Riverside hockey salutes local war hero at anniversary event
In the midst of an expansive display of memorabilia commemorating 60 years of the Riverside Minor Hockey Association was a framed note of congratulations along with a picture from the iconic Don Cherry. Cherry’s note was on display Saturday inside the WFCU Centre and it paid tribute to RMHA and specifically to the late corporal Andrew Grenon, a former Riverside Ranger and hometown war hero who died serving with the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan 10 years ago this month.
“Such a great bunch of hockey players graduated from Riverside, but we should all be proud of a graduate named Cpl. Andrew Grenon who gave his life for his country,” wrote Cherry, the face of Hockey Night in Canada. A daylong lineup of festivities to mark the 60th anniversary kicked off with a Royal Canadian Legion honour guard leading Grenon’s family and RMHA members inside for the unveiling of a plaque in his honour.
Anne Marie Schofield’s voice broke with emotion as she stood next to Grenon’s mom Theresa Charbonneau and proclaimed Grenon the association’s honorary captain for the 2018-19 season. “He was a local boy and he was also a Riverside Ranger who was 23 years old when he passed away,” Schofield said.
“It’s a privilege and an honour to stand with corporal Grenon’s mom Theresa.”
Schofield presented Charbonneau with a Riverside Rangers jersey bearing the captain’s ‘C’ on the front and Grenon’s name on the back.
“Riverside minor was a big part of who he was,” Charbonneau said. “It made him a happy boy. He loved hockey and he loved baseball.” Charbonneau said Grenon was a feisty forward who played minor hockey for a half-dozen years with RMHA.
“Riverside minor formed him and gave him goals and values that he took with him as an adult. It was such a good support system for him. He spoke of Riverside minor hockey right up until the day he died.”
Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens presented Schofield with a framed blade of a hockey stick to commemorate the association’s anniversary.
There was food and kids activities throughout the day followed by an evening banquet with seating for 400.
Riverside minor hockey is known internationally for its bantam tournament held annually at Christmas and for producing an impressive list of NHL talent such as Dan Jancevski, Ryan Wilson, Murray and Mike Eaves, Darren Elliot, Russ Adams, Bill McKenzie, Pat Boutette, Ted Bulley, Mark Renaud, Ron Friest, Bob Parent and Joel Quenneville. Quenneville, the head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks, also wrote a letter of congratulations that appears in a commemorative book compiled for the occasion. “Marking our 60th anniversary is important,” Schofield said. “With all the changes that have occurred in hockey over the last five years with amalgamation (of smaller associations), the longevity of an association is becoming rarer.”
The fact that Riverside minor hockey continues to flourish with some 620 kids in the system is a “testament to the community spirit that’s kept Riverside hockey going for 60 years. Weathering all the changes in hockey can only be done with that kind of spirit,” Schofield said.
Coun. Jo-Anne Gignac was on hand for the morning celebrations. She said it was her father Leo St. Louis along with Ray Adam “who started the push to get the original Riverside Arena. They went door to door for pledges to raise $10,000 towards it, which was a lot of money in the 1950s.”
“There was nothing like Riverside Arena for bringing the community together,” she said. “Before we had it, we used to skate in the bay at the foot of St. Rose.” The Riverside Rangers called Riverside Arena home from 1956 until it closed in 2008.