(Ben Tompkins/northeastNOW Staff)

By Ben Tompkins

Humboldt Strong

Outdoor rink, courts being built in honour of Jacob Leicht

Aug 14, 2024 | 12:52 PM

A member of the 2017/18 Humboldt Broncos is being remembered with a ‘place to play’ being built in his name.

The City of Humboldt, along with the Humboldt Broncos Memorial Committee and the annual golf tournament has come together to construct an outdoor rink and courts, right near the Elgar Petersen Arena (EPA), which will be named in honour of Jacob Leicht.

Leicht was one of the 16 members who passed away in the tragic bus crash of April 2018.

He was also a native of Humboldt who spent much of his time outdoors, as the site is meant to encapsulate who he was and what he held most dearly.

“There is an outdoor rink at St. Dominic School where Jacob attended and he and his buddies were always out there no matter how cold it was. They would go there after school on days when they weren’t at the EPA or they would be playing road hockey in front of someone’s house in the summer,” explained Jacob’s mother, Celeste Leray-Leicht.

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“It was a pretty special place for them and it’s just a good way for kids to have fun. Something like this, I just can’t think of a better way to honour him, he spent lots of time outside and with his friends. It had to be outdoor activities with his friends because it was the perfect equation for having a good time.”

Now, kids just like Jacob will have the opportunity to do the things he used to and loved to do, all at a brand new facility, which will be named after the hometown boy who perfectly signified what it meant to be a kid growing up in small-town Saskatchewan.

The project is hoping to be completed by this winter, with rink boards being placed around the edges in the colder months and nets being set up in the warmer months for sports like pickleball and tennis.

(Ben Tompkins/northeastNOW Staff)

The unveiling of said project was done this past Friday.

“It was a very special day for us, of course, it was emotional but it’s a very meaningful way to remember Jacob. My dad and Kurt’s (Jacob’s dad) parents and both my brothers and Kurt’s brother and nieces and nephews were able to join us, so that was very special for them to be a part of,” Leray-Leicht added.

“The unveiling was actually on Kurt’s dad’s birthday. He turned 94 years old. They all miss Jacob and Kurt’s dad actually said he would give it all back if it meant having Jacob back, and of course that’s not possible, but I think it just spoke to how touching it was to all of us.”

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On X @BenTompkins_8