From a Shared Vision to a CISVA Tradition: The BC Catholic Basketball Championships

In the mid 1980s, a parent, a principal and a coach walked into a local pub known simply as “The Library”. While this sounds like the opening to a joke, what followed was anything but that.  Bert LeChasseur, Bob DeJulius and Frank Roberto chatted that evening about the CYA events of old that they had attended.  All were keen to offer Holy Cross students the same ideals that those largescale sporting events offered them: fellowship, teamwork, and community. Bob, the principal of the newly minted Holy Cross, Frank, Holy Cross teacher and coach, and Bert, volunteer coach and parent (FYI: his kids wouldn’t attend Holy Cross for years to come) settled on the idea of basketball. It was logical: All the Diocesan high schools fielded teams for both boys and girls. The invitation to the tournament was expanded to include all Catholic high schools in the province. At a time when others asked them why, these men answered why not.

Frank Roberto, Bob DeJulius and Bert LeChasseur at the score desk.JPG

That was the moment that the BC Catholic Basketball Championships were born.

This year’s tournament, held on January 14-17, was bigger and brighter than any in the past and marked a significant change in the trajectory of this tournament, and of Holy Cross.  In late spring 2025, the first phase of a massive rebuilding project completed, which included a gym that is at least 20% larger than the original, as well as separate choir and band rooms and 6 classrooms.

Holy Cross Athletic Director and senior boys coach, Matt LeChasseur, was nervous about the inaugural run. “In the old gym, we knew where everything should go, and how people would move.”  He even questioned whether the gym would be as loud as in previous years. His concerns were quickly laid to rest as the tournament got underway.

Angela Griffin from Immaculata remembered playing in the old gym fondly. “This gym is so bright and spacious, but I miss the rumble of the old floor when the play would shift up the court. But the atmosphere of this tournament hasn’t changed. It’s always so positive.” The rumble might have been gone from the floor, but the crowd in the bleachers was just as thunderous as always. Maybe even more so, given the extra seating capacity.

The size of the new gym was on everyone’s mind. Jordan Lee from Archbishop Carney Secondary remembered the tight space between the sideline and the bleachers in the old gym. “At least now, no one is tugging on your jersey when you have to inbound from the bleacher side.” Kevin Wallsmith, also from Archbishop Carney said, “It feels big, more like a stadium.”

Randy Mangalindan, REC Chair and HC alum, echoed these sentiments. “Parents, players and coaches felt the overall experience was less stressful, especially when it came to moving around and finding seating.”

Holy Cross Girls winning team photo.jpeg

It may have started as a single idea hashed out in a pub among friends, but the legacy of the BC Catholic Basketball Championships is the spirit of service and teamwork. The loudest cheers always go to the competing teams, but the real heroes are the hundreds of volunteers who work behind the bleachers.  Staff, students, parents, alumni, sponsors, and members of our wider community all come together to ensure the success of the tournament and to celebrate our Catholic Schools.

St Patricks boys winning team photo.jpeg

This year saw two VIP events on the Friday and Saturday nights, where patrons who were at least 19 years old could view the game from the weightroom, above the stands. These nights were a resounding success, and plans are already underway to expand them. There is even talk of adding a tournament banquet for players and coaches.

We may have been in a new gym, but some things remained the same.  Bob DeJulius and Bert LeChasseur took up their usual seats at the All-Star desk with their friend Chuck Luttrell. All three were honoured for their dedication to the tournament.

Frank Roberto, also every present at the tournament, donned his zebra stripes and officiated several games, but not before he shared a photo of the first boys’ team to win the Catholics. Back in 1988, Frank had coached the Holy Cross boys to the historic win.

Zoe Grandia, Tyler Blatz, Jaxon LeChasseur, Kamryn Blatz, Jacob Charbonneau. 

This year, Bert had two grandchildren playing for St. John Brebeuf, down from the 5 who played for Holy Cross and St. John Brebeuf in previous years.  Bert commented, “With the new gym, I can see the tournament going for decades to come”, thereby securing opportunities for other parents to cheer on their grandkids and maybe even their great grandkids.

As the old gym sat eerily quiet, Principal Chris Blesch commented, “It was actually a strange feeling watching the first Catholics in the new building after being involved in so many in the old gym. However, it was rewarding to know that all of the work done by so many came to fruition and to witness the excitement the new atmosphere provided.”

The BC Catholic Basketball Championships are a testament to what can happen when people are brave enough to take an idea and grow it into something much bigger than themselves. Just like Archbishop Carney taking a risk forty-four years ago and building Holy Cross in what was then the middle of nowhere, Bert, Frank and Bob saw what could be, and made it happen. We owe so much to these pioneers who have blazed our path.

Chris van der Pauw, Associate Superintendent, mused about the early days of the tournament. “You start something and I am sure that you wonder, will it outlast me?”  Well, thirty-eight years later, the tournament is one of the brightest highlights of the school year.  Always hosted by Holy Cross. Always sold out. Always a celebration of our community.

We congratulate the Holy Cross Crusaders Girls and the St. Patrick’s Celtics Boys on their impressive wins this year.

Article written by: Nuala McNaughton