Raymond's Rich Basketball Legacy: A Century-Old Tradition

1921-22 Raymond “Huskies” (“Union Jacks”) Alberta Sr. Men’s Champions, with the Gilette Silver Cup. Back Row - Harold Fairbanks, Neil Fisher, Clifton Nalder, Turk Buhler, James Walker (playing coach), Wilford Meldrum. Front Row: William Jensen, Louis King (President of the Raymond Athletic Association), David Powelson (manager), Leonard Webster. Absent – Stevenson. They didn’t become known as the “Union Jacks” until January 1923. (naismithtonash). Photo courtesy of the Town of Raymond Library Historical Archives

It all started 120 years ago, on July 1. The town of Raymond, with its population of under 5000 people, has perhaps one of Alberta's longest and most notable histories of any basketball program. In 1904, the Raymond Exhibition sponsored what has become known as the first official game of basketball in, what was then, the Alberta region of Canada’s Northwest Territories. Alberta became a province in 1905. That game was held on the infield of the rodeo grounds during the annual July 1 celebrations. At that time, basketball was an outdoor summer sport. The game played between community teams, saw Stirling beat Magrath, and with that, they won the silver cup that the Exhibition had donated.

1911-12 Taylor Academy Basketball team. E.J. Fawns, Jim Skousen, T.W. Meldrum, Earl Stevens, LeRoy Anderson, Max Norton, Don Skousen, Vard L. Tanner (coach). Photo courtesy of the Town of Raymond Library Historical Archives

In 1910, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints built a high school in Raymond, Alberta. It was initially named the Taylor Academy but was soon after renamed the Knight Academy after Ray Knight, the town's founder and early benefactor. In the late 1920s, the Knight Academy was sold to the town of Raymond and became Raymond High School. With that, the Raymond High School basketball team became the first and oldest high school basketball team in Alberta.

1926-27 Raymond Agricultural College “Idlers” Basketball team. Alberta Provincial Senior “A” Boys Champions.  Back Row: Carl Dahl, Lou Fisher, Earl Nilsson; Middle Row: Earl Bascom, Jack Kenney, Bill Evans; Front Row: Joe Wooley, Ray Stevenson.

If you know Southern Alberta Basketball, you have heard of the Senior Men’s National Champion Raymond “Union Jacks,” but you probably didn’t know that Raymond also had an agricultural college in the 1920s and 30s, with a successful basketball team called the “Idlers.” The “Idlers” competed at the senior men’s Intermediate level as well as the high school level. Interestingly enough, the Raymond College of Agriculture “Idlers” beat the Raymond High School “Comets” to win the Alberta High School Senior “A” Boys championship for the 1926-27 season.

Raymond basketball teams have won provincial championships at the high school level, with both the high school boys' and girls’ teams as well as the Raymond College of Agriculture “Idlers” winning the high school and Intermediate men’s provincial championship, as well as the “Union Jacks” winning the senior men’s provincial and national championships. My favourite championship of all has to be the 1951-52 Alberta Provincial High School Girls championship, which the Raymond High School girls' team named the “Hellcats” won.

With such a rich basketball history, it's no wonder why the town of Raymond takes so much pride in all of its basketball programs and history.

1949-50 Raymond High School “Hellcats” Girls Basketball Provincial Champions.   Left to Right: Alice Moriyama, Rose Czech, LaVon Robinson, Arlene Taylor, Karen McLean, Margaret Stone, Jazelle Meeks, Florence Graham, Carol Knight, LaVere Robinson, Katie Paxman, Margaret Harris, Derald Miller (coach). Photo courtesy of the Town of Raymond Library Historical Archives

For more Southern Alberta Basketball history, keep an eye out for the release of the historical series “Southern Alberta Basketball, A History in Pictures” coming in the fall of 2024.