Rhino's Ramblings - The Dream Hits Moose Jaw

By Robert Thomas - Opinion/Commentary

They say life is all about transitions.

As we go through life we adapt, we transition, we age and hopefully it is all for the better.

The same could be said for the former Hillcrest Sports Centre.

Originally built as a dedicated curling rink, the facility has seen its fair share of changes over the years.

I can remember decades going out to watch curling at the then dedicated curling facility and then later in the Spring the building finding a different use as it was where the Moose Jaw Kinsmen Club held Focus on Trade.

I can still remember working the trade show literally decades ago as a member of the local Kinsmen Club with the likes of a much younger people such as Moose Jaw Collision Centre’s Terry Ferguson, then plumbing apprentice Gerald Eby and of course the late but always great Russ McKnight.

Those trade shows showed the building could be repurposed and re-used despite the curling club splitting into two with the Hillcrest and the Bushell Park Country Club (located at 15 Wing Moose Jaw) and later abandoning the facility for various reasons in favour of new digs at the then named Multiplex’s – Moose Jaw Ford Curling Centre.

The building, which was originally intended to be knocked down once the Multiplex was up and running, found new life when Gymtastiks took it over.

The space which had heard countless people screaming “HURRY, HURRY HARD” with the distinctive clinking and crashing of stones turned into one where countless, mostly young girls, cheered as they chased the dream of gymnastics glory.

On Friday morning I went out and witnessed yet another transition as the former Hillcrest Sports Centre has been re-named as it transitioned into yet something new in its life cycle. It has become probably one of the best venues in Saskatchewan – if not in the Prairie Provinces – for basketball.

Friday morning’s sneak peak at the facility - MJ Independent photo

Basketball and so much more.

The space which originally was the home of curling with clinking stones is now set to be the home of the distinctive thud of a dribbling basketball, the tap and smash of a volleyball, the tink of pickleball and anything else the space can accommodate.

And yes the rumours are true the facility is set to haul in sand and set up an indoor beach volleyball court. In January you can go out and feel the warmth of moist sand beneath your feet and you do not have to go to Mexico now to do it.

It is a space that a pair of dreamers – Tanner Brightman and Chris King – see as dynamic and multi-facetted.

Brightman, originally from Regina, and Chris King, from Lloydminster, have set up for all things basketball in a town that sports-wise is better known for other winter sports like hockey as in the Moose Jaw Canucks.

The pair have a passion for basketball which has seen Brightman – who worked as a teacher for five years – and King look to Moose Jaw as the chance and opportunity to not just bring basketball to the forefront but also all other sorts of sports to what is arguably one of the best hardwood courts to be had.

Their brand new Golden Ticket Sports Centre, if or rather is it when, it reaches its full potential will see Moose Jaw with a facility they can be proud of.

As I spoke to Brightman, in my more casual interview chatting style, you could hear the passion he had for the dream him and King share.

What the pair have done is added something that this City really needs when it comes to sports.

A semi-private facility that yes, I know, could arguably be duplicated in Peacock Collegiate’s gym – or could it?

What they have is a top notch facility that they want or rather envision for everybody – not just elite athletes – to come on out and use and be proud of.

As Brightman chatted with me, on the brand new court surface, he spoke about how the facility was something they envisioned for everyone regardless of age, ability or sport.

I learnt about the pair coming to look over the then Hillcrest Sports Centre not once, not twice and no not even three times but rather five times as they prepared their proposal and vision for what the building could become.

As Brightman said in our conversation they went over everything meticulously as they prepared their proposal. They see great value and confidence not just with their Golden Ticket Sports Centre but with Moose Jaw itself.

It is refreshing to see. No not their passion for basketball and sports but rather the entrepreneurial spirit to invest in not just their dreams but the future of Moose Jaw itself.

It is not just the City holding the bag on this one but rather the pair are, in the end, planning to invest $400,000 of their own money into the Golden Ticket Sports Centre to make their visions and dreams a reality in Moose Jaw.

And sure there may be some out there may call the pair slightly foolish for putting that type of cash and commitment into the building but really what it is is the pair’s commitment to their dream. A dream which fills a major missing component in the city.

Something many have been looking for.

With the politics aside that dream is a dream that could and should literally benefit many as the basketball court is multi-use and delivers what the Fieldhouse can’t. A home for a multitude of sports that got left behind when the Multi-Plex was envisioned and finally built.

The home and hub of curling has transitioned into something the city is missing and Brightman and King want to make it available for everyone.

It is also something people should be proud of that the city now has. Something let us say for bragging rights Prince Albert and Swift Current don’t have.

The great thing about it as I chatted with Brightman you could hear his sincerity that they want Golden Ticket Sports Centre to be for everyone.

They do not care about a person’s age, ability, skin colour or even your indoor sport of choice they just want people to come out be active and make use of what is a top notch facility. They want people to come out to not something Gerry-rigged but rather well thought out, designed with the best materials that money can buy.

Tonight, from 6 pm to 10 pm, the pair are hosting their introduction to the citizens of Moose Jaw and all you need is a pair of clean indoor shoes, your own basketball plus a non-perishable food item to come out and see what the Golden Ticket Sports Centre has to offer.

You might even see yourself as a young Wilt Chamberlain – Google that if you are too young to understand – tossing hoops to the roar of the crowd. The old dream of a swish of a three pointer from mid-court at the buzzer from my high school days is sort of rushing back on me as a reality.

Believe me seeing what the pair have accomplished and the new life they have breathed back into the facility is well worth taking a look at.