A sad story about Orest Zaozirny’s work to build and manage a trophy and memorabilia case in an Edmonton arena, only to have it removed suddenly with no information as to why.
This is hardly the Canadian way.
We hope Orest gets the answers he deserves and also finds the items that can’t be replaced.
Original story posted here.
It’s the case of the missing trophy … case.
Since 2004, a trophy case at the Westwood Arena, 12040 97th St., displayed pucks, hockey sticks, programs and photographs documenting 40 years of the Edmonton Minor Hockey Association.
The items were collected by Orest Zaozirny in his role as president of the Edmonton Minor Hockey Association Alumni.
On a visit to the rink last October, Zaozirny noticed the case was gone.
In the months since, he’s contacted numerous city staff and elected officials to find out why the case was removed and where it went. He’s had no luck finding answers.
“I’m very frustrated”, Zaozirny, 77, told CBC Radio’s Edmonton AM on Thursday.
“When I had that first meeting … that yo-yo told me that, ‘Too bad it’s gone’ — that was their attitude, too bad it’s gone.”
His inquiries have been shuffled “from one department to another to another,” he said.
The wood and glass trophy case is large — 7 1/2 feet high, eight feet wide and 10 inches deep.
It was built by Zaozirny who used unbreakable glass and added locks. A business card listing his name and contact information was affixed to the inside of the glass, he said.
In an emailed statement to CBC News, city spokesperson Christopher Webster said the city shares Zaozirny’s concern for the lost trophy case.
“We have been working to resolve the situation in a way that honours his love and appreciation for the legacy of Minor Hockey Week in Edmonton,” Webster said.
There are plans to honour minor hockey week in Edmonton by installing a mural in the arenas at Terwillegar Community Recreation Centre, he added.
But that does little to appease Zaozirny. “[That] has got absolutely nothing to do with Westwood Arena and all the artifacts I had in there,” he said.
Zaozirny believes the case may have been moved out of the arena during recent renovation work, but says there should be a record of where it ended up.
He has no plans to build a new trophy case, he said.
“Most of the stuff that was in there is irreplaceable,” he said. “Stuff that was signed by people who are no longer with us.”