A Manitoba town where Olympians are made

In recent weeks there have been two Canadian flags hanging in the library in Ste. Anne, Man.

Each day, people from the town, about 45 kilometres southeast of Winnipeg, came into the library to sign the flags and send well wishes to two of its most celebrated citizens.

It wouldn’t be surprising if close to all of the residents put their names on the flags, which will soon hang in the athletes’ village at the Olympic Winter Games.

You see, Ste. Anne has a population of about 2,100.

Jocelyne Larocque is a 2014 gold medallist and an assistant captain on the Canadian women’s hockey team. Bailey Bram, two years her junior, will make her Olympic debut with Team Canada Saturday at the Kwandong Hockey Centre.

“Absolutely feeling the love,” said Bram, a 27-year-old forward.

“We have a Ste. Anne page on Facebook and every day I’m getting comments, people wishing me good luck and whatnot. My parents are going to bring the signed flags over and we’ll put those up in the village and have them with us for inspiration throughout the Games.”

It’s remarkable that two of the 23 women on Team Canada are from Ste. Anne. Bram said it’s a testament to the community, to the Ste. Anne Minor Hockey Association and to all the people in town who believed in the women.

“It really is pretty surreal,” Bram said. “We were talking about it in the dining hall and Brianne Jenner was saying in her area of Toronto there have only been two players in the history who made the team.

“To be in a town ... to have two people at the same Olympics is surreal.”

What makes it more compelling is the fact that Larocque, 29, and Bram have known each other most of their lives.

Bram’s mother was Larocque’s babysitter and Bailey remembers the older girl being around the house since she was two years old.

“There’s no one else I’d rather do this with,” Bram said. “She kind of paved the way for me.”

While Larocque was a stalwart on defence at the 2014 Olympics for Canada, Bram was one of the last cuts and didn’t get to experience the Games.

It’s been special for Larocque to see someone who is almost like a younger sister finally live the dream.

“It’s pretty special and I’m so proud of her,” Larocque said.

Larocque and Bram are the most famous hockey players from Ste. Anne, but they’re not the only women to make their marks. Jocelyn’s sister Chantal, Bram’s sister Shelby and Larocque’s cousin Melanie Gagnon have all been involved in national hockey team programs in recent years.

Larocque said because of the small population “it’s pretty crazy if you think about it.”

“The fact that both of us are here, at the Olympics, it’s a really special moment.”

They say it takes a village to raise a child, and in this case it took a town to raise some very talented hockey players.

“I think it’s everyone from Ste. Anne minor hockey and everyone from the town, really,” Bram said.

“I’ve had nothing but support since the day I was three and started playing hockey. Anything we needed from other parents and other families, we got it. Every family in the community really stepped up.”