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VIDEO/PHOTOS: Rain soaks Toque Tuesday before sun shines on charity road-hockey games in Surrey

‘It’s just good to be back to normal playing the games again,’ said Tim ‘Supreme Commander’ Baillie
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A Toque Tuesday road hockey game between the City Slickers and Pacific Community Resources Society at Civic Plaza in Surrey on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023. (Photo: Anna Burns)

Heavy rain was forecast Tuesday (Feb. 7), prompting Tim “Supreme Commander” Baillie to urge people outside for the daytime charity event he organizes in Surrey.

“Make sure your teams are dressed for rain with good footwear,” Baillie ordered beforehand, in an email to participants.

“We play even if the wind is incredibly horrible. That is because the people on the street have no choice to cancel, so neither do we. If the floor is slippery we will slow things down. No standing down!”

For the first time in a couple of years, road-hockey games returned to the plaza south of Surrey City Hall during Toque Tuesday, an annual gathering that draws attention to the problem of homelessness.

The event welcomes people to donate cash and warm clothing (toques, jackets, socks, gloves) and also watch teams play hockey in an inflatable rink.

A piper leads Toque Tuesday participants from Surrey City Hall to the plaza on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023. (Photo: Anna Burns)
A piper leads Toque Tuesday participants from Surrey City Hall to the plaza on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023. (Photo: Anna Burns)

On Tuesday the games started at 10 a.m. and continued into the afternoon, with hot dogs and hot chocolate sold by donation. At noon, a piper led players from city hall’s atrium to the temporary rink, for one ceremonial shot of Scottish tea and a 20-minute Indigenous welcome.

By 12:30 p.m., the skies cleared and rain stopped.

In all kinds of weather, Surrey’s Toque Tuesday event has been happening for a dozen years, other than during COVID. The hockey-playing teams involve local charities, service agencies, politicians and community groups.

A Toque Tuesday road hockey game at Civic Plaza in Surrey on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023. (Photo: Anna Burns)
A Toque Tuesday road hockey game at Civic Plaza in Surrey on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023. (Photo: Anna Burns)

It’s a lot of fun for a serious cause, noted Baillie, retired fire captain.

“We’ve had firefighters play today, Trilogy, Surrey Crime Prevention, and we have Surrey Urban Mission coming out, ILWU, the City Slickers from city hall, PCRS (Pacific Community Resources Society), some others.

“The focus the last couple of years has been youth homelessness,” Baillie added. “There’s so many people having a tough time nowadays, when you’re looking at homelessness, you have to look at who’s in danger of becoming homeless and how do we keep them from getting there. The students here this year, we’re hoping to do something with just kids next summer.”

Students from Cloverdale’s Sunrise Ridge Elementary got involved in one of Toque Tuesday’s half-hour games, just before the piper piped.

“This is the first time we’ve had kids from an elementary school,” Baillie noted. “I had a good chat with the kids when they got here, and it was pouring rain. I said, ‘Don’t hide undercover, get out here, you gotta understand what we’re doing here, why we’re doing it. Some people don’t have a choice of being warm and undercover.’ So they bought into it — and then it quit raining,” he added with a laugh.

The event’s youngest participant was four-year-old Audrey Rose Baillie, granddaughter of the day’s “Supreme Commander.”

“She’s scored more than one goal, I might add.”

The City Slickers included a few city councillors but not Mayor Brenda Locke, who watched city hall’s team play the PCRS squad.

In an earlier game, one team represented Coldest Night of the Year, which is planned Feb. 25 this year.

“It’s coming up,” Baillie said of the annual charity event, “so I’m wearing their toque right now. People can donate to that cause and buy a hot dog here, whatever they want to do to help, it all helps. We’ve got bags of donated clothing here, socks and jackets, underwear, all that, and toothbrushes and shampoo too.

“It’s just good to be back to normal playing the games again.”



tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com

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Tom Zillich

About the Author: Tom Zillich

I cover entertainment, sports and news stories for the Surrey Now-Leader, where I've worked for more than half of my 30-plus years in the newspaper business.
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