It was a beautiful sunny Saturday on the Easter weekend in Sooke. I started at EMCS after stopping for a coffee at the nearby Tim Horton’s. Pearson College were having a sports day, a soccer tournament by the looks of it, more on that later but the big news was at Journey Middle School where over 20 teams from up and down the Island were having a Junior Football Jamboree.
Junior Football Jamboree
The Sooke Blue Devils were host as a couple of thousand players, parents, supporters and coaches converged on Journey Middle School to play football. There were three fields on the go from morning to late afternoon. Organizers had anticipated around 2000 people and it looked as if they weren’t far off. Based on the schedule we saw on social media, these were the teams involved.
Atom Division (Ages 7–9)
Sooke Blue Devils
Westshore Warriors
Cowichan Bulldogs
Saanich Wolverines
Southside Dawgs
Oceanside Lions
Spartans (Greater Victoria)
Peewee Division (Ages 10–12)
Sooke Blue Devils
Westshore Warriors
Cowichan Bulldogs
Saanich Wolverines
Southside Dawgs
Oceanside Lions
Spartans
Nanaimo Legion of Boom (LOB)
Nanaimo Beast Mode
Junior Bantam Division (Ages 13–14)
Westshore Warriors
Cowichan Bulldogs
Saanich Wolverines
Southside Dawgs
Oceanside Lions
The VICFA (Vancouver Island Canadian Football Association) Jamboree serves as the definitive kickoff for the Island’s youth spring football season. For a brand-new program like the Sooke Blue Devils to be selected as hosts is a massive vote of confidence—and a significant boost—for the local organization.
Photos by Robb aka the610photographer
Sooke Blue Devils president and coach, Nick Stubbs.
Sooke Blue Devils junior football
Pearson College at EMCS
Founded in 1974, Pearson College was established as a “living memorial” to Lester B. Pearson, the former Canadian Prime Minister and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The college opened its doors in Pedder Bay (Metchosin) to its first 100 students on September 25, 1974. It is one of 18 UWC (United World Colleges) schools worldwide. Its mission is to “make education a force to unite people, nations, and cultures for peace and a sustainable future.”
Pearson College has a lot going for it, but it doesn’t have a sports field, so EMCS filled that gap on Saturday. The college has five residences and we counted at least four separate team colours on the day. The most noticeable were the ones wearing cowboy hats and it’s interesting to note one of the residences was originally called Calgary House. We’re guessing they were from Calgary House (now called ŦÁ¸WEN or Coho).
