Sylvan Lake Gulls ready to play ball
Sylvan Lake’s new baseball team is gearing up for its inaugural season in the Western Canadian Baseball League.
On Thursday, players for the Sylvan Lake Gulls had their first ever practice at their new stadium. General Manager and President of Baseball Operations Aqil Samuel said it’s been a difficult journey to get to this point.
“We launched our logo and our brand the day the pandemic started,” Samuel said.
“The ups and downs have just been unbelievable.”
The team faced stadium construction delays and there was an underlying fear that their inaugural season may be cancelled due to pandemic. But it wasn’t, and the team plays its first game of the season against the Edmonton Prospects on Friday.
“It’s been a rush. It truly has,” he said.
“The year and a half has just flown and we can’t believe that we’re almost ready for baseball.”
The Gulls will be playing in a modified Canadian player only season. Originally, the team had 34 players signed, which included some American players, but now has 24 Canadian players on the roster.
“Obviously had to adjust a little bit based on the all-Canadian roster this summer, but I think it’s going to be a fun summer,” said Coach Jason Chatwood.
“It’s going to be very competitive.”
For Friday’s game, the stadium will be filled to a third of its current capacity as part of Stage 2 of the province’s reopening plan. Construction is still underway at the stadium.
“Once we get into 2022 and 2023, we’re going to build this out to 3,000 fans,” said Samuel.
“This year is really going to be a test to see if we can get to that point, but we’re committed and we’re going to keep going after it.”
Tickets sold out for Friday’s game in minutes. Samuel said it’s a good sign of what the future holds for the organization.
“We’re going to be here for years and years into the future,” he said.
“We want to be a part of this community for a long time.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Calgary police shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers dealt with a distraught individual. The incident lasted almost 20 hours.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.