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Students are frustrated about the teacher-government impasse that will see extra curricular services end from Thursday.   (Alison Sandstrom/paNOW Staff)
Students speak

Students rally to support teachers

Mar 11, 2020 | 2:06 PM

Around 50 Prince Albert high school students converged on MLA Joe Hargrave’s office on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. to support teachers, as an important deadline loomed.

The Saskatchewan High Schools Athletics Association (SHSAA) had said it would cancel this season’s basketball play-offs if no resolution to the impasse were found by 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

An emotional Bria Howden, one of six grade 12 players on the Carlton senior girls basketball team told paNOW she doesn’t want to see their season cut short.

“This is our last season and we’re doing really good,” she said. “For many of us this is the last time we’ll play basketball. It just sucks that this is how we have to end when we were expecting better.”

Her teammate, Alex Soyko, has already secured a basketball scholarship for next year, but says the job action could mean others might loose out on similar opportunities.

“I know some people were looking forward to having coaches from other colleges come watch them play during Hoopla and Regionals because it’s a really big deal, it’s all live streamed,” Soyko said.

Grade 12 student, Joshua Stumpf, told paNOW he “doesn’t like to be a bargaining tool” and is worried about the future of the theatre production he and other students plan to take to regionals. (Alison Sandstrom/paNOW)

St. Mary’s grade 11 student, Tadum Young, agrees the sanctions will affect senior students most.

“I’m involved in my school’s musical, people are involved in sports,” she said. “This is their last year, their last tournament, their last show, their last concert. We can’t let that be taken away from them.”

SHSAA confirms cancellation

Meanwhile at 4: 30 p.m. the SHSAA confirmed the cancellation of the remainder of the basketball season. In a media release, executive director Lyle McKellar said, in part:

As of 3:30 p.m.this afternoon there has been no notice that sanctions (being implemented at midnight) will be withdrawn. The sanctions to be implemented will limit the participation of STF members in extra-curricular activities … The ability to schedule around continued sanctions makes it impossible to save a sport season within a multi-sport, multi-program Association. In addition to basketball, all SHSAA sanctioned badminton events are also suspended until further notice, dependent on the duration of sanctions.

Editor’s note: this story was amended to include the statement from the SHSAA

alison.sandstrom@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alisandstrom