Residential schools have been a heavy black cloud within arm’s reach above our heads, affecting several generations for many years. While the negative aspects of residential schools are undoubtedly obvious and heavily outweigh anything else, there is at least one positive takeaway that still affects us today: basketball.
Some survivors returned from their schools and introduced the game to others, which gained traction and led to the creation of the Northern British Columbia Coast Indian Championship Tournament in Prince Rupert in 1947. That tournament folded in 1953, but after several years, interest in basketball grew once again, and the NBCCICT was revived in 1960 and rebranded as the All Native Basketball Tournament.
With this new tournament occurring on the other side of the ‘pond’ from us, the young men of Skidegate formed a team in 1963 to compete over there, and thus the Skidegate Saints were born.
Throughout the tournament’s history, Skidegate has often made it far in the standings, solidifying their moniker as a synonymous entity—casual fans could simply call them ‘The Saints’ instead of their village name. For the first 40 years of the tournament, Skidegate had strong teams and occasionally made the finals, but only managed to secure one victory in the Intermediate division in 1980.
However, that all changed in 2000 when the Intermediates, Masters and Juniors all took banners home to Skidegate, while Masset claimed the Senior title for a Haida Gwaii sweep in all male divisions that year. This marked the start of Skidegate’s reign, as they would win nearly 20 more titles across the four male divisions from 2001–2024, including four out of five Intermediate titles between 2000–2004 and six straight Senior titles from 2012–2017.
With such strong teams emerging from Skidegate, the head coach of the Intermediates, Dan Burton, decided to start a new tournament in Skidegate to fundraise for these teams. Thus, the Saints Invitational Basketball Tournament was created in 1999.
The tournament proved successful and has returned every year since, recently celebrating its 23rd annual event (it would have been the 25th, but COVID caused a two-year hiatus) from Dec. 19–21. Normally, this tourney would occur earlier in the month, but organizer Desi Collinson postponed it so students home for the holidays could play as well.
The first couple of nights featured fun and exciting games, including nail-biters, blowouts and a near-upset. Fans witnessed the talents of not only the men but also the women and youth, with one kids’ game and one ladies’ game played each day. However, it was the final day that truly brought the excitement, as games began a little late following a Saturday morning power outage.
The brief delay didn’t affect the vibe, as players and fans filled the gym with high energy once the action finally began. By mid-afternoon, the Skidegate Senior Saints faced off against the Masset Masters in an elimination game. This contest was tight throughout, but the Saints’ mettle proved the X-factor as they edged out the Gaw Xaaydas with a final score of 77–69.
Fans then witnessed a rare game without any All-Native teams, as a team led by Jr Saints alumnus Levi Burton faced local heartthrob Jesse Barnes’s team in a highly anticipated matchup. Levi’s team, The Brady Bunch, played well but struggled with open shots, while Barnes’s team, Iron Five, capitalized, winning 98–65 to advance to the final.
Next, the Senior Saints played Mixed Bag in a game where both teams faced their second match of the day. Mixed Bag took an early 28–9 lead behind strong play from their starting lineup. However, an injury to top option Cal Westbrook allowed the Seniors a chance to claw back. Despite crowd-favourite Desi Collinson making a return for the Saints, they couldn’t get within six points, as Mixed Bag held on for a 73–61 victory.
The final women’s game followed, featuring a strong back-and-forth contest between Skidegate and Masset. Both squads played a balanced game, heading into halftime tied at 22. However, Skidegate pulled away in the third quarter with fast-break opportunities and Kanisha Edinger lighting up the scoresheet, securing a 56–45 win.
After an entertaining kids’ game ended 34–30, the semi-final began. Mixed Bag squared off against The Brady Bunch, with the winner advancing to the final against Iron Five. This game was a battle of runs, as The Brady Bunch closed the gap twice and made it interesting in the final minute. Ultimately, Mixed Bag secured their trip to the final with an 86–80 win.
The final game featured an anticipated matchup between Mixed Bag and Iron Five. Both teams came out strong, with Iron Five leading 18–17 after the first quarter. Gavin Peerless and Jesse Vissia (don’t be fooled by his sweet eyes; he may be a Golden Retriever in life, but he’s a German Shepherd on the court) kept Mixed Bag competitive. However, they missed the offensive presence of Cal Westbrook, and Iron Five pulled away in the second quarter behind Jesse Barnes’s dominance, leading 37–26 at halftime. Iron Five carried this momentum into the second half, building a comfortable 30-point lead to coast to a 100–56 victory.