Walter Gretzky
Encyclopedia
Walter Gretzky, CM
, O.Ont
(born October 8, 1938) is a Canadian who has been honoured for his contributions to minor hockey
in Canada, and for his dedication to helping many local, provincial, and national charities. To most Canadians, however, he is best known as the father of NHL legend Wayne Gretzky
.
, Gretzky's father Anton (Tony) Gretzky immigrated along with his family to Canada
via the United States
from the Russian Empire
(what is now Grodno, Belarus). Following the war, Anton would marry his wife, Mary, who immigrated from Pidhaitsi
, interwar Poland
(now Ukraine
). Gretzky's ancestry is typically described as either Belarusian
, Ukrainian
, or Polish
. In interviews, Walter Gretzky has stated that his parents were Belarusians, while on other occasions he has mentioned his family's Polish ancestry. The Gretzky family were landowners in the Russian Empire, and supporters of Tsar Nicholas II
. However, according to Walter Gretzky, whenever anyone would ask his father if they were Russian
, he would reply, "Nyet. Belarus." His father, Anton Gretzky, has also been described as having "been born in Russia with Ukrainian forebears". In addition, "the only Slavic language spoken in the Gretzky family [was] Ukrainian
".
Tony and Mary owned a 25 acres (10.1 ha) cucumber
farm in Canning, Ontario where Walter Gretzky was born and raised. This is where he met his future wife, Phyllis Hockin at a wiener
roast when she was 15 and he was 18. She was related to British
General Sir Isaac Brock
, a hero of the War of 1812
. They married in 1960, and moved to Brantford, Ontario
, where Gretzky worked for Bell Telephone Canada
. The family moved into a house on Varadi Avenue in Brantford seven months after the birth of their son, Wayne Gretzky
, chosen partly because it was flat enough to make an ice rink on every winter. The couple would later have a daughter, Kim (b. 1963), and two more sons, Keith
, Glen and Brent
. Unlike Walter, who did Sharp
ViewCam commercials with Wayne and Wayne's son, Ty, Phyllis Gretzky mostly refused to embrace the celebrity that sprang from their son's exploits, although she did a commercial with Wayne for ProStars Cereal in the 1980s, and appeared in the video Wayne Gretzky: Above and Beyond (1990).
for 34 years, retiring in 1991. A work-related injury he suffered in 1961 left him in a coma
, and resulted in deafness in his right ear. Five days after his 53rd birthday in 1991, he suffered a near-fatal brain aneurysm which destroyed his long-term memory. His physical therapist, Ian Kohler, married his daughter Kim in 1995. His ordeal is the basis of the CBC
movie Waking Up Wally: The Walter Gretzky Story. He spends his time helping charities and fundraisers
and coaching at his summer youth hockey camp in California
. In his book Walter recounts that during his recovery from his brain aneurysm, the only language he could speak was Ukrainian
.
From September 2004 to January 2005, Walter was an assistant coach for the University of Pittsburgh
inline hockey team. A long time friend of head coach Bob Coyne, Walter was an assistant along with Bob Bradley and Tim Fryer. Pitt participated in the Eastern Collegiate Roller Hockey Association (ECRHA)
at the Division I level. Walter, Bob Coyne, and Bob Bradley did not finish the season with the team.
The Gretzkys support of the CNIB started when Walter’s son Wayne was 18 years old. Two completely blind boys started to talk to him, and one recognized Wayne just by his voice. Wayne felt a sense of compassion, and persuaded his father to set up a golf tournament to raise cash for the CNIB. After eleven years, these tournaments have raised over three million dollars. These tournaments soon gained fame and attracted NHL players and celebrities. Brendan Shanahan
, the Toronto Maple Leafs
, Brett Hull
, Gordie Howe
, Scott Stevens
, Mark Messier
, Marty McSorley
, Glen Campbell
and Paul Coffey
are among hockey names that have attended. Among celebrities that have attended; John Candy
, Rob Lowe
, Teri Garr
, Alan Thicke
, Jamie Farr
, Bob Woods
, Kevin Smith
, and David Foster
. All the money from these tournaments go across Canada to help visually impaired students have money and scholarships to go universities. At the first tournament, Walter had enough money raised to award three scholarships; now he awards 15 scholarships a year.
. His other children - Kim, Keith
, Glen, and Brent
- were also athletic. Brent, drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning
, played 13 NHL games. Keith, drafted by the Buffalo Sabres
in 1985, never made it to the NHL, but has coached in the minors (he was Brent's coach when both were with the UHL Asheville Smoke). Kim was an exceptional track and field
star, but broke her foot at the age of 15 and never ran again.
, Wayne recounted how Walter would build him up one minute and tear him down the next, reminding him constantly that he could never have an "average" game. Not surprisingly, Wayne reportedly has tried to get his own three sons involved in sports other than hockey.
at Brantford General Hospital. Her mother, Betty Hockin, died in Brantford on January 7, 2006 from complications from a heart attack.
Walter Gretzky was named to the Order of Canada
on 28 December 2007, "for his contributions to minor hockey in Canada, and for his dedication to helping a myriad of local, provincial, and national charities."
On February 12, 2010, Walter had the chance to carry the Olympic Torch during the Olympic Relay on the last day of the relay, hours before the Opening Ceremonies in Vancouver
, British Columbia
.
In his home town of Brantford, Ontario, there will be a school opening under his name of Walter Gretzky in January 2011. The school will be a dual-track Catholic-Public Green School in both the Grand Erie District and Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Boards.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, O.Ont
Order of Ontario
The Order of Ontario is the most prestigious official honour in the Canadian province of Ontario. Instituted in 1986 by Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier David Peterson, the civilian order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to...
(born October 8, 1938) is a Canadian who has been honoured for his contributions to minor hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
in Canada, and for his dedication to helping many local, provincial, and national charities. To most Canadians, however, he is best known as the father of NHL legend Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
.
Early life
Prior to World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Gretzky's father Anton (Tony) Gretzky immigrated along with his family to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
via the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
(what is now Grodno, Belarus). Following the war, Anton would marry his wife, Mary, who immigrated from Pidhaitsi
Pidhaitsi
Pidhaitsi is a small city in the Ternopil Oblast of western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Pidhaitsi Raion , and is located at around . Pidhaitsi is situated ca. 15.5 mi south of Berezhany, 43.5 mi from Ternopil and ca. 62 mi south-east of Lviv. In 1939...
, interwar Poland
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
(now Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
). Gretzky's ancestry is typically described as either Belarusian
Belarusians
Belarusians ; are an East Slavic ethnic group who populate the majority of the Republic of Belarus. Introduced to the world as a new state in the early 1990s, the Republic of Belarus brought with it the notion of a re-emerging Belarusian ethnicity, drawn upon the lines of the Old Belarusian...
, Ukrainian
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
, or Polish
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
. In interviews, Walter Gretzky has stated that his parents were Belarusians, while on other occasions he has mentioned his family's Polish ancestry. The Gretzky family were landowners in the Russian Empire, and supporters of Tsar Nicholas II
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until...
. However, according to Walter Gretzky, whenever anyone would ask his father if they were Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
, he would reply, "Nyet. Belarus." His father, Anton Gretzky, has also been described as having "been born in Russia with Ukrainian forebears". In addition, "the only Slavic language spoken in the Gretzky family [was] Ukrainian
Ukrainian language
Ukrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
".
Tony and Mary owned a 25 acres (10.1 ha) cucumber
Cucumber
The cucumber is a widely cultivated plant in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, which includes squash, and in the same genus as the muskmelon. The plant is a creeping vine which bears cylindrical edible fruit when ripe. There are three main varieties of cucumber: "slicing", "pickling", and...
farm in Canning, Ontario where Walter Gretzky was born and raised. This is where he met his future wife, Phyllis Hockin at a wiener
Wiener
Wiener is German for Viennese, but may also refer to:* A German sausage named after Vienna * A sausage used in hot dogsWiener is the surname of:* Alexander S...
roast when she was 15 and he was 18. She was related to British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
General Sir Isaac Brock
Isaac Brock
Major-General Sir Isaac Brock KB was a British Army officer and administrator. Brock was assigned to Canada in 1802. Despite facing desertions and near-mutinies, he commanded his regiment in Upper Canada successfully for many years...
, a hero of the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. They married in 1960, and moved to Brantford, Ontario
Brantford, Ontario
Brantford is a city located on the Grand River in Southern Ontario, Canada. While geographically surrounded by the County of Brant, the city is politically independent...
, where Gretzky worked for Bell Telephone Canada
Bell Canada
Bell Canada is a major Canadian telecommunications company. Including its subsidiaries such as Bell Aliant, Northwestel, Télébec, and NorthernTel, it is the incumbent local exchange carrier for telephone and DSL Internet services in most of Canada east of Manitoba and in the northern territories,...
. The family moved into a house on Varadi Avenue in Brantford seven months after the birth of their son, Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
, chosen partly because it was flat enough to make an ice rink on every winter. The couple would later have a daughter, Kim (b. 1963), and two more sons, Keith
Keith Gretzky
Keith Edward Gretzky is one of the brothers of famous ice hockey player, Wayne Gretzky. Keith was promoted to Director of Amateur Scouting for the Phoenix Coyotes on July 12, 2006, after serving the previous five seasons as an amateur scout for both the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and...
, Glen and Brent
Brent Gretzky
Brent Gretzky is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player, and the brother of Wayne and Keith Gretzky. He briefly played in the National Hockey League for the Tampa Bay Lightning....
. Unlike Walter, who did Sharp
Sharp Corporation
is a Japanese multinational corporation that designs and manufactures electronic products. Headquartered in Abeno-ku, Osaka, Japan, Sharp employs more than 55,580 people worldwide as of June 2011. The company was founded in September 1912 and takes its name from one of its founder's first...
ViewCam commercials with Wayne and Wayne's son, Ty, Phyllis Gretzky mostly refused to embrace the celebrity that sprang from their son's exploits, although she did a commercial with Wayne for ProStars Cereal in the 1980s, and appeared in the video Wayne Gretzky: Above and Beyond (1990).
Career
Walter was an installer and repairman for Bell CanadaBell Canada
Bell Canada is a major Canadian telecommunications company. Including its subsidiaries such as Bell Aliant, Northwestel, Télébec, and NorthernTel, it is the incumbent local exchange carrier for telephone and DSL Internet services in most of Canada east of Manitoba and in the northern territories,...
for 34 years, retiring in 1991. A work-related injury he suffered in 1961 left him in a coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
, and resulted in deafness in his right ear. Five days after his 53rd birthday in 1991, he suffered a near-fatal brain aneurysm which destroyed his long-term memory. His physical therapist, Ian Kohler, married his daughter Kim in 1995. His ordeal is the basis of the CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
movie Waking Up Wally: The Walter Gretzky Story. He spends his time helping charities and fundraisers
Fundraising
Fundraising or fund raising is the process of soliciting and gathering voluntary contributions as money or other resources, by requesting donations from individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies...
and coaching at his summer youth hockey camp in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. In his book Walter recounts that during his recovery from his brain aneurysm, the only language he could speak was Ukrainian
Ukrainian language
Ukrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
.
From September 2004 to January 2005, Walter was an assistant coach for the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
inline hockey team. A long time friend of head coach Bob Coyne, Walter was an assistant along with Bob Bradley and Tim Fryer. Pitt participated in the Eastern Collegiate Roller Hockey Association (ECRHA)
Eastern Collegiate Roller Hockey Association (ECRHA)
The Eastern Collegiate Roller Hockey Association is a member organization which operates in the Northeast. It participates in the NCRHA's Division I, II, III, JuCo, & B as an inline hockey-only organization...
at the Division I level. Walter, Bob Coyne, and Bob Bradley did not finish the season with the team.
CNIB
Walter has been working for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB). The entire Gretzky family is now associated with the CNIB.The Gretzkys support of the CNIB started when Walter’s son Wayne was 18 years old. Two completely blind boys started to talk to him, and one recognized Wayne just by his voice. Wayne felt a sense of compassion, and persuaded his father to set up a golf tournament to raise cash for the CNIB. After eleven years, these tournaments have raised over three million dollars. These tournaments soon gained fame and attracted NHL players and celebrities. Brendan Shanahan
Brendan Shanahan
Brendan Frederick "Shanny" Shanahan is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey winger who currently serves as the National Hockey League's Vice President of Hockey and Business Development and head disciplinarian. Originally drafted by the New Jersey Devils second overall in the 1987 NHL Entry...
, the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Brett Hull
Brett Hull
Brett Andrew Hull is a former Canadian-American NHL player and the former Executive Vice President of the Dallas Stars. He is the son of Bobby Hull and nephew of Dennis Hull, both former NHL players. Hull is also known as "The Golden Brett," which is a play off of his father's nickname, "The...
, Gordie Howe
Gordie Howe
Gordon "Gordie" Howe, OC is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player who played for the Detroit Red Wings and Hartford Whalers of the National Hockey League , and the Houston Aeros and New England Whalers in the World Hockey Association . Howe is often referred to as Mr...
, Scott Stevens
Scott Stevens
Ronald Scott Stevens is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman. Stevens played 22 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Washington Capitals, St. Louis Blues, and the New Jersey Devils...
, Mark Messier
Mark Messier
Mark Douglas Messier is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre of the National Hockey League and current special assistant to the president and general manager of the New York Rangers. He spent a quarter of a century in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, and Vancouver...
, Marty McSorley
Marty McSorley
Martin James "Marty" McSorley is a retired Canadian professional hockey player, who played in the National Hockey League from 1983 to 2000. A versatile player, he was able to play both the forward and defense positions. He is also a former head coach of the Springfield Falcons of the American...
, Glen Campbell
Glen Campbell
Glen Travis Campbell is an American country music singer, guitarist, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS television.During his 50 years in show...
and Paul Coffey
Paul Coffey
Paul Douglas Coffey is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey defenceman in the National Hockey League. Known for his speed and scoring prowess, Coffey ranks second all-time among NHL defencemen in career goals, assists, and points, behind Ray Bourque.-Playing career:Coffey was drafted 6th...
are among hockey names that have attended. Among celebrities that have attended; John Candy
John Candy
John Franklin Candy was a Canadian actor and comedian. He rose to fame as a member of the Toronto branch of The Second City and its related Second City Television series, and through his appearances in comedy films such as Stripes, Splash, Cool Runnings, The Great Outdoors, Spaceballs, and Uncle...
, Rob Lowe
Rob Lowe
Robert Hepler "Rob" Lowe is an American actor. Lowe came to prominence after appearing in films such as The Outsiders, Oxford Blues, About Last Night..., St. Elmo's Fire, and Wayne's World. On television, Lowe is known for his role as Sam Seaborn on The West Wing and his role as Senator Robert...
, Teri Garr
Teri Garr
-Early life:Garr was born in Lakewood, Ohio in 1947. Her father, Eddie Garr , was a vaudeville performer, comedian and actor whose career peaked when he briefly took over the lead role in the Broadway drama Tobacco Road...
, Alan Thicke
Alan Thicke
Alan Thicke is a Canadian actor, songwriter, and game and talk show host. He is best known for his role as Jason Seaver, the patriarch on the ABC television series Growing Pains.- Early life :...
, Jamie Farr
Jamie Farr
Jamie Farr is an American television, film, and theater actor. He is best known for having played the role of cross-dressing Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger in the television sitcom M*A*S*H.-Early life:...
, Bob Woods
Bob Woods
Robert Leslie "Bob" Woods is an Australian former politician. He was a Liberal Senator for the state of New South Wales in Australia between 1993 and 1997. Woods was previously a Member of the Australian House of Representatives as the Liberal member for Lowe between 1987 and 1993...
, Kevin Smith
Kevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith is an American screenwriter, actor, film producer, and director, as well as a popular comic book writer, author, comedian/raconteur, and internet radio personality best recognized by viewers as Silent Bob...
, and David Foster
David Foster
David Walter Foster, OC, OBC , is a Canadian musician, record producer, composer, singer, songwriter, and arranger, noted for discovering singers such as Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, and Charice Pempengco; and for producing some of the most successful artists in the world, such as Céline Dion, Toni...
. All the money from these tournaments go across Canada to help visually impaired students have money and scholarships to go universities. At the first tournament, Walter had enough money raised to award three scholarships; now he awards 15 scholarships a year.
SCORE program
Another fundraiser that Walter Gretzky does is the SCORE program (Summer Computer Orientation Recreational Education). SCORE helps blind students learn computer skills that will be needed for jobs in the future, and increases blind student’s access to computer programs and internet applications. So far SCORE has provided over 500 career positions for visually impaired students.Mementos
Fans come to his house to see his basement, stuffed with mementos from Wayne's amateur career, and his backyard, which, every winter, was turned into a "rink" Walter taught his sons and their friends hockey on. The "rink" was replaced by a swimming pool on the day Wayne was traded to the Los Angeles KingsLos Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
. His other children - Kim, Keith
Keith Gretzky
Keith Edward Gretzky is one of the brothers of famous ice hockey player, Wayne Gretzky. Keith was promoted to Director of Amateur Scouting for the Phoenix Coyotes on July 12, 2006, after serving the previous five seasons as an amateur scout for both the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and...
, Glen, and Brent
Brent Gretzky
Brent Gretzky is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player, and the brother of Wayne and Keith Gretzky. He briefly played in the National Hockey League for the Tampa Bay Lightning....
- were also athletic. Brent, drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
, played 13 NHL games. Keith, drafted by the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
in 1985, never made it to the NHL, but has coached in the minors (he was Brent's coach when both were with the UHL Asheville Smoke). Kim was an exceptional track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
star, but broke her foot at the age of 15 and never ran again.
Books
He has written two books: On Family, Hockey and Healing (2003), and Gretzky: From Backyard Rink to the Stanley Cup (1985), in which he recounted how he recognized Wayne's prodigious skills and shaped him into the most prolific scorer in hockey history. In an unusually frank 1990 interview with the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, Wayne recounted how Walter would build him up one minute and tear him down the next, reminding him constantly that he could never have an "average" game. Not surprisingly, Wayne reportedly has tried to get his own three sons involved in sports other than hockey.
Personal
Phyllis died of lung cancerLung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
at Brantford General Hospital. Her mother, Betty Hockin, died in Brantford on January 7, 2006 from complications from a heart attack.
Walter Gretzky was named to the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
on 28 December 2007, "for his contributions to minor hockey in Canada, and for his dedication to helping a myriad of local, provincial, and national charities."
On February 12, 2010, Walter had the chance to carry the Olympic Torch during the Olympic Relay on the last day of the relay, hours before the Opening Ceremonies in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
.
In his home town of Brantford, Ontario, there will be a school opening under his name of Walter Gretzky in January 2011. The school will be a dual-track Catholic-Public Green School in both the Grand Erie District and Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Boards.