Ross Norton and the Alberta Northern Lights wheelchair basketball team have a delightful problem on their hands. And they’re taking names — literally.

The Northern Lights are hosting the Canadian Wheelchair Basketball Championships in April at the Saville Centre. But this isn’t just another tournament.

TAIT: Northern Lights host wheelchair basketball championship, 50th anniversary celebration Back to video

Oh no. This weekend is a doubleheader of celebration: not only will there be top-tier action from 22 teams across the country, but it also marks the 50th anniversary of the Northern Lights. Half a century of grit, glory, and game-changing moments.

And while the on-court action will undoubtedly dazzle, it’s the off-court stories that will tug at the heartstrings. During halftime of the April 19 game, players from the 1980s will be inducted into the Wheelchair Basketball Canada Hall of Fame.

It’s a long-overdue nod to a golden era of the sport in Edmonton.

But here’s the rub: four decades is a long time. People move. Phone numbers vanish into the ether. Life gets busy, and connections fade.

That’s where Norton comes in.

Norton, a man with three Paralympic medals — two gold, one silver — and a storied career in wheelchair basketball, knows the importance of honouring the past. He was part of the Northern Lights’ historic 2005 team, the first Canadian squad to win the National Wheelchair Basketball Championship.

Now, as a key figure in the Northern Lights organization, Norton is putting out the call: if you played for the team, they want to hear from you. Because, let’s face it, the Northern Lights weren’t just good — they were great.

And I had the privilege of watching it all unfold.

As a greenhorn reporter, the Lights were the first sports team I covered. That relationship spanned, on and off, for 26 years. And let me tell you, their rise was nothing short of remarkable.

We all know the Edmonton Oilers’ meteoric ascent — winning their first Stanley Cup in 1984, just five years after joining the NHL.

But rewind a bit further, and you’ll find the Northern Lights blazing their own trail. Founded in 1976, the team hit its stride in 1979 when Gary McPherson took the reins as general manager. McPherson, a visionary in every sense, recruited talent, found top-notch coaches, and rallied public support.

By 1985, the Lights were in the NWBA Final Four — the first Canadian team to enter the final four.

They didn’t win that year, but the foundation for success was firmly laid.

McPherson, who died in 2010, will also be inducted into the Hall of Fame this April. Joining him is Roy Sherman, a towering presence, literally and figuratively, on the 1985 team. Sherman was one of the best big men in North America during the 1980s, a force to be reckoned with on the court.

The stories from those days — some true, some embellished for dramatic effect — will no doubt echo through the Saville Centre. Tales of airport antics, hotel lobby hijinks, and long road trips will be shared by the same cast of characters who lived them.

And let’s not forget the evolution of the game itself.

Back in the day, players manoeuvred bulky wheelchairs with grey upholstery and booth-like seats.

Today’s chairs are sleek, lightweight, and aerodynamic, making the game faster, more dynamic, and infinitely more entertaining.

So, as the Northern Lights prepare to celebrate their golden anniversary, they’re not just looking back, they’re honouring the legacy that brought them here.

And if you were part of that journey, Ross Norton wants to hear from you. Reach out at anlwheelchairbasketball@gmail.com. Because this isn’t just a championship — it’s a homecoming.

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