SNOW LAKE, MANITOBA January, 2003 Tolko Set to Ken Baird - One Who Made It

THE Underground PRESS Volume 8, Issue 1 SNOW LAKE, MANITOBA January, 2003 Tolko set to Ken Baird - One who made it The NHL is the pinnacle that every kid who straps on a set More than 100 area residents showed up at the Snow Lake STAFF: STAFF: of blades aspires to. However the league is as far away from Elks’ Hall on December 10th, to hear what Tolko Manitoba the Snow Lake Minor Hockey system as is the likelihood of someone has planned for the timber around and accessible to the Town of Snow from this small community ever making it there. Kenny Baird is the Lake. It may not have been the meeting that everyone had been only Snow Lake Minor Hockey product to ever play in the NHL. He expecting, but it was interesting all the same. did so in the early 1970’s, with a now defunct team called the Oakland Officials from Tolko have made a number of trips into the Seals. community in the past 3 – 4 years. Most were for community based Baird started his minor hockey in Flin Flon, and when his family meetings and many of those came to a stalemate when the company moved to Snow Lake in 1962, the 12 year-old continued playing at the showed maps that earmarked an area east of the community for cutting. midget level. It was in Snow Lake that the, then, defenseman decided That area, the forest in the Osborne Lake area, has been a bone of to pursue a career in hockey. He played 2 years at the Junior level, contention between the company and locals during the period. Tolko most of the time with the Flin Flon Bombers, however there was a one has plotted out the area because of it’s saw log potential, and game stint with the Estevan Bruins. He set a record in Flin Flon for community members feel it should be left untouched because of its points by a defenseman, with 75 during the 1970-71 campaign. He also traditional use by area trappers, anglers, and lodge owners. made the 1970-71 WCHL All-Star Second Team. As most of Tolko’s previous Snow Lake meetings were contentious His second year of Junior must have impressed the scouts and as a and unruly at times, the company brought along a private consultant, result he was selected in the second round of the 1971 draft, 15th overall Sheldon McLeod, to act as a facilitator. This proved to be an astute by the Seals. This was the same year that Guy Lafleur and Marcel move, as this meeting was on time and on track the entire evening. Dionne went 1st and 2nd and players such as Craig Ramsey, Larry Previous to the meeting a hand-out was placed on the chairs in the Robinson, and Rick Kehoe went 19th, 20th, and 22nd respectively. hall by the local Resources Enhancement Group. The leaflet Oakland actually traded their first overall draft pick to Montreal that highlighted some questions the group felt needed to be addressed as year, and the Canadien’s used it to secure Lafluer. This meant that the well as provided a copy of a controversial resolution dealing with Seals had no pick in the first round. Baird being the first pick of the proposed timber cutting in the area that the town council passed at their second round ended up being the Seal’s first pick overall. “After the December 3rd meeting. Although quite lengthy, that resolution draft, I played with the Oklahoma City Blazers of the Central League, basically asked that Tolko fully address, discuss, and consult on all and got called up a couple of times that first year,” said Baird. “I cutting in the area before the town would give approval to it. played 10 games with the Seals in 1971 and the next year I jumped to After several of the pulp and paper companies executives explained the World Hockey League (WHL) with the Alberta Oilers (changed to their Licensing, Buffer and Forest Management Guidelines, Harvest Edmonton Oilers in 1973), and spent five years with them.” In his and Renewal Plan, and Environmental Management Systems, move from Junior to the pro ranks, Baird moved frequently from Woodlands Manager, Dave Neufeld rose to clarify the economic defense to the left wing. He says that he picked up a few assists in the benefits of Tolko’s presence in the Snow Lake area. He stated that NHL, but never did score a goal. However, it was a different story In although Tolko had not been actively logging the area in the past, they the WHL. He got 14 goals in his first season, 17 in his second, and had held meetings and listened to what Snow Lake’s people had to say. picked up 30 in his third. All the while, averaging 130 penalty minutes Adding that he realized that there had been problems in the past. “We a season. want to move forward in a different direction in the future,” said “I was always kinda’ one of the rougher guys on the team” Baird said Neufeld. “We acknowledge the fact that you want more involvement in modestly. “I wasn’t a goon by any means, but I usually ended up in it,” where logging roads go and that you want other resource users taken he added. “There wasn’t a whole lot of guys who fought on the teams, into account. We have also read the council’s resolution. I think that it so at times you just had to.” Baird says that he and Teddy Green is right on, this is what we want to do.” Neufeld said that the forester duked it out a few times, but eventually ended up playing together. would sit down with locals and come up with an acceptable and “You know, when I was fighting him, I didn’t much care for him, but detailed plan for their area operations, however he warned that it must when we played on the same team he ended up being a pretty good be based on sound reasoning and reality, stressing that logging an area guy.” can’t be ruled out simply because people don’t want trees cut down. Injuries and sickness began to play a part in Baird’s career starting in Neufeld also acknowledged another issue brought up by locals at the 1973-74, when he missed several games with an inflamed sac previous meetings. “You have told us that you don’t receive any around his heart. In 1975-76, he missed the final 33 games of season as economic benefits (from timber cut and removed from the area),”he a result of a serious knee injury and subsequent surgery. In 1976, the said. “We want to insure that there is a base of operations here and that then 26 year-old, Baird got sick and was diagnosed with Diabetes. He jobs and opportunities go to local people. This would include cutting, missed pretty well the whole year, however he returned to the pros in building roads, and handling logs.” Neufeld confirmed what he had 1977 with the Winnipeg Jets and ended up winning the Avco Cup with told the council and stakeholders in previous meetings. “We will set up the team that year. an office in Snow Lake in the next few weeks. We will man the office, Following this he went to Europe for four years and played with bring in detailed maps and discuss issues with people on a personal Duisburg, Germany in the European League. “In 1979, I played in the (SEE TOLKO on page 4) (SEE BAIRD on page 3) Page 2 THE Underground PRESS January, 2003 E D IT O R IA L home town, but like he saw them. During this particular game, Al had called several, deserved, penalties in a row against the Spartans and the ’ve noticed (and I’m sure you have as well) several television and fans in the stands (me too) closest to the rotunda were getting on his print ads aimed at parenting over the last month or so. Some call case. Right before a face-off, he skated over to the boards right in front attention to the loss of control certain parents display when of us (this was before we had glass around the boards) turned right watching their kids play hockey, another tries to get families away from before the puck was dropped and spit over the boards just in front of all the VCR, Game Cube, and Computer and into spending quality time of our feet. He never said a word, didn’t give anyone a dirty look, but together playing board games. man, talk about making a point! Most of us laid off of him for the rest “Family game night” is what one of these commercials offers up as a of the game. But hey, not everyone dealt with things both on and off suggestion for spending time doing things as a family. An excellent the ice like “Big Al” did. idea! Why do I say that, you ask? Well, because every time I see the Kids, no doubt, try to do the best they can in any competitive commercial it makes me feel guilty. Which is precisely what it was environment, just as game officials attempt to be as fair and objective in meant to do. Hey, it’s a commercial for board games. What better way the same setting. However, sometimes the abuse coming from the of selling them, than by making baby boomers (who remember how stands drives them both away from the game.

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