By Ty Dilello and with files from Kasey Kell
In November, residents at the St. Claude Health Centre completed another support project for the Portage Terriers Junior A hockey team.
On Nov. 13, residents displayed their Portage Terrier colouring pages in the facility for all to see. This was a day of smiles and excitement for the residents as the Portage Terriers defeated the Winnipeg Blues by a 5-2 score, marking their eleventh win in a row.
The first support project the residents of the St. Claude Health Centre completed for the Portage Terriers was back in March, just before the Portage Terriers started the 2023-24 MJHL playoffs.
So now, residents eagerly anticipated supporting their local MJHL hockey team this season and found a way by working on another colouring project to support the Portage Terriers during their win streak.
Residents chose their favourite player to colour. A local artist designed the colouring pages of the players to accurately represent each player, including facial features and hand position. Everyone who played for the Terriers during the month of October was coloured, including the dog T-Bone, who is the Portage Terriers mascot.
Standard Photos by Kasey Kell
Residents of the St. Claude Health Centre are hockey fans of the Portage Terriers MJHL team. Every year they complete colouring pages of the players on the Portage Terriers roster in the hopes that one day the team will come by for a visit
“The local Junior A team is dear to their hearts, so residents were thrilled to do this project,” said Kasey Kell of the St. Claude Health Centre.
One resident proudly exclaimed, “I want to meet (the player), I want to get to know him, and we’d be friends.” Another resident commented about their love of hockey and the hockey players from the Portage Terriers, “They need to know about this because we are their fans, we love them, and we want them to have a good game.”
Many residents at the St. Claude Health Center are big Portage Terriers fans. Many have family members who are/were hockey players, including a resident whose family has a connection to the 1942 Portage Terriers team that famously captured the Memorial Cup.
The resident is Donald “Neil” McDougall. His uncle Lynn McDougall played for the Portage Terriers in 1938-39 and was fourth place in the league’s scoring race that season. Lynn’s uncle Lindsay McDougall was the trainer for the Portage Terriers for that 1942 Memorial Cup-winning team.
“Residents and others have clearly expressed their longing to have a visit from the Portage Terriers, even stating they will give a donation to the team and gas money if they come,” said Kell. “The residents of the St. Claude Pavillion wish all the best to the Portage Terriers and will be cheering them on as they play the rest of the season.”
In December, the residents of the St. Claude Health Centre will have two entertainment guests visiting: Ray of Sunshine and Carmelle.
