Craik,
Saskatchewan is the hometown of Calgary Hitmen forward Mike Reich. Craik is a town of approximately 500 people and is located “6 hours
from Calgary…on the number 11 highway, in the middle of Saskatoon
and Regina” (click
here for a map). Regina is the closer of the two cities, and is
only about “45 minutes” from the town. When asked what the climate
is like in his hometown Mike joked that obviously it is “cold, it’s
Saskatchewan”!
Mike
grew up in Craik, and most of his extended family also lives in the
town, although “(his) two older brothers currently live in Regina.”
Growing up in Craik, Mike and the other kids would spend much of
their free time having fun “playing Shinney, the rink was always
available.” Little has changed, and Mike says that his favourite
thing to do when he’s in his hometown is still to “play Shinney for
sure!” When he’s away from home, the thing that Mike misses the most
about Craik is “watching Senior hockey, and other teams in Craik.”
The town is home to the Craik Memorial Skating Rink, where a variety
of teams play, including the Craik Warriors, a senior team in the
Notekeu Hockey League.
In addition to
hockey there are numerous other interesting attractions in and
around the town of Craik. The Craik and District Regional Park is a
great place to go for a variety of recreational activities including
swimming, fishing at the Craik Reservoir, baseball, mini-golf and
much more! The park is also a staging area for numerous hiking,
biking and horse/wagon trails which have been established and marked
by the Three Rivers Trail Association. These trails are a great way
to enjoy the beautiful scenery and wildlife around Craik. The town
is also home to the Craik Library and the Prairie Pioneer Museum,
which has displays portraying the pioneer way of life.
When asked what he
would suggest a tourist in Craik see or do while visiting Mike
responded that “we (Craik) have a brand new golf course which is
very nice.” The Craik and District Golf Course is a new, nine hole
course set in the valley overlooking
the Craik Reservoir. The clubhouse is located inside the town’s new
Eco-
Centre, which is also an interesting attraction. The Eco-Centre
opened in July 2004, and is a special energy efficient building that
was constructed as part of the Craik Sustainable Living Project.
This is an innovative project that aims to promote an ecologically
sound way of living and to inspire similar positive changes in other
western Canadian communities. To learn more about the Eco-centre and
the Craik sustainable living project please visit
www.craikecovillage.ca.
Overall,
Craik, Saskatchewan is a friendly, progressive and innovative town.
It offers many fun recreational activities and attractions, and is a
great place to call your hometown!
Thank-you for
reading about Mike Reich’s hometown! If you would like to learn more
about Craik, Saskatchewan check out the town’s website at
www.craik.ca.
Also, a big thanks to Mike for taking the time to tell us about his
hometown and to
www.craik.ca for the information and pictures used in this
article.
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