Titans’ forward leads by example

She’s a team leader, a top scorer and a multi-sport athlete.
Dallas Boyd is also one of two players on the Bishop Tonnos girls hockey team to secure a scholarship at an NCAA school. She’s accepted an offer to play for St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY.
Boyd, 18, has been praised by coaches and teammates for her leadership and playmaking abilities. Fans, officials and opponents often don’t realize she’s different from other players. When a shot misses the net and strikes the boards, a player crashes abruptly to the ice or a coach barks instructions to the team, Boyd doesn’t hear a sound.
She is quite possibly the first deaf hockey player ever recruited by an NCAA division 1 school.
Boyd captains the undefeated BT girls hockey team. She scored the game-winning goal in the team’s 4-0 win over St. Jean de Brebeuf, which clinched the school’s third consecutive Catholic city championship.
Speaking through sign language, interpreted by her father, Terry, Boyd said she reads lips and relies on her assistant captains, Kristin Barbara, Talia Paone, Kelly McDonald and Kristin Cavarzan.
“You don’t have to talk to be a captain,” Boyd stated. “Most people on the ice don’t know I’m deaf.”
A fifth-year forward for the Titans, Boyd has helped the team stay strong despite the departure of veteran players. She also provides leadership for Grade 9 and 10 players.
“They know they have to work hard for the team,” Boyd stated.
Boyd has already visited the St. Lawrence campus and loved what she saw. She plans to major in sports medicine or teaching. If she chooses a teaching career, Boyd hopes to help other youth overcome the obstacles of hearing loss.
Boyd’s hearing loss was first detected at the age of 18 months. She’s been an avid hockey player since age 4 and also plays for the Stoney Creek Junior Sabres. Boyd is one of four Stoney Creek Sabres on the BT team, along with Kelly McDonald, Talia Paone and Kristin Barbara. Boyd also helped the BT girls field hockey team win its first HWCAA title last year.
The first-place Titans haven’t lost a game since last year’s OFSAA provincial championships where they captured the consolation championship. The team posted an 11-0-1 record in league play this season. During Boyd’s time with the Titans, BT has developed a thriving rivalry with Brebeuf, who finished in second place this season. Brebeuf’s name is still engraved in more places on the HWCAA trophy, but Boyd knows her team is quickly catching up.
“We have three but we will get more over the next few years,” Boyd stated, pointing to the trophy inscriptions. “We have a good team coming back.”

Redeemer wins OCAA volleyball bronze

The Redeemer Royals have captured their first medal in men’s volleyball in the school’s 24-year history.
Backed by more than 700 boisterous fans, the hometown Royals erased a 2-0 set disadvantage to defeat the Mohawk Warriors for the Ontario Colleges Athletics Association bronze medal.
After losing the opening sets by scores of 25-17 and 25-21, the Royals stormed back with three set victories. Redeemer dominated the fourth set, winning 25-15. The Royals clinched the medal with a 15-10 win in the decisive fifth set.
Four Royals players reached double figures in points in the bronze medal match. Ryan Talsma led the way with 16 points, followed by Brad Douwes with 13, Joshua Dykxhoorn with 12 and Christian Vandergeest with 11.
Redeemer opened the tournament with a straight set victory over Fanshawe College with scores of 26-24, 25-16 and a come-from-behind 29-27 nail-biter in the third set. The win put the Royals in the medal round with a match-up against the eventual silver medalists from Seneca College.
Redeemer’s momentum carried into Friday’s match as the Royals took set one by a 25-16 score. The Seneca Sting fought back with two close set victories of 25-23 and 25-22. The Sting closed out the match with a 25-18 win in set three. Joshua Dykxhoorn and Ryan Talsma paced the Royals with 15 and 13 points respectively.
OCAA Player of the Year Ryan Talsma led the Royals to a five-set victory over Nispissing in Saturday’s action to keep Redeemer’s medal hopes alive. Talsma recorded 28 total points to lead the Royals.
Humber College captured the gold medal with a straight sets victory over Seneca College on Saturday.

Olympic send-off for Brad Martin

Sitting in a busy Ancaster pub streaming with friends and well-wishers, Brad Martin had one last day to celebrate his upcoming Olympic appearance.
He knows the spotlight will only intensify when he steps on the snowboard at North Vancouver’s Cypress Mountain on Feb. 17, carrying the hopes and dreams of a community on his snowboard.
If Martin is feeling the pressure heading into his second Olympic appearance, he wasn’t showing it on Thursday night. After a 16th place finish in the men’s halfpipe at the 2006 games, Martin, and his fans are anticipating a medal performance this year with Canadian fans cheering the way to victory.
“I’m just going to go there, have fun and see what I can do,” said Martin as he prepared to attend an Olympic send-off party at the Brassie Pub.
Martin will compete at a familiar venue in North Vancouver. In 2007 he won a Canadian championship at Cypress Mountain. Last February he finished seventh at a world cup event there.
Fans who attended Martin’s send-off will be glued to the TV on February 17 when the snowboarder competes in the halfpipe qualifying rounds at 1 and 5:15 p.m. If he advances to the finals, Martin will compete for a medal at 7:15 p.m.
Combining the skills of skiing and skateboarding, snowboarders execute tricks that require years of preparation and flawless execution. To land a spot on the podium, Martin must nail his frontside 1260 jump, which includes an aerial spin of 3.5 rotations.
The halfpipe event uses a ramp, literally shaped like a giant pipe, cut in half. Each run is scored by a panel of judges based on multiple criteria including execution, risk, precision and height. The Cypress Mountain course features a 22-foot wall on both sides.
Martin knows all too well that one small mistake on the halfpipe can spell disaster. Competing at the 2008 X Games, Martin missed his landing on a jump and fell head first, 20-feet down to the base of the halfpipe.
After spending three weeks in recovery, Martin returned to action, winning his next event. Today he believes that experience has made him a stronger competitor heading into the Vancouver games.
Martin’s mother, Nancy, expects a big cheering section for Brad when he steps onto the halfpipe next week.
“I don’t think I’ll be as nervous for him as I was before,” she said.
As an Olympic athlete, Martin has grown accustomed to random drug testing. He knows the sport has garnered somewhat of a reputation since Canada’s Ross Rebagliati nearly lost his gold medal at the 1998 Olympics.
He’s been tested five or six times in the last two months by Olympic officials who ensure athletes are drug-free.
At the 2006 Olympics, Martin said the reality didn’t really set in until he entered the stadium for the opening ceremonies, surrounded by thousands of fans and athletes.
“There’s so many countries. It’s going to be ridiculous in there,” he said.
Martin was slated for pre-Olympic training in Calgary for the week of Feb. 8. The 2010 Olympic Games begin with the opening ceremonies on Feb. 12.

Brassie hosts send off for Brad Martin

The Brassie Pub hosts a public send-off party for Ancaster Olympic snowboarder Brad Martin on Thursday Feb. 4.

It begins with an autograph signing at 6 p.m. The Brassie is located in the Ancaster Town Plaza at 73 Wilson St. W.

The evening includes Autographs, Door Prizes, Silent Auction and DJ.

The Brassie also welcomes guests to watch Brad compete on Wednesday, February 17 in the Halfpipe event at 1:00 pm and 5:15, with the finals at 7:15.

Dispute with Skate Canada keeps youth skaters on the sidelines

The future of an Ancaster figure skating club may be on thin ice without formal accreditation from Skate Canada, its members say.
The Verve Academy of Skating, based at the Ancaster Business Park, is appealing for support in its bid to be recognized by Canada’s national figure skating governing body. Without accreditation, Verve skaters cannot compete in Skate Canada events. A 2007 application for status was rejected by Skate Canada, leaving more than 15 competitive skaters ineligible for future Skate Canada events.
Verve skaters train at the Mohawk 4 Pad Arena in Hamilton. The club also offers power skating and hockey skating instruction.
Kim Duchesnay has gone to great lengths to help her daughter, Kara, stay with the Verve club while continuing to compete. Last season Kara registered with a club in Amherst New York to maintain her competitive eligibility. She could have joined another Hamilton area skating club. But changing clubs would also mean finding a new coach and abandoning her local Ancaster club. This year Kara has given up her membership with Amherst. She has not skated competitively since last April.
Duchesnay said the Verve Academy’s application was rejected by Skate Canada with no explanation.
“We just want to know, what information did you use to make that decision?” Duchesnay said.
Jeff Young’s daughter Victoria is also affected by the club’s lack of accreditation. Young has launched a petition in support of Skate Canada membership. He collected more than 50 signatures in three days, starting on Jan. 15.
“We’re looking for support to get to the bottom of this issue,” Young said. “Our kids are hurt by this. They can’t compete.”
Young noted the club has already lost some skaters who have moved to other clubs to maintain their competitive eligibility. Young and other club parents appealed to MP David Sweet during Ancaster councillor Lloyd Ferguson’s new year’s levee on Jan. 17. Young has also sent e-mails to several Hamilton area politicians requesting assistance.
Barbra Draper, Skate Canada’s director of member services was not immediately available for an interview on Monday.
In an e-mail to Verve Academy parents, Draper states Skate Canada’s rules committee reviewed an application for membership in 2007.
In making its decision, the committee weighed an impact statement submitted by another Hamilton area skating school.
“Based on the information made available, the Committee believed that there already exists a sufficient number of clubs to properly support skating in this area,” Draper states in the e-mail.
The Committee also considered the impact statements and information from the two nearest Skate Canada clubs, Draper notes.
The Verve’s application for membership was reviewed by Skate Canada’s Western Ontario board of directors who voted to deny the application. The decision was upheld by Skate Canada’s rules committee.
“No further appeal for membership will be considered at this time for the Verve Academy of Skating,” Draper states in the e-mail. “Meeting minutes are not distributed to the general public and will not be made available to you.”
Young said the Verve Academy has still not received an explanation of Skate Canada’s ruling, more than two years after the initial application process.

Paid parking coming to Ancaster village core

New parking fees and the province’s Harmonized Sales Tax will hit local shoppers with a double whammy of fee increases on July 1.
In a motion approved this week by Hamilton councillors, paid parking will be implemented in Hamilton’s downtown commercial districts, including Wilson Street East in Ancaster, Hamilton’s Locke Street, King Street in Stoney Creek and downtown Waterdown. Parking rates will also be standardized at $1 per hour city-wide.
Ancaster councillor Lloyd Ferguson noted the Ancaster BIA recently passed a resolution asking the city to install parking meters on Wilson Street East. The move was requested to promote turnover of parking spaces. But Ferguson noted some residents are concerned that parking meters won’t fit the heritage theme of the Ancaster village core.
“I’m getting push-back that it will take away from the character of the community,” Ferguson noted.
Despite widespread support from the BIA, not all business owners support the plan. Trevor Graham, owner of Ancaster Cycle, said the village core needs more parking lots, not metered parking. He said he will consider reimbursing his customers for the new parking fees.
“The problem is we don’t have parking,” said Graham. “I just don’t think now is the time to put parking meters in.”
Ancaster shoppers currently enjoy free two-hour on-street parking on Wilson Street. The new parking plan is expected to generate $1.45 million in annual revenue according to a city staff report.
The HST will increase the costs of goods and services such as gasoline, veterinary and legal fees and home utilities. The new 13 per cent tax rate also takes effect on July 1.
City staff plans to use a parking control reserve to finance the initial capital cost of $205,000. Under a proposed revenue sharing arrangement, the city’s 13 business improvement areas, including the Ancaster Heritage Village BIA, are eligible to receive a percentage of profits for initiatives such as beautification of parking lots, walkways or streets with paid parking, funding for free parking events and construction of walkway connections to parking lots.
The 2010 enhancements could generate $285,000 in revenue for the city’s BIAs in 2011, according to a staff report.

Belly dancer Eshe comes home

Ancaster native Eshe performs at the Casbah Lounge in Hamilton on Jan 13 and Feb 5. Both shows will run from 7 - 10 pm and the cover charge for each is $10. Click the link below to see her appearance in a Korean music video for the indie rock band Apollo18.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bhQt-uL_w4