On a recent trip to Saskatoon’s Ronald McDonald House with the Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation, we were introduced to Derek Lafrenie and his family. While they aren’t born-and-bred Saskatchewan residents, they have spent the last several years creating the type of bond with this province that would make any resident of the Land of the Living Skies proud to have them as representatives.
When you sit down and hear their story, as we were lucky enough to do, it becomes instantly apparent that the ties between the Green & White, and the people of this province run much deeper than a traditional team-fan relationship. “I kind of looked to the team and the community to pull us in.” Lafrenie told us. “That created an identity, a place for us to go to—something to look forward to. A sense of fun. A sense of belonging.” In the more than 100-year history of the Roughriders in Saskatchewan, generational bonds have been built, oftentimes transcending on-field performance, instead focusing on the personal connections that are formed between supporters and their cause. The power of this connection is echoed in Derek’s words “It provided an opportunity to pull this family together, when everything felt like it was falling apart.”“It sounds funny that a football team might keep you,” he continued “but it’s more than the football team—it’s the community that owns that football team. They really made us feel welcome and that’s a big reason why we never moved back away.”
So while there are many factors that contribute to how or why someone may call this place home, the Lafrenie story is proof that the Heartland of football in Canada really does lie in the centre of this country, in a place where we are all in green. And with what we can clearly see from the connection this family has with their newfound home, that gernational nexus that has come to symbolize football in this province remains in safe hands.
As Derek says “This is our home now. We’re not leaving.”
