Disaster volunteers and Canadian hockey higher-ups assist to replace serendipitous souvenir
When the Derksen family lost their home in the Jasper wildfire, they knew that chances were slim that the precious reminders of their lives were spared from the flames.
Photos of the Derksens’ home on fire, with the iconic, yellow and brown “Jasper BrewPub” VW bus parked outside, were some of the first images of the disaster to be broadcast to Canadians on the night of July 24. When the family finally viewed what remained of their Cabin Creek home, they were even less optimistic any of their worldly possessions remained.
“We knew it was not very likely we’d find anything,” Alex Derksen, 43, remembered.
Even still, the family of five was holding out hope that some items could be salvaged from the ashes. When they sifted through the rubble of what was left of their property, the Derksens asked disaster recovery specialists to focus on a few key areas to search for valuables. One of those priority spots was the garage, where a shrine of hockey memorabilia was being gradually assembled.
The Derksens—as most long-time Jasperites know—have hockey in their blood. Grandpa Kelly and grandma Debbie raised three hockey-mad boys, and their sister married another one. It was only natural that Alex and wife Emily’s kids—and all their cousins, for that matter—would live and breathe the sport.
Emily and Alex’s oldest boy, Dustin, was even named for a hockey player. As the story goes, when Emily and Alex attended an Edmonton Oilers game in October of 2009, Emily in the last trimester of her pregnancy, they agreed that whichever NHL player earned First Star honours that night would inspire the name of their future first born.
As it turned out, former Oilers power forward Dustin Penner had a heck of a game. Not long after, baby Dustin Derksen was christened; he practically came into the world wearing blue and orange.
“We’re a big hockey family,” Emily laughed.
Fifteen years later, three days before Dustin’s birthday, another bit of hockey magic was swirling around the Derksen family—this time facilitated by a group well-versed in serendipity: Team Rubicon.
Team Rubicon’s volunteer core is largely made up of retired military and public service officials, but in the wake of the July 24 wildfire, it also included Jasperites who wanted to help their community recover.
Ron and Lorraine Stanko were among those locals suiting up in hazmat gear to assist their neighbours sift. Ron, a retired deputy fire chief for the municipality and Lorraine, a registered nurse, lost their own home in the July wildfire. As such, they poured their grieving hearts into the work of helping their community, the experience greatly helping their own healing journey.
“We got to share a lot of hugs and tears with a lot of incredible people,” Ron said.
One of those people was Mary Barber, a retired trauma nurse with the Canadian military. Barber, through the Stankos, heard about the Derksen kids’ losses. She knew they hoped to recover parts of their hockey memorial, and especially the signed Connor McDavid jersey which hung above the television.
“I was just hoping for a piece of it,” Dustin remembered.
When it was confirmed that those hopes were dashed, Barber, who had a prospective connection to Canada’s higher hockey world, typed out an email. It was to Retired Canadian General Rick Hillier, who she’d done tours with in Afghanistan and had become good friends with. Barber knew Hillier was close with renown Canadian sports broadcaster Ron MacLean, who she knew wanted to help out a Jasper family, because she’d just heard him say so.
“I met Ron at a Heroes Among Us event and he said ‘I would like to help one family who has lost something,’” Barber said.
After Barber’s email went up the chain, the request was eventually answered by the Oilers’ organization, and by the team’s generational superstar himself. On Friday, a signed Connor McDavid jersey and a sympathy card from MacLean were presented to the Derksens by Barber and the Stankos. The kids were whispering their excitement to each other. Emily said it was a blessed reminder of how kind people can be.
“Our minds are absolutely blown that people would go out of their way to do something like this for us,” she said.
Knowing McDavid had heard their story was “awesome” for siblings Dustin, Ben and Evy—as well as their cousins Matthew and Carson, who were also admiring the new number 97. As they posed for photos, the family agreed the sweater would have to grace the same spot it occupied before: above the TV in the garage, where so many hockey moments were made. Until then, however, there was some debate on where the sweater would live.
“I think I better keep it in my room,” Dustin told his dad with a wink.
