The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Carl Forster never played in hockey's big leagues like some of his mates on the '57 Bomber team, but he did enjoy a nine-year semi-pro career. After winning the Memorial Cup with the Bombers, Forster ended up playing in Toledo with the Mercurys of the International Hockey League in 1957-58. Following that season, former Bomber captain Bill Dobbyn, who played two seasons prior to Forster, brought the Flin Flon native with him to England. Over six years, he played there, as well as Italy, Austria, and Holland and said it was just great and the experience changed his life. "It was phenomenal," Forster said, during a phone interview. "It was so cheap to live and we had a ball. It was just great. A real experience." As good as the living experience was, so was the hockey. Forster said rosters in England were mostly comprised of Canadians. To him, playing in Europe was more fun and he didn't mind playing only four months of the year. "In Canada and the U.S., if you don't put out, you don't last," he explained. "I wasn't that good of a hockey player, but I got to see the world a bit." Once his career ended, he moved to Calgary and got a job as an iron worker. While there, he played senior hockey with the Calgary Spurs and competed for the Allan Cup (21 and over) three times, losing each time. Since his only championship experience was winning the Memorial Cup, it's the highlight of his career. "It was just phenomenal," said Forster, who sat out for Orland Kurtenbach. "Having lots of locals was something. The local flavour made the team special." To the 69-year-old, winning was something really unexpected. In talking about the Memorial Cup experience, he said to beat a team like Ottawa Ð they had a powerhouse "was awesome." "You don't think you can beat them. It kind of put Flin Flon on the map," Forster said. "Growing up in a small town you get excited, even to this day people still talk about bit and it changed my life," he said. Forster said fans made the trip to Regina and went by train, car and buss. The atmosphere in the dressing room was a lot of yelling, screaming, and hugging. "It was just mind boggling. Everyone was so elated," he recalled. While Forster feels that Flin Flon was a great place to live at the time of their huge victory, he's loving life in Creston, B.C., located in the southeastern part of the province. He and his wife moved there after spending 33 years in Calgary. The couple has two daughters and two granddaughters. "It's a great place to live," he said, as he and his wife have been there for six years. Forster said he loves the beauty of the area and weather, which allows him to play golf 150 times a year. He also finds time to play pickup hockey twice a week. "It's good for the health," Forster said.
