Students from rural Sask. bus to Saskatoon to protest possible loss of Hoopla

Sanctions being levied by the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) could mean the community of Preeceville will have its Hoopla tournament drought extended yet another year.

For the first time since 1997, the Preeceville girls team has qualified for the Saskatchewan High Schools Athletic Association provincial basketball championships.

“For the past five years, we haven’t had a senior girls basketball team at all,” said Grade 11 student-athlete Addison Danielson. “It was pretty exciting to go from being ranked 12th in the province to second.

“We have spent five-plus months working non-stop to get to our goal,” she added. “We were woken up on Monday morning saying we couldn’t go. It hurt everyone.”

The STF announced it was planning a one-day provincewide strike Wednesday and the withdrawal of extracurricular supervision on Thursday and Friday. That would mean the likely cancellation of Hoopla, which is to begin Thursday in Moose Jaw.

Some more pictures from the protest outside of the STF.

One person has parked their truck outside at the front doors of the office and is honking repeatedly hoping the STF listens.

I haven’t seen anyone from the STF since I’ve arrived. @CKOMNews @CJMENews pic.twitter.com/OrmVhtY38U

— Shane (@ShaneC06) March 19, 2024

The shock and anger from Preeceville players, parents and coaches was apparent after the news regarding the latest STF sanctions dropped on Monday morning.

Parent Brandi Heskin was so angry that she decided to rent a bus to Saskatoon to let the students protest right outside of the STF office and let the union know what is possibly being ripped away from them.

“I’m here for the students,” said Heskin. “I don’t see this as a moral bargaining tactic and I think it looks very poorly on the STF.

“Preeceville boys and girls have never been to Hoopla together, so it’s history that they made. It’s a huge accomplishment and even just saying that is an understatement.”

Heskin feels the kids are being used as bargaining chips.

“That’s not the way that this should be going about. The government and STF are full of adults and the immaturity they have displayed is disheartening,” she added.

The students arrived at the STF office in Saskatoon at 10 a.m. and protested until just after 2 p.m.

Outside of the building, students chanted and passing vehicles honked to show their support for the students. Similar protests were held Monday in Moose Jaw, Regina and Saskatoon.

One person who was involved in the protest even drove his truck up to the front doors of the STF and honked continuously hoping that the STF would hear the students’ message loud and clear.

Danielson said the group was able to speak with some members of the STF, but noted it wasn’t anything special.

“We’ve talked to some ladies from the STF and they’re trying their hardest to say that we need to go talk to the MLA, but they’re not really co-operating with us,” Danielson said. “They always say it’s children first, but they’re taking away everything that the children want.”

Students from the neighbouring community of Norquay were also at the rally to pledge their support.

Kobe Johnson is a Grade 10 student from Norquay and is friends with everyone who was on the bus from Preeceville.

He feels the move by the STF isn’t going to help the teachers garner any support in their ongoing labour dispute with the province.

“They stripped something away from us that we’ve been working on this whole entire year,” Johnson said. “It doesn’t really give us a positive light on STF. If they truly want supporters, I don’t think they’re going to get supporters at all this way. They’re going to lose everyone that did support them and it’s happening right now.

“(The STF and province) say they’re sorry, but sorry is an action. Obviously they aren’t doing anything about it and trying to change it.”

Jennifer Lindgren, the coach of the Norquay girls basketball team, said even teachers in the community are hurt by the news of Hoopla being cancelled.

“Everybody here supports the teachers and we know in our small community what the students and teachers need. We just don’t feel like the union is representing it properly and I don’t feel the kids are being put first in this situation,” Lindgren explained.

“They’re taking something away from senior kids that the kids will never get the opportunity to do again. It’s not right,” she added. “During COVID they had all of this taken away and they don’t want that to happen again.”

Organizers of the Hoopla tournament have set a deadline of 3 p.m. Wednesday to determine if the tournament will go ahead on Thursday.

Students from Preeceville, Norquay and Sturgis gather outside the STF headquarters in Saskatoon to rally against possible STF sanctions on Thursday that could lead to the cancellation of the Hoopla basketball tournament. (Shane Clausing/650 CKOM)