Terrace: Birthplace of the Immortal Wade 'Flats' Flaherty

Beautiful Terrace, BC! (via antcreations)

How would Islander history have been different if we had kept old Flats in net along with that other guy they like around Terrace...ummm Roberto something or another? Anyway, Wade Flaherty graced the Island with his greatness from 1997 to 2001 and was known for such immortal lines as, "When you give up three goals on 10 shots, you try not to get down on yourself. I just had to stay focused." Or: "It was a weird game. They just kind of found the holes tonight."

What kind of community did the immortal Flats grow up in? After thousands of years of aboriginal occupation, founding father George Little trudged into the Skeena valley on snow shoes about 100 years ago and decided that this was the place he had been looking for since he left Ontario. He quickly convinced westward bound settlers to follow in his snow shoe steps and the community of Terrace was born.

For much of its recent history, Terrace was a logging community. It was especially known for its light and utility poles. Supposedly the tallest pole in the world, fashioned in Terrace, is in New York City. But then the pole boom went bust and various attempts to revive the lumber business failed. In recent years, Terrace has been transitioning from a lumber processing town to a regional service and transportation center.

The video posted is a bit rah rah for me, but it does show a lot of good shots of Terrace and gives an overview of the town. Approaching the town from the airport, you cross one of the two bridges spanning the Skeena and enter the "downtown" area with its shops and offices. Further in is a neat little suburban area where we live called the Horseshoe. Take one of several roads up and you will find yourself in an area known as the Bench. It has some upscale homes and then a more rural area where deer and moose roam. Ron Dame, who you will meet again when I discuss our soup kitchen, has more than once encountered a bear on his front porch!

The narrator keeps talking about how close everything is and what a short commute he has. That's true, but he doesn't mention how far away it is from everything else. A trip to Vancouver by car takes about 15 hours. To get to my in-laws in the Edmonton area is more like 20. This leads to a lot of night time, sleep-deprived driving made more entertaining by the fact that the critters come out at night. Imagine cruising along at highway speeds, trying to shake off drowsiness when all of a sudden a huge moose crosses your path!!! We have had some heartstopping moments. And, since most towns along the way are several hours apart, you'd better check your gas before you pass through.

Well, that's a little bit about Terrace. Today I will be trying to interview some locals to get their take on what Hockeyville means and I will share that tomorrow. Sunday, I will share the story of our church soup kitchen. Monday, I MAY....MAY, mind you, have an interview with Trots. And Tuesday i will give you an account of John Tavares's first game as an Islander. And my apologies to Wade, who was a decent backup goaltender.