Perhaps the weekend of June 4 to 6, 2010, will be remembered as the weekend Brantford finally came out of its shell. At the very least, it will be remembered as a weekend like Brantford has never seen before.

More than 200 street hockey teams from across North America descended on the city to take part in the fourth annual Walter Gretzky Street Hockey Tournament in an attempt to break a Guinness World Record, Brantford hosted its first large-scale music festival and a Hollywood celebrity came to compete and entertain. After such a fantastic weekend, more than one thank you is in order.

First and foremost, a big thank you to Walter Gretzky. Without Walter, none of it would have been possible. After four years, the annual street hockey tournament that bears his name has grown into a marquis event that draws visitors from far and wide. Walter should know how much we truly appreciate all he does for our great city. The Gretzky street hockey tournament is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his contributions and saying “thank you” to Walter just doesn’t seem enough.

For fans of director Kevin Smith and those who have seen his films, having “Silent Bob” in Brantford seems almost surreal. A big thank you to Smith is also in order. The filmmaker’s support of the Gretzky tournament during the past two years has unquestionably helped grow the event into something bigger than it would have been otherwise. Smith’s promotion of the tournament at press conferences, on the web and among his many fans has made a difference for our city. We are indebted to Smith for his contribution and hope he and his “Puck U” teammates will return to Brantford for many years to come.

Another big thank you to Ralph Spoltore, organizer of the city’s first-ever Hockeyfest music festival, which ran in conjunction with the street hockey tournament. For years, city music fans have been forced to travel outside of Brantford for major concerts. That wasn’t the case last weekend. Over its two days, Hockeyfest featured 11 bands – including headliners Marianas Trench, The Trews and Our Lady Peace – and was attended by almost 9,000 people. The concert was an overwhelming success and Spoltore deserves credit for bringing it to Brantford.

While a good time was had by all, Brantford’s weekend to remember was tinged with sadness following a Friday funeral for Trooper Larry John Zuidema Rudd, a city resident killed in Afghanistan on May 24. Rudd wasn’t far from top of mind during weekend festivities. On Saturday, The Trews dedicated their song Highway of Heroes to the fallen soldier, as well as Capt. Richard Steve Leary, a Brantford native killed in Afghanistan in 2008. Concert goers held their lighters high during the song in memory of the men. We owe the biggest “thank you” to Rudd and Leary for their sacrifice on behalf of all of us.

While last weekend’s events allowed city residents to begin healing following the loss of one of our own in Afghanistan, they also allowed us to celebrate how much we have to offer as a community. And that’s something we should all be thankful for.