6:15 pm Pacific, Smithers, BC

Greetings again from Smithers, B.C., the hub of Northwest B.C. exploration where we’ve been stationed since Tuesday in preparation for a major 3-day event in this community (Friday through Sunday) celebrating the Vancouver Canucks‘ 50th anniversary season in the NHL, and the resource sector.  BMR is a major sponsor of the Canuck Alumni Association’s “Indoor-Outdoor Challenge”.  Saturday’s indoor game at the Smithers arena is already completely sold out.

Given our strategic location, we’ve also been conducting boots-on-the-ground research surrounding the rail blockades in Canada, the anarchists behind them, and the Wet’suwet’en “hereditary chiefs”.  We’ll have much more to say regarding all of that next week.  Reporters for the Globe and Mail and Vancouver Sun are also here in addition to a sharp investigative team from Resource Works.

Tomorrow, BMR and several junior exploration companies will be hosting a news conference/investor event beginning shortly after market close to kick off this 3-day celebration which will raise significant dollars for Smithers Minor Hockey.

The above, of course, is occurring at a time of major equity market upheaval, and we’ll be updating subscribers again on that situation in an Evening Alert.

Video Clip – Dave Babych!

Canuck fans have fond memories of Dave Babych, a talented defenceman who was a key factor in the team’s run to the 1994 Stanley Cup final.  He played 19 seasons in the NHL and was the first player to wear #44 on a permanent basis.

Click on the arrow as Babych discusses the significance of this event in Smithers:

The “Indoor-Outdoor Challenge” will be a spectacular show that garners considerable attention.  It all begins tomorrow afternoon with the kick-off news conference/investor event (just ahead of PDAC) followed by a charity banquet in the evening.  Hockey fans will then be treated to a pair of games between the Canucks’ Alumni and a local oldtimers’ team known as the Smithers Flyers – an indoor game Saturday night, and a unique outdoor game “rematch” the following day on beautiful Tyhee Lake.

Quintessentially Canadian…

Former Canuck Stars Join FIN

And Country Music Star Aaron Pritchett

Led by FIN, the Canucks’ popular team mascot, and coached by Jack McIlhargey and Gino Odjick (Gino! Gino!), the Alumni team will include the likes of Dave Babych, Kirk McLean, Cliff Ronning, Jyrki Lumme, Geoff Courtnall, Kyle Wellwood, Dana Murzyn, Thomas Gradin, Chris Higgins and more.

Country music star Aaron Pritchett and Global News B.C. anchor Paul Haysom will also be playing for the Alumni team.  The Smithers Flyers are getting a major boost as former NHL star defenceman Jim Watson, a Smithers native and an original Broad Street Bully, has been added to their lineup.

A small town of less than 10,000 people, Smithers has produced a number of NHL players over the years including not only the Watson brothers (Jim and Joe) but defenceman Dan Hamhuis who played 6 seasons with the Canucks.  Now with the Nashville Predators, Hamhuis returns to Smithers each summer and recently built a home on Tyhee Lake.  The outdoor game will take place near Dan’s new home.  The local contractor who built Dan’s home, and also lives on the same lake, recently purchased an outdoor Zamboni just for this event.

The current weather forecast for next Sunday in Smithers, for the outdoor game, calls for a high temperature of –2 and a chance of 2 to 4 cm of snow – GAME ON!

Don’t miss any of our coverage at BMR as we celebrate both our national pastime and our resource sector which is essential to Canada’s economy and wealth creation.