Author Archives: Michelle Truong

Rising COVID-19 Cases Forces Dr. Henry’s Hand

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In Dr. Bonnie Henry’s live update today, she announced that over a period of 3 days there were a total of 817 new cases. She emphasized how a lot of those cases come from indoor social gatherings and households, with some connected to Thanksgiving weekend. However, there are 4 new long term care outbreaks and 3 deaths are linked. The updated numbers today bring the number of active cases to over 2,000 in the province and over 5,000 in isolation. This is the first time the numbers have reached its peak.

Cough — Courtesy of Pixabay

Since there has been record-breaking days in the past month, Dr. Henry is aware of the upcoming season. Respiratory season is almost here and Dr. Henry says, “We can see now that the virus is harder to control in colder weathers.” Halloween is right around the corner and Dr. Henry assertively encourages everyone to not have indoor parties this weekend. A new order is put in place for household gatherings to be limited to immediate family members and your, “safe six.” This means that if you have a large family, consider not expanding your bubble at all. She hopes that this new order will deter the amount of parties, weddings and post-funeral gatherings.

Jack o’ Lantern — Courtesy of Pixabay

If you are planning to do something for Halloween, don’t do it inside. It may be cold but for everyone’s safety, limit yourself to small group outsides. “This is not a time for adults to be having indoor parties, and now there is an order to enforce this,” Dr. Henry reiterates. Although masks are not an order at this moment, it is an expectation to be wearing one especially in public spaces. BC’s Provincial Health Officer believes that if we all do our part, and help our own communities that we can all get through the winter together.

Goodbye Hometown Boy

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Picture yourself as a little kid, playing the sport you love and dreaming of one day playing for your hometown team in the big leagues. Someone who embodies that is none other, Troy Stecher. You may know him as Tony Stretcher, or even Troy from Richmond. That just goes to show how well known Troy is for being a Lower Mainland native. 

The Vancouver Canucks signed Troy Stecher to a two-year entry level contract back in 2016 after not being selected in the draft three times. Although he was cut from the training camp upon signing his contract, it was not long until he was called up to the big leagues to make his NHL debut. This made him the first ever player that was born and raised in Richmond to play for the Canucks. I’d say that’s a huge accomplishment and rarity because not many players who get to the big leagues end up playing for their hometown. And if you look at Troy from Richmond, you could see how hard he represents being a BC boy. He’s been a Canucks fan since he was a little kid, and as a fan of sports I would love to represent my hometown like Troy.

https://twitter.com/vanessajang/status/1313932638684475399

Unfortunately, with the event unfolding during free agency in the beginning of October, Troy Stecher’s run as a Canuck came to an end. The Canucks failed to tender a qualifying offer for Stecher, and thus became a free agent. Fans were heartbroken and shocked at this to think after Stecher put his heart and soul into this team that management couldn’t work out a deal to keep him. Stecher is a solid defenseman, who is always accountable and a team player. Troy ended up signing a two-year, $3.4 million dollar contract with the Detroit Red Wings. 

He will be greatly missed for how much he bled for the Canucks, however there is still hope at the end of his contract with the Red Wings for him to finish his career here, in his home province. We wish him all the best in the Motor City, and cannot wait for him to play against us.

5 Year Anniversary of the Bat-Flip

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It was October 14, 2015. 5 years ago today, the iconic bat-flip meme came to life. In the bottom of the 7th inning, after fans had just stretched to prepare for the homestretch of the game, José Bautista did the unthinkable. It was a 3-3 tie, game 5 with the series on the line. 2 runners on base, 2 outs, 1-1 count. Fastball pitch incoming, Bautista winds up and hits the most explosive home-run, pauses and tosses his bat in the air with swagger. Even 5 years ago, this memory for Blue Jays fans and any Canadian baseball fans is one that does not fail to deliver goosebumps. 

Just like my last story on the Toronto Raptors being Canada’s basketball team, it is the same exact situation with baseball as well. The Toronto Blue Jays are the only Canadian baseball team to currently exist in the MLB. And when memories like the José Bautista bat-flip are in the media and being talked about again, it makes me reminiscent of how baseball was so much more popular back then. Or some could argue that the loyalty of baseball is not as steady as basketball. 

Overhead of Rogers Arena in Toronto – Courtesy of Pixabay

When was the last time you turned on the TV to intentionally watch a baseball game, with your undivided attention? Probably not as recent as basketball if you’re an all-around sports fan. According to statista.com, only 13% of 3,510 respondents watch all games and events for baseball. Whereas 46% watch main events such as playoff games. In hindsight, that is not a bad number for baseball, however the same question arises with the problem of only having one baseball team for the country. It makes it hard to see the worth for Vancouverites to loyally cheer on a team on the other side of the country. And in a similar case, most Vancouverites and Canadians tend to cheer on teams in the United States. 

Regardless of the statistics, Canadians will always have memories like Kevin Pillar’s outstanding superman catches and the José Bautista bat-flip forever. 

 

 

Canada’s Basketball Team

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The NBA finals just wrapped up this past weekend, with the Lakers winning their 17th title in franchise history. But that also means that the Toronto Raptors’ reign has ended after 486 days as the NBA Champion, which is the longest single-season title defense in the NBA’s league history. 

Kyle Lowry holding the Larry O’Brien trophy in 2019. – Courtesy of Pixabay

When the Raptors secured the championship last summer, it was a great feeling as a sports fan to see but also as a Canadian to feel the victory. The Toronto Raptors are the only Canadian NBA team that currently exists so it goes without saying that they are Canada’s team. But how many Canadians are actually loyal to the Raptors like Vancouverites are loyal to the Canucks, as opposed to becoming a fan during playoffs and especially when they win a championship. The Raptors have proven to be a worthy team to root for, but with how popular many American teams are it poses the question of how much Canadians truly see the Raptors as a favourite in their eyes.

I wasn’t old enough to experience the Vancouver Grizzlies tenure however I think that is something most Canadians are missing some days. It can be a bit demotivating to be cheering on one single team in a league with no chance at a true rivalry in the same country. Especially living out West, it feels like a far-fetched reality to experience the true feelings of being a passionate basketball fan. 

Basketball culture has definitely risen since I became passionate about it 7-8 years ago. Having more basketball teams nearby, whether it be in Seattle or Vancouver again, would without a doubt reignite the NBA market by giving more fans a chance to cheer for more teams — especially Canadians. The question is, can more basketball teams in a Canadian market do as well as the teams in America?