothing about them, other than they’re ranked higher than us.’”

The only gym the host Panthers will not play at on opening day in Pool B is their own.

The host Cats will start the provincials Thursday playing the fifth-ranked York House Tigers of Vancouver at 11:30 a.m. at Fulton Secondary.

VSS will face the seventh-seeded Esquimalt Dockers of Victoria at Fulton at 2 p.m., then travel to Coldstream to wrap up opening day with a match against the eighth-ranked College Heights Cougars of Prince George at 4:30 p.m.

The Okanagan’s third representative, the Valleyview Vikings of Kamloops, are in Pool C, ranked No. 11.

Playoffs start Friday morning, Nov. 28, at 9 a.m. at each school.

The gold-medal game is slated for 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29, at Vernon Secondary.

Just who will be in the final, according to one coach, is anybody’s guess.

“I think overall, the majority of teams that are here, any team can beat anybody on any given day,” said Jackson. “I wouldn’t say there’s one clear favourite. It’s wide open.”

Tournament and day passes are available at the doors of all three schools.

Emily Lowan, 25, made stops on her provincial tour in Vernon and Salmon Arm Monday, Nov. 24, to chat with people about B.C. politics and what that landscape could look like with more BC Greens in the mix.

“It’s time for a full change,” said Lowan, taking a break from meeting with close to 50 supporters at a two-hour lunch stop at Vernon’s Okanagan Regional Library branch Monday. “There’s a fracture on the right, and the infighting shows B.C. where the Conservative priorities are truly at. They’re not about fighting for the working class, they’re about bickering amongst themselves in a feckless culture war.

“We know the NDP stonewalled workers and haven’t stepped up on the economy fronts. They sold this province out to the corporations.

“We need the BC Greens to become the fighting forces for working people in B.C., for young people, for renters, workers, for Indigenous communities who may feel left behind by the status quo. I’m very excited to be building up that power and meeting so many people in so many communities across the province.”

Lowan became party leader in late September when she defeated Comox councillor Jonathan Kerr and party volunteer Adam Bremner-Akins to take the reins of the party, which currently holds two seats in the B.C. legislature.

She received 3,189 votes, followed by Kerr with 1,908 and Bremner-Akins with 128. Fourteen people voted for none of the above. The party has 8,641 eligible members, and 61 per cent turned in a ballot.

The BC Green Party had been in limbo ever since Sonia Furstenau lost her seat in the legislature after switching ridings from Cowichan Valley to Victoria-Beacon Hill.

Lowan, who made a campaign stop in Armstrong in early September, is presently on the second leg of what the party calls the Fight the Oligarchs tour. She is travelling around the province meeting with communities, trying to build bright solutions to “reclaim B.C.’s economy for working people, not the billionaires.”

During her trips, Lowan is hearing plenty about the affordability and housing crises, and the high cost of groceries.

“So what we’ve been doing is threading the needle across those issues,” she said. “We’re looking at the largest corporations and billionaires that are driving up the cost of living, polluting our climate with some of these mega projects going through central and northern B.C.

“It’s really an exciting time for the BC Greens to offer hopeful and bright solutions, and to look at the bigger picture. As we’re struggling with the affordability crisis, we have the highest rate of wealth inequality, and that’s not by accident.

“It’s from decades of policy inaction, and action from premiers like Gordon Campbell who slashed tax rates for the one per cent and the largest corporations. The NDP tinkered at the borders. It’s time we fully reverse those changes, and have the wealth redistributed to affordable housing and green jobs.”

Lowan is touring the province through Dec. 14.

The province’s No. 1-ranked squad advanced to its third straight provincial title game, and sixth in the past nine years, by steamrolling Victoria’s Mt. Douglas Rams 45-7 under the bright lights of BC Place Stadium in Vancouver Sunday, Nov. 23.

The Panthers will face the second-ranked Argyle Pipers in the B.C. AA championship Sunday, Nov. 30, at 3 p.m. at BC Place.

The Pipers prevented an all-Interior provincial final by taming the upstart seventh-seeded South Kamloops Titans 29-22 in the other semifinal Sunday.

From the opening whistle, Vernon came out firing.

After forcing a quick stop on Mt. Douglas’ opening drive, senior running back Owen West electrified the crowd by taking the first offensive snap 40 yards to the end zone. On the Panthers’ next series, West nearly repeated the feat on the second play, but a holding penalty erased the score. Undeterred, West capped the drive with a three-yard plunge for his second touchdown.

West was unstoppable all afternoon, carrying the ball 20 times for a season-high 184 yards and four touchdowns, earning player-of-the-game honours.

“Owen was a horse on both sides of the ball,” said Panthers head coach Sean Smith, noting West also recorded seven tackles on defence.

The Panthers controlled the tempo throughout, adding a field goal as time expired in the first half to take a 17–0 lead into the locker room. The third quarter was all Vernon, as West added two more majors and Grade 10 rookie Bennett Friesen broke free for a 21-yard score, pushing the advantage to 38-0.

Mt. Douglas finally found the end zone on a fourth-quarter touchdown pass, but Vernon answered immediately. Backup quarterback Nash Steele connected with Chris Curtis on an 18-yard strike for the Panthers’ lone passing touchdown of the day.

“This game was won in the trenches,” Smith said. “Our offensive and defensive lines did an amazing job. We rushed the ball 35 times, which isn’t typical for us — we’re usually very balanced — but our O-line was moving bodies, and that made play-calling easy.”

Defensively, Vernon was equally dominant.

Provincial all-star Josh Vandenberg led the charge with 11 tackles and relentless pressure on the Rams’ quarterback.

“Coach (Connor) Rothwell had a great game plan, and our boys executed it almost perfectly,” Smith added.

With the game well in hand, Vernon’s backups saw significant action in the second half.

“I was really impressed when our seconds entered the game — the intensity and level of play didn’t decline,” Smith said.

Sherry Campbell, 56, is one of those voices.

Campbell is one of about 40 residents of Vernon’s longstanding Tiki Village Motel – the ‘Gem of the Valley’ it still reads on its marquee at the corner of 25th Avenue and 34th Street – who found themselves without a home Wednesday, Nov. 19.

The residents were given eviction notices by property managers Nov. 13, due to “electrical problems,” and had until 12 p.m. Nov. 19 to leave.

Campbell was one tenant who shared her story with local media, then sat in heartbreak with her neighbours as “we have watched the headlines and online comments with growing disbelief.

“It is easy, perhaps too easy, for the public to glance at an article about an aging motel, skim mentions of police calls or poverty, and assume they know who we are. It is easy to say “crackheads,” “problem residents,” and “just clear it out.”

That’s not the reality, said Campbell. That’s not who lives – lived – at the motel. Campbell had been a resident for about seven months. Others as long as 10 months, some as short as three months.

And behind the thin motel walls are human beings, said Campbell, many of whom have nowhere else to go. That includes her.

They’re not asking for handouts or special treatment — they are asking for dignity, respect, and the “lawful notice that every person deserves.”

“One of my neighbours is a veteran, a man who served this country and now survives on a fixed income,” said Campbell. “His hands shake when he holds the eviction notice. He locked himself in his room, sitting in his robe, crying — terrified of what will happen now that he has stayed past the lockout date. This is how we treat those who once risked their lives for our safety?”

In another room, said Campbell, is an elderly man, dying. His room is filled with hospital equipment. He’s hooked up to medical devices, barely speaks above a whisper, and yet he is expected to pack up and leave within days because, “the building was deemed unsafe long after he had nowhere else to go.”

“How can someone who cannot walk be expected to ‘vacate immediately?’” asked Campbell. Residents received another evacuation notice Nov. 19.

Campbell’s neighbours are people with chronic illnesses, cancer, mental illnesses – one woman suffers mentally and physically, but was able to find another motel to move to.

Some can barely afford medication. Some residents suffer with mobility issues, and there are others, said Campbell, on disability who simply do not have first and last month’s rent for a new place.

“Many of us are working people — housekeepers, cooks, dishwashers — trying to keep our lives together in an increasingly unaffordable city,” said Campbell. Yes, some residents struggle with addiction. That is a reality in nearly every low-income housing environment, and pretending it isn’t would be dishonest.

“But addiction does not erase a person’s worth. It does not justify treating residents like trash to be swept aside for redevelopment. We are a community. We share food. We check on each other when someone doesn’t leave their room. We lend out spare blankets in the winter. We are mothers, fathers, veterans, seniors, and people trying — desperately — to survive.

“What we received instead of empathy was a one-week termination notice, taped to doors, worded in a way that felt cold and dismissive. Many of us questioned its legality. All of us questioned its humanity.”

The displaced tenants want the public to understand they are not faceless characters in a struggling motel. They are not the stereotypes that get scrolled past on social media.

They are people with histories; with families; and, now, with fears.

“This situation is not just an eviction,” said Campbell. “It’s displacement, trauma, and, for some, potentially a death sentence.

“All we are asking for is what any Canadian deserves: proper notice; respect; recognition that our lives have value.

“Before anyone judges us, we ask that you look past the headlines and see the truth: we are not garbage being swept out of the way for redevelopment. We are human beings.

“And we deserve to be treated like it.”

The Tiki Village was built in 1968 and opened as the Tiki Village Motor Inn, a 30-room motel featuring A-frame architecture at the front, which remains.

The website mytiki.life says a “previous owner in the 1990s cleared out many of the weathered original tikis and tried to remodel things for a more Japanese aesthetic.”

Calls to the motel’s owner company and to the B.C. Residential Tenancy Act’s communications department, to discuss the short notice of evacuation, have not been returned.

Smith, from Vernon Secondary, and Scheller, of the crosstown Fulton Maroons, continue to develop quality players year after year after year.

That’s evidenced in 2025 by having four players from the two teams selected to the B.C. AA Senior Varsity All-Star team, including Player of the Year, Vernon quarterback Ayden McDonald.

The signal-caller is joined on the provincial squad by teammates Owen Carpenter, an offensive lineman, and Josh Vandenberg from the defensive line.

Fulton’s Caden O’Dwyer was named as a provincial all-star team running back. He and Vandenberg still have one year of school eligibility left.

“I couldn’t be prouder of these three players and what they’ve accomplished this season,” said Smith of his trio on the B.C. squad. “It’s rewarding to see that coaches across the province recognized the same qualities I’ve seen in them every day. Each of these athletes has the physical ability to compete at the highest level, but what truly sets them apart is their relentless work ethic and outstanding attitude.

“Those qualities are what make them not just great players, but elite leaders in our sport.”

McDonald has truly earned the honour of being named the AA Player of the Year, says his head coach. He has been a standout performer for the Cats in all three phases of the game, and his impact, said Smith, cannot be overstated.

“When Ayden stepped into the role of starting quarterback this season, I expected him to excel as a running quarterback, but he exceeded all expectations by developing into a true dual-threat leader,” he said. “His growth as a passer and as a complete quarterback has been remarkable.

“Off the field, Ayden’s work ethic and dedication to the Panthers over the past five years have set the standard for excellence.

“This award is a testament to his commitment and I couldn’t be happier to see him recognized.”

McDonald is the sixth Panther in the last nine years to earn AA Player of the Year.

“That’s not only a huge accomplishment for Ayden, but also a proud moment for our entire organization,” said Smith.

If offensive lineman could be looked at as Players of the Year, Carpenter would be a lock.

He was a unanimous choice among voters as the top offensive lineman in B.C., a distinction he also earned last season. In fact, said Smith, Carpenter’s talent was evident as early as Grade 10, when he was voted a provincial all-star before the rules prevented younger players from receiving the award.

“Owen brings exceptional leadership, elite play, and the ability to make critical line calls that anchor our offence,” said Smith. “While his performance on the field has consistently been at an all-star level, what stands out most is his growth as a leader, and his unwavering dedication off the field. Owen’s commitment and impact have set a standard that elevates everyone around him.”

Vandenberg’s performance in 2025, helping the Panthers stay unbeaten and – thus far – into the AA provincial semifinals, makes it clear why he was chosen a B.C. all-star.

Vandenberg has been a relentless force off the edge, consistently disrupting opposing offences and leading the Panthers team in tackles – a rare feat for a defensive end.

He was a unanimous choice for this award, and his dominance was on full display in Friday’s quarterfinal game (41-0 win over Nechako Valley of Vanderhoof Nov. 14), where he delivered one of the best performances by any Panther defensive end: 14 tackles, two quarterback sacks, four tackles for loss, and a fumble recovery.

“His unmatched motor and ability to get to the ball carrier and quarterback set him apart — and he’s only in Grade 11,” beamed Smith. “Josh’s hard work in the off-season has paid off in a big way, and this recognition is a testament to his dedication and elite play.”

Across town, O’Dwyer had a tremendous 2025 season for the Maroons.

He’s been the team’s leading rusher the past three seasons, starting for the varsity squad in both Grade 9 and 10.

“He is a tough inside-the-tackles runner, with good vision and contact balance,” said coach Scheller. “He runs with great power. He also has that extra gear that allows him to break very long runs once he hits open space.”

The game means a lot to O’Dwyer, who played provincially over the summer for B.C.’s U17 squad. And for Scheller, that makes him a pleasure to coach.

“He works very hard every day to get better, and attends all kinds of camps,” said Scheller. “I am very sure he would like to thank his O-line for their great blocks all season. Caden is a super kid who is very deserving of making the AA provincial team.”

The Panthers’ quest for a provincial title continues Sunday, Nov. 23, at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver as the top-ranked, undefeated VSS team takes on the fifth-ranked Mt. Douglas Rams of Victoria. Kickoff is 12 p.m.

The other semifinal under the dome Sunday has the No.2-seeded Argyle Pipers of North Vancouver playing the upstart seventh-seeded South Kamloops Titans. The two winners will meet for the provincial AA championship Saturday, Nov. 29.

Five wheelchair curlers, including Forrest, have been nominated to compete for Canada at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, announced Monday by the Canadian Paralympic Committee and Curling Canada Monday, Nov. 17.

The curlers are the first athletes to be nominated to the 2026 Milano Cortina Canadian Paralympic team.

“The opportunity to represent Canada at the Paralympics is an athlete’s dream,” said Forrest, who would be making her fifth Paralympics Games appearance if selected for Italy. Prior to being officially named to the Canadian Paralympic Team, all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Paralympic Committee. The approved final roster will be announced closer to the start of the Games.

“There’s never a guarantee you’ll get to live that dream again, so each of my Paralympic experiences is something I truly treasure. This one is especially meaningful – I missed qualifying for the Torino 2006 team, which was a huge disappointment at the time, so competing in Milano Cortina 2026, 20 years later, feels like I’ve come full circle.”

Forrest has won two gold and two bronze medals in her four previous Paralympics experience.

Canada will compete in the mixed team tournament, where it will be aiming for a sixth consecutive podium appearance (three gold, two bronze). Canada is the only nation to have medalled in each wheelchair curling competition since the sport made its debut at the Torino 2006 Paralympic Winter Games.

Joining Forrest as Canadian wheelchair curler nominees are four-time participant, and three-time medalist, Mark Ideson of London, Ont., who is nominated for skip; Gilbert Dash from Kipling, Sask.; Collinda Joseph of Ottawa; and Jon Thurston of Dunsford, Ont.

Forrest, Ideson, Joseph, and Thurston won bronze for Canada at the Beijing 2022 Games. Kipling is slated to make his Paralympics debut in Italy.

Forrest was named one of five co-captains of the Milano Cortina 2026 Canadian Paralympic Team last week.

Canada has won a bronze medal at the two most recent Paralympic Winter Games (2022, 2018). At the last three world championships, they captured two silvers (2023, 2024) and one bronze (2025).

The wheelchair curling mixed team tournament will take place March 7 to 14 at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in Cortina d’Ampezzo. The preliminary rounds run March 7 to 12. Canada’s schedule is below (all listed times are Italy time; Cortina is nine hours ahead of the North Okanagan):

• March 7: Canada vs. Italy 6:35 p.m.;

• March 8: Canada vs. Great Britain 9:35 a.m./ Canada vs. Norway 6:35 p.m.;

• March 9: Canada vs. Latvia 9:35 a.m.;

• March 10: Canada vs. China 9:35 a.m./ Canada vs. Sweden 6:35 p.m.;

• March 11: Canada vs. Slovakia 8:05 p.m.;

• March 12: Canada vs. South Korea 1:35 p.m. / Canada vs. USA 6:35 p.m.

The Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games will take place March 6 to 15, 2026 and feature athletes competing in six sports – Para alpine skiing, Para ice hockey, Para nordic skiing (Para biathlon and Para cross-country skiing), Para snowboard, and wheelchair curling. Canada is expecting to send a team of approximately 50 athletes.

Vernon’s Boris Rybalka is the head coach of the Canadian Para Ice Hockey team.

A young child says to his mother, “Mom, when I grow up I’d like to be a musician.” She replies, “Well honey, you know you can’t do both.”

Q: How do you make musicians complain?

A: Pay them.

Q: What do you call a beautiful woman on a trombonist’s arm?

A: A tattoo.

Q: What’s the difference between a banjo and an onion?

A: Nobody cries when you chop up a banjo.

Q: What do you call a drummer in a three-piece suit?

A: “The Defendant…”

And for these reasons, courtesy of Mountainside Music Academy:

Did you hear the one about the bass player who locked his keys in the car? It took him 45 minutes to get the drummer out.

A guy left his accordion in the back seat…When he got back to his car, the window was broken, and there were two accordions inside.

Q: What’s the difference between a guitar player and a pizza?

A: A pizza can feed a family of four.

Q: What’s the range of a tuba?

A: About 20 yards, if you have a good arm…

Surely, then, you can understand why there must be a National Hug A Musician Day, and there is, today, Nov. 13.

It is, of course, reasonable to assume most of the jokes above were written by musicians, but, seriously, where would we be without them? Don’t we all have a love of music in some form?

Today, says nationaltoday.com, there are more musicians than there has ever been before, creating art and trying to find ways to live off of what they love. However, there are 41 per cent fewer paid musicians today than in 1999.

Being a musician is a very specific career path. You can be a musician for hire that tours with different bands and records specific needed parts in studios, or you can be a part of a band that specializes in a particular genre and release your own albums. Either way, it takes a lot of hard work and commitment.

For National Hug a Musician Day…

• Go to a show (in a shameless plug, former Morning Star music columnist Dean Gordon-Smith and his band, Redfish, play Vernon’s Towne Theatre Saturday, Nov. 15. Tickets available through thetowne.ca/movie/redfish;

• Share music with friends. Nothing helps your musician friend more than sharing their music with people who would really enjoy it. Word of mouth is still the most effective form of advertising;

• Give them a good ol’ squeeze. Being a musician is hard. Not only are there more musicians in the world than there are gigs, but not every show you get will be your favorite. Sometimes, at the end of the day, musicians just need a well meaning, stress-relieving hug.

The accompanying photo for this story, from the Museum and Archives of Vernon, shows a quartet rehearsing for a school gig at Vernon High School in 1958. There are no names attached, so we don’t know if any of the group went on to musical fame or fortune.