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Great expectations
There is, of course, a world of difference between the machinations of high finance and the simple game that happens on a hockey rink. But in the heart of a small town like Uxbridge, the hollow feeling when you lose at both is much the same.
Last fall, ordinary Uxbridgers had every reason to be very excited about a couple of things which, on the surface of it, had no connection whatsoever. At the corner of Brock Street and Victoria Drive, probably the largest crane this town had ever seen was busily facilitating the rise of a building which promised to transform the look of our downtown. The headquarters building of the First Leaside Group of Companies was going to be based on an award-winning environmental design, and the rapidly-forming parking lot across the tracks was going to accommodate the vehicles of dozens of new residents who would contribute great things to the life and economy of Uxbridge.
A few blocks to the west, at the Uxbridge Arena, loyal Bruins fans, after a couple of seasons in which their boys easily finished first over the regular schedule, only to disappoint in the playoffs, were confident that it would be third time lucky, that this revitalized version of Uxbridge’s team would go deep into the provincial playoffs.
By early November, things began to go sour on both fronts. First Leaside ran afoul of the Ontario Securities Commission and ceased trading while they regrouped. Construction at the old Co-op site ground to a halt, and snow fell on the foundation that held out so much promise. The Bruins, meanwhile, after a good start, began to pile up the penalty minutes and sink in the standings. A lack of discipline, it seemed, was a problem in both arenas.
Plenty of time, though, we hoped fervently, for First Leaside and the Bruins to turn things around. By the new year, the former would be back in operation and construction would resume, and the latter would be in their customary strong position entering the playoffs. But it was not to be. Around the same time the Bruins sank to fifth and stayed there, they came and took away the crane from the Co-op site.
No worries, we said. The Bruins will be a new team in the playoffs, and the removal of the crane was actually a good sign, that First Leaside was showing good fiscal sense. But over the last two weeks, our hopes were dashed. The company that was going to be such a great corporate citizen of Uxbridge will soon cease to exist, and whatever eventually rises from the hole in the ground on Victoria Drive, it won’t be the building we dreamed of. Meanwhile, the Bruins were the same bad, undisciplined team that they vowed not to be, and were swept by a team that wasn’t even in the division last year.
We’re not trying to trivialize the downfall of First Leaside; we know that many people’s lives have been turned upside down by its collapse. And we know that after all, hockey is just a game. All the same, it’s been proven many times that the spirit of a community can be uplifted by the example of the athletes who represent that community. Over the last few weeks, we could have used a little inspiration. But we didn’t get it, at least not from the Bruins. Maybe next year. For First Leaside, unfortunately, there will be no next year. And for the rest of us, spring can’t come too soon.
July 14, 2011
