Two New Westminster residents were thrilled to be part of a historic event in Korea.
Karen Baker-MacGrotty and David MacGrotty were invited to attend the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Torch relay and Imjin River Classic Hockey Game for Day 80 of the torch relay, which occurred in the remote countryside near the northern border of South Korea last month. MacGrotty, who is currently working at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics took a train to join his wife in Seoul for the event.
“We then travelled by coach bus along with the three Canadian war vets and their family members, who came from Eastern Canada to be honoured, to reach Paju – one-and-a-half hours northeast to Seoul and on the border,” Baker-MacGrotty, the honorary colonel of The Royal Westminster Regiment, said in an email to the Record. “It was very meaningful for us to see firsthand the mountains of North Korea just a few miles away, and barbed wire fencing all along the border.”
In the lead-up to the Winter Olympics, 7,500 runners took part in the 101-day, 2,018-kilometre torch relay.
Coinciding with the torch relay, the Imjin Classic 2018 was held on Jan. 19 to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the end of the Korean War and to pay homage to the competitive spirit of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Representatives of two Canadian Army regiments, the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry and the Royal 22e Regiment, were joined by Canadians living in the Republic of Korea and played as Team Canada in a friendly game against Team Corea, made up of university students.
According to a National Defence press release, the Imjin Classic hockey game has been an annual tradition in Canada since 2013. It’s inspired by the games played on the frozen Imjin River in 1952 and 1953 between the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry and the Royal 22e Regiment during the Korean War.
“Two rival Canadian regiments and two rival university teams all played together in intense competition and then in harmony. The temperature that day was balmy and the ice actually started to melt so the game was called early after the second period. Canada won 7-1, but in my opinion the winners of the day were all the participants and the nations involved,” said Baker-MacGrotty. “David and I were honoured to participate in such a significant event with meaningful purpose and harmonious global intent.”
Supporting kids
The Parents’ Night Out committee and the New Westminster Police Department are teaming up on a session aimed at helping understand anxiety and providing strategies to support children.
The event is on Thursday, March 1 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in the Justice Institute of B.C. auditorium at 715 McBride Blvd.
Between 6 and 6:30 p.m., attendees can register and speak to a public health nurse and get school health resources.
Dr. Kristin Buhr, director of the North Shore Stress and Anxiety Clinic and a consultant for AnxietyBC, is the event’s keynote speaker and will speak from 6:30 to 8 p.m. She will talk about recognizing anxiety and anxiety issues in children and youth, and will provide strategies and tips for supporting children struggling with anxiety, as well as other helpful resources.
Between 8 and 8:30 p.m., attendees can take part in a question-and-answer session with Buhr.
To register for childminding, email [email protected] or call 604-525-9144.
Save the date: Saturday March 4
The Hyack Festival Association is promising a night of glitz and glamour with its Oscar Night celebration.
The association will be giving folks a chance to walk the red carpet, enjoy finger food from Stefano’s and live comic entertainment by Richard Lett and watch the 90th Academy Awards with other movie fans at Centennial Lodge in Queen’s Park. The evening’s fun includes awards, photo ops, a silent auction and a chance to join the fashion police in critiquing the red carpet couture at the big show in Hollywood.
One-hundred raffle ticket are being sold, with the first prize being a Holland America Cruise for two to Mexico or the Caribbean that’s valued at $3,900. Silent auction items include golf packages, photo sessions and artwork.
The event gets underway on Sunday, March 4 at 3 p.m., when folks can walk the red carpet. Live entertainment begins at 4 p.m. and the Oscars will run from 5 to 8:30 p.m.
Tickets are $99 and available at www.hyackfestival.com.
