Image: M. Vanden Bosch / PML / Sardis Secondary senior varsity football players run onto their home field Friday as the school inaugurated the Rick Klassen Field against Belmont Secondary of Langford.

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Rick Klassen

After a 39-year hiatus in home football games, Sardis Secondary opens Rick Klassen Field on a day dedicated to truth and reconciliation

Sep 30, 2022 | 3:11 PM

CHILLIWACK — After a nearly 40-year hiatus, Sardis Secondary is back to playing football games on its home field in memory of arguably the best football product to ever come out of Chilliwack.

The Falcons not only hosted Belmont Secondary of Langford at the newly enshrined Rick Klassen Field Friday afternoon (Sept. 30), its first home game since the 1983 season, but did so on a profoundly poignant day dedicated to the survivors of residential schools as well as children who never came home.

Prior to kickoff, Grand Chief Steven Point, a celebrated lawyer and chancellor hailing from Skowkale First Nation in Chilliwack, led a small procession of Indigenous drummers onto the track encircling the football field.

Image: M. Vanden Bosch / PML / Grand Chief Steven Point (second from left), of Skowkale First Nation in Chilliwack a celebrated lawyer and academic, played the drum before the start of Friday afternoon’s game at Sardis Secondary. He also delivered impassioned remarks on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

With a sea of orange shirts on virtually every spectator in the bleachers before him in light of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Point said the discovery of the 215 graves in Kamloops marked a turning point between European people and Indigenous people.

INCLUSIVE WORK PROGRAM

New contract to help employ recycling depot workers facing job loss in Mission

12h ago

FATAL CRASH

1 dead after single-vehicle collision at Lougheed Highway Saturday

13h ago

Surrey Police Service say a nine-year-old has died after collision with large vehicle

15h ago

“The truth of what happened to our people is coming to the surface,” Point said. “What colonialism brought to First Nations nearly wiped us out. By God, we almost disappeared. But in the words of George Manuel, the former president of the Assembly of First Nations, Indigenous nations can celebrate now because we have survived. We have to find a path forward now. We have to find a different path forward for our Indigenous people, by and large the most uneducated and most imprisoned people. These statistics can change. Our relationship with the Canadian government can change. I’m 71 now; I only wonder how our young people will be living in 20 years, 50 years. Maybe we won’t have to fight for our rights. The power we have as people is enough to wipe us out. You can’t afford conflict. Truth and reconciliation also means coming together and working together in a respectful manner.”

Chilliwack mayor Ken Popove acknowledged the importance of truth and reconciliation on a day when both Rick Klassen’s legacy and the history of residential schools were present.

Image: M. Vanden Bosch / PML / Mayor Ken Popove delivered brief remarks before the start of Friday’s game between host Sardis Secondary and Belmont Secondary.

“Rick certainly made his mark in this city and B.C. Lions,” Popove said. “I wanna thank him for all his work. It’s very deserved. I wanna thank Steven Point for his heartfelt words. I feel education is a big part of reconciliation. Let’s move forward in a safe and equitable way.”

As for Falcons football, acting Sardis Secondary principal Lynnet Schramm thanked all the Sardis Secondary alumni who made the return of football possible. She specifically acknowledged former athletic director Brad Geary, Dan Heisler, the City of Chilliwack, Al Van Tassel, director of facilities and transportation for SD33, as well as George Chayka of the B.C. Lions, Walter Peters, and Kathy Klassen, the sister of Rick Klassen, just to name a few.

“This is amazing, amazing work that you have all done to bring us to this day,” Schramm said under gorgeous sunny skies and temperatures in the low 20s. “What a great day for football.”

Sardis Secondary athletic director Dave Shepherd attributed the return, like Schramm, to the work of so many dedicated individuals and businesses.

“We would never have been able to achieve this without the support of many key individuals at the Chilliwack school district, with the City of Chilliwack, Metric Civil Construction, and Mark Anderson from ReMax Nyda Realty,” Shepherd said. “The hard work and dedication of our alumni fundraising committee has helped to make today a reality. And we thank them so very much for that. We are grateful for our community who showed up in large numbers to be a part of not only recognition Truth and Reconciliation Day, but also recognizing arguably the greatest athlete to have ever walked the halls of Sardis Secondary.”