Today marks the end of an era in amateur athletics in British Columbia; Howard Tsumura’s final day at the Province newspaper. Howard started at the Province in October 1990 with a passion for high school and university sports. He made it his life’s passion to showcase the incredible stories and talents of the young athletes across this province. He told of not just their results and successes, but their determination, sportsmanship and camaraderie. He wrote of the values and benefits of educational based athletics and the positive impacts on a school or community. On a daily basis, Howard brought to life a world where so many of us once participated, and nostalgically, often wish we could return. As the only full-time amateur sport beat writer in Canada, Howard delivered day after day to his invested readers. Whether it be his weekly rankings, his Head of the Class feature or the great human interest stories he told, Howard elevated school sport to the same pages as the Canucks, Whitecaps, and Lions. He brought pride to our schools, and raised the profiles of our athletes.
We know this isn’t a good-bye, as there will be a next chapter in Howard’s story. However, as we reach the end of this chapter we would be remiss not to say thank you. Thank you for your tireless work and dedication to telling our stories. Thank you for advocating for amateur sport and the amazing people within it. We look forward to seeing what comes next, and working with you wherever we can. We wish you the best of luck. We will be watching… and as usual, reading.