Bruce Vance was known for his time with the Prince Albert Raiders, Mann-Northway Northern Bears, City Hall, and other various groups and organizations. (File photo/paNOW)

By Logan Lehmann

Rest in Peace

P.A. community icon, Bruce Vance, succumbs to cancer at 63

Oct 18, 2024 | 4:06 PM

The city of Prince Albert is grieving after news broke Friday that local sports figure and community icon, Bruce Vance, has passed away following a long battle with colon cancer.

Vance was diagnosed in 2013 and was declared disease-free a year later before the cancer came back in 2020. He was being cared for at Rose Garden Hospice prior to his death. He was 63.

Bruce Vance is seen with his wife, Liane, as he accepts his ‘Sportsman of the Year’ award in 2023. (Logan Lehmann/paNOW)

Vance was a longtime member of the Prince Albert Raiders, serving as the team’s Director of Marketing and Business Manager for 14 seasons from 2001-2015. Vance was a key part of the “Bring Back The Magic” initiative that brought upgrades to the Art Hauser Centre and helped bring major events to the city, like a World Junior pre-tournament game in 2010 and the ADT Challenge Cup in 2008, where Team WHL faced off with Russia. In 2007, Vance and the Raiders office was awarded the Western Hockey League’s marketing award.

“The Raiders join the entire community of Prince Albert and every community Bruce impacted in mourning his loss, and send sincere condolences to Liane and the Vance family. He will be missed,” the team said in a release.

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He was inducted onto the Raiders Wall of Honour in Oct. 2023 ahead of a contest against the Regina Pats. He was also inducted into the Prince Albert Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.

(Mark Peterson/Prince Albert Raiders)

While he was with the Raiders, Vance and his wife, Liane, also managed the Mann-Northway Northern Bears from 2011-2015. During the team’s home opener in 2023, the Northern Bears honoured Vance with a special jersey that donned a special logo and the words “Team Bruce”, commemorating 10 years since the creation of the original “Team Bruce” campaign in the 2013 season.

The jerseys were auctioned off following the game where they raised $23,265 for the Cancer Foundation of Saskatchewan and the Boreal Hospital Foundation.

After leaving the Raiders in 2015, he went to work for the City of Prince Albert and remained there until he needed to take sick leave in August 2022.

“Although he was no longer working out of City Hall, Bruce continued to assist wherever and whenever possible in the years that followed. He was a dedicated employee and a champion for our community. Bruce will be deeply missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of Bruce’s family at this difficult time,” said city manager Sherry Person.

(Cancer Foundation of Saskatchewan)

Prior to his passing, Vance had the opportunity to attend a number of Jays games. (Facebook)

Additionally, Vance was a member of the 2023 Esso Cup Committee and spent many years with the local Relay for Life committee and opted to start a blog in an attempt to spread awareness and education about the disease.

Lyle Karasiuk knew Vance through their many shared community involvements, as well as Relay for Life. Karasiuk recalled an event that was held on the same day Vance received his first chemo treatment.

“He was as sick as could be but he was his team’s captain and Bruce was determined to be there and he spent the whole night with us albeit he was not a happy guy in any respect, but that is a testament to his courage.”

Referring to Vance as a great friend, Karasiuk went on to acknowledge how passionate Vance was about the community and the numerous projects he was involved with.

“You know there will be a big community event, some sports banquet or some national or provincial event, someone will say has anyone seem Bruce,” Karasiuk said. “We lost a great friend.”

Comments and well wishes have been flooding Bruce Vance’s social media page and the words inspiration, and mentor were used over and over again.

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loganc.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com