Inside 20 Years of Okotoks Dawgs Baseball

What does it truly mean when a sports team becomes so woven into a community that you simply cannot imagine summer without it? 

Carlin Lutzer sits down with William Gardner, longtime volunteer executive and community ambassador of the Okotoks Dawgs Baseball Club, to celebrate 20 extraordinary years of Dawgs baseball in Okotoks. 

William shares the inside story of how a small group of passionate volunteers turned a bold idea into one of the most beloved summer institutions in Alberta. 

From the Field of Dreams opening night traffic jam in 2007 to Connor Crowson’s unforgettable championship home run, from a youth Academy ranked second in North America to the inaugural Road to Okotoks national tournament this July… this conversation is a love letter to life in Okotoks told by a man who has given everything to it, for free.

Listen For:

1:30 What has made Dawgs Baseball such a centerpiece of life in Okotoks for 20 years?

7:14 How did William Gardner first get involved with the Okotoks Dawgs organization?

13:06 What are some of William's most unforgettable memories from two decades with the Dawgs?

21:19 How is the Okotoks Dawgs Academy shaping the future of baseball across Canada?

24:24 What is the Road to Okotoks tournament and why does it matter to Okotoks fans?

Guest: William Gardner, Volunteer Executive Director & Community Ambassador | Okotoks Dawgs Baseball Club

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Transcript

Announcer (00:01):

Welcome to the Okotoks Podcast where the stories are real. The laughs are accidental and Carlin Lutzer Real Estate makes it all possible.

Carlin Lutzer (00:21):

Today we're talking baseball, but really we're talking about community. For nearly 20 years, the Okotoks Dawgs have become woven into the fabric of this town. Summer nights at Seaman Stadium, kids rolling down the berm, families pulling up wagons through the gates and thousands of people gathering around one thing, baseball and Okotoks. I sat down with longtime Dawgs executive and volunteer Will Gardner to talk about the incredible history of the organization. The early days of building Seaman Stadium, unforgettable moments, championship home runs, the growth of the Dawgs Academy and what fans can expect this season. This conversation is packed with stories, passion, and real appreciation for what makes this organization so special, not just for baseball fans, but for this entire community. So whether you're a longtime Dawgs fan, new to Oktoks, or someone who's never experienced a summer night at the ballpark, this one's for you.

(01:27):

Will, I appreciate your time today.

William Gardner (01:30):

Carlin, it is a pleasure. I look forward to doing this when the invitation came out. I love Talking Dawgs Baseball and it's an honor to be on your podcast with you today.

Carlin Lutzer (01:39):

Right on. Well, as you well know what this team means to this town and then you kind of break it down, means to the town, means to my family. We are so excited about this year's season. Every year we anticipate it, even we drive past it regularly because we are obviously from Okotoks and we see it all the time. We just can't wait for the season to start again.

William Gardner (02:13):

Well, you echo what we hear frequently consistently. It's really quite amazing. When I think back, this is our 20th year in Okotoks. We started construction of the stadium in 2006, so we're celebrating 20 years in this wonderful community. But it is quite amazing to think over those years how Dawgs Baseball, Seaman Stadium has become a community centerpiece and then such a part of the fabric of the community. Dawgs baseball is what you do in the summer in Okotoks. And I recently spoke with town council at the induction of Don Seaman into the Okotoks Hall of Fame and they asked me to do a short video and they said, "Just what's the first thing that comes to you? " And I said, "I can't imagine an Okotoks today without a Seaman Stadium and Dog's baseball." And 20 years ago in 2006 when the shovels went in the ground for the first time, we were trying to imagine what Okotoks would look like with Dawgs baseball.

(03:16):

And it's just amazing how over the 20 years this relationship, this collaboration has just been so perfect.

Carlin Lutzer (03:23):

For sure. No, and it was just yesterday. I take my dog to the dog park quite regularly and I went in from the south side, which was rare. I usually go in from the north side, but minor detail. But just looking at the beautiful facility it has become and just what a landmark the stadium itself is to this community and then to mention the baseball as well and how much life through not just during the dog season, but through the entire year how the Dawgs impact this community of Oaks Talks. It's huge.

William Gardner (04:03):

It really is quite incredible. It is far beyond what any of us ever imagined it would be. And yet somehow it's the perfect part of this fairytale story and amazing book that has become Dawgs baseball. I know that we were invited years ago to go down to summer collegiate baseball conferences and people would say to us, "What's the magic? What's the secret to your success? What makes this so special?" And we don't profess any expertise at all. And our simple answer was always find an okatokes. This just worked. It was literally perfection at the outset. 20 years ago, nobody had any idea what it would look like. And I can even remember on the first opening day, June 7th, 2007, standing on the concourse with then Mayor Bill McCalpine and he was pacing back and forth. He'd taken a big leap of faith. He partnered with us, the land, the stadium, all of it was going up.

(05:04):

It was in place. It was the first opening night and what would it look like? And those days there was very little built down in that end of Okotoks and you could see well down towards Main Street towards downtown Okotoks. And it literally was that vision out of the movie Field of Dreams, this long line of cars, this traffic, Mayor Bill chuckled and he said, "I think this is the first traffic jam in Okotok's history." And everybody took a big deep sigh of relief and we felt we were onto something special. There was another grassroots supporter from the outset, a dear friend of ours, Ed Poffinroth. Ed passed away recently, just around a hundred years of age. But that first night following the game when the kids went down on the field and ran the bases for the first time, Ed turned and looked to us and he said, "This is going to be a huge succes." And he based that on the hundreds of kids running the bases, the excitement, the enthusiasm.

(06:05):

And he said, "This is going to be over the top for the families of Okotoks." So it's been an incredibly gratifying. I'm like you, I drive down the hill. I turn onto Don Seaman Way. I make that left turn and I come in towards the stadium and I've been doing that now for 20 years. And each and every night that I do it, each and every time I do it, I literally pause and I look around and it is almost like a Mirage or a vision even to this day because it is so special, so spectacular and it has really become such an important part of my life, the community's life, and really what summer means to so many in that Foothills corridor.

Carlin Lutzer (06:45):

Oh, yes. And you're right, it does mean so much for the families of Okotoks because it's something that's affordable. It's affordable fun for the family. I get to spend some ... Well, lately as my kids get older, they usually ditch me and they usually end up sitting by myself at the dog's game because I go and they see friends and they go hang out with friends. And it's just, what a great community. You always see somebody you know. It is so special. It is special. Yeah. Will, how did you get involved with the Dawgs?

William Gardner (07:14):

How did I get involved? Well, this all began as a youth baseball program and my son had played Team Alberta and had met some of the players of the Van Dog's youth team. He was invited to join the club and I got to know John Arcandia, the founding father really of Dawgs baseball and the managing director to this day of this incredible baseball organization. So we traveled around the province around North America. We played in tournaments and top level competition. And I also knew John arm's length from being a season ticket holder at the Cannons. And so we spent a lot of time over at Foothill Stadium. I would see John in passing. And I got a phone call in late summer of 2002. John was in Bellingham, Washington at the time and he was experiencing summer collegiate baseball with his boys through the Bellingham Bells.

(08:11):

And he phoned and said that he'd been contacted by the then owner of the Calgary Cannons who advised him that the team was sold, it was moving and the stadium was available and John should really consider doing something about bringing baseball into Calgary. And John approached a group of us. There were three other individuals and myself that joined as investors and partners and volunteer directors. And John asked us if we would commit to us sharing his vision of summer collegiate baseball. And I remember that conversation well and conversation vividly. To this day, John says it was the shortest conversation he had with any that he approached and he shared, "This is what I feel like doing. You want to be part of this? " And I simply said, "Absolutely yes." And that was that. And so late summer of 2002, we held our first press conference.

(09:04):

We divided up the duties and we were. We were volunteer owners of this baseball team and it was incredibly exciting. We called every day to the voicemail line to see how many tickets we'd sold, how many season tickets. We were bubbling over with excitement. The season began and we'd have to go over and open the stadium up, get the concessions open, running by buckets and bags of ice and start the barbecues. And it was just unbelievable as a baseball fan and aficionado to have this experience was just utterly amazing. So you fast forward to 2006, we've left Calgary. We need to find a home and the stadium is announced and going to be built in Okotok. Seaman Stadium is going to be open and running for the 2007 season and of course the rest is history. So that's how I became involved. I've stayed involved.

(09:57):

I had the privilege of back when we were in Calgary, the Cannons were a AAA team and so we felt we wanted to bring that level of experience to the fans. So the goofy mid inning promotions and the hustle and some of those kinds of things. And our advertising budget was exactly zero. So how do you let people know when the next game is and how do you let them know what's coming up and how do you build that enthusiasm? And all I could think of, and this is going to sound crazy, but all I could think of was my church experience and there was always the announcements. So before the games, I would go on the field, welcome everybody, thank them profusely for being there because we were just astounded that we had 900, 1,000, 1,100 people. We were so appreciative and grateful we want to let them know, but more importantly, we wanted to let them know there was a game tomorrow and tickets were available.

(10:51):

There was a game up coming on Tuesday and Wednesday and next weekend. So we used that as a bit of a preamble. It stuck when we came to Oketoks, that became part of our pregame ritual and I had the privilege of doing that for many, many years. I semi-retired from that and Logan joined and it's just been wonderful to experience now as more of a fan rather than such the on duty on call game day promotions every day. It's been wonderful. I used to welcome people at the Gates. I'd stand at the gates and then just welcome them to Seaman Stadium. And bear in mind as a volunteer group and as a nonprofit organization, we were very hands-on because we didn't have a lot of staff. We wanted the experience to be second to none. So little touches of, can we help you find your seat?

(11:44):

Can we be here and guide you and say thanks for coming and thank you at the end of the game and remind you there's a game tomorrow night, et cetera, et cetera. So it was a great privilege. I was the unofficial greeter and over time I got to know the fans well. I got to share their experiences and it's just been an amazing, amazing journey all the way through I counted a privilege beyond words and my dear wife just chuckles every time I drive down the hill and I turn and I say the same things. I say, look at all these families pulling their wagons, bringing their lawn chairs. Carlin, it's never gotten old. I love it. I thoroughly enjoy it and it is a great passion for me.

Carlin Lutzer (12:25):

For sure. And something that is fascinating that I learned today that I didn't know about you is that this is all a volunteer basis for you and

William Gardner (12:34):

It is a volunteer

Carlin Lutzer (12:35):

Yeah, that is very honorable and shows your passion and love for A, the game of baseball and B, the Okeetoks Dawgs. And it's awesome to know that Will and love to see your passion.

William Gardner (12:49):

Well, thank you for

Carlin Lutzer (12:50):

That. Yeah, for sure. So Will, obviously we have a great past. In the past, what is one of your greatest moments that you can remember as a member of the Dawgs Organization?

William Gardner (13:06):

Greatest moments. I mean, that's nearly impossible. I mean, there have been so very many. I think you have to go back and we're looking historically, we're celebrating 20 years. Yes. I think you've got to go back to opening night. When people started coming in, this is a story very few people are aware of. I'm glad to share it here. Don Seaman had a very big part in our organization. He really was the backer and talked his brothers, Doc and BJ into partnering with us and building the stadium. And we had one of our directors, a great friend of ours, Clint Fistro, who was helping with traffic control. And we see Don running through the parking lot and we see him come running up the stairs. And at that time, he was an older man then. He was in his 80s and he came up to the top of the stairs a little short of breath and John Arcandia said, "What's going on?

(14:01):

Why have you been running like this? " He said, "Well, your guy out there at the parking lot told me that there was no room to park. He had to park way acros and down the street." And here's Don, the benefactor of the stadium, his name's on it and he's been told that we have no parking and turn around and go home. And opening night was special because it indicated that we were onto something. Now, how do you forget that? How do you forget the little things? I can remember a young man that was a bat boy, pleaded and begged as a nine, 10-year-old to be our batboy. And I was there at the stadium one day and he comes up the stairs. He had driven the car. He's now got his driver's license at 16. I said, "Hey, what are you doing here this early?" And his face goes as red as your hoodie.

(14:47):

And he said, "Well, it's my first car date and I'm taking my girlfriend to Seaman Stadium." How amazing.

Announcer (14:55):

The

William Gardner (14:55):

Little babies that have come up, parents have said, "I want my son or daughter to go to their first Dawgs game as a two week old newborn." And then you go, "How could you forget Connor Crousson's home run to put us into the championship, bring the trophy home?" I mean, that was a movie script right there. We witnessed Hollywood motion picture ending to a ballgame. So Carlin, literally, you want to keep this short. I could go on for hours. There's so many wonderful, wonderful memories and it's just been incredibly special, but really the 0101 thing, so I'll sum it up this way. My memories of the fans, they are the greatest fans in all the baseball. And I love being part of that fan scene and mingling with the fans, getting to know the fans and learning what this has come to mean to them, their families, and the special place it's had in their hearts over the years.

(15:48):

So that will be significantly my greatest memory is really the greatest fans in all of baseball.

Carlin Lutzer (15:55):

For sure. Yes. Yo bring up Connor's home run and it's still a little bit of a sore spot for me. My wife thought she was booking our summer holidays the week after the championship, but she booked them that same time. We were in a hotel room in Idaho watching that game and just like it was unbelievable, but we were so devastated that we weren't there for that. But it's painful, painful still to this day.

William Gardner (16:24):

Well, the other side of it is you got to experience it with your family and it's

Carlin Lutzer (16:29):

Something

William Gardner (16:29):

You'll never forget. I know we've talked about that in games before.

Carlin Lutzer (16:32):

No, absolutely. Well, Will, if you can start, what are some things we looked into the past and what a great rich history the Okotoks Dawgs have. What about the present? What are we looking like for this year? I know you guys have made some adaptations to the stadium again, but what do we as fans have to look forward to this year?

William Gardner (16:55):

Well, one of the things that surprises fans is that we're constantly moving. We're constantly doing things. So a little bit of inside baseball about the Dawgs. We do operate it as a not- for-profit. We're in that enviable position today where we can hire staff. We've had tremendous staff from Tyler Hollock, our president, Val, our vice president, Emma, our operations manager, right down to our concession people and on field and all of it. They do just such a tremendous job, but over and above our operating costs, we invest everything back into the facility. So this year we've expanded the seating capacity. I know some fans have been concerned that the berm has gotten a little smaller. It's still very, very large and very spacious, but our feedback from the fans has been that they want to be able to get more actual, comfortable concourse box seating.

(17:49):

So we built section 112 along the third baseline and it's absolutely wonderful. A new patio suite down at the bottom and it will just improve the fan experience tremendously. It gives people another 150 or so seats that they can access. And again, it's a conundrum and it's a problem that is so wonderful, but one we never anticipated facing. We have so many games now that are literally sold out in the first few days after the tickets go on sale, March 1st, Canada Day, Father's Day, Fan Appreciation Day, Breast Cancer Auction. So many of these games have become the moment on summer schedules and fans are getting discouraged. They say we don't have opportunities to get a good number of seats and come and enjoy these special events. So adding that seating is very significant. We're always looking at an improving fan experience. It really is all about the fans and that starts with a tremendous team on the field.

(18:48):

So our coaches have been recruiting literally since the season began last year. A lot of people think when the season ends is when you start your recruiting, but it literally never stops or ends in any way. So a lot of recruitment. We want to bring back key returning players. We want to get exciting new players and people that not only come to bring their baseball talent, but will have a respect and appreciation for what it means to be a dog. And then fan experience, so new game day promotions, new things that happen during the game, new concession, new beverage options. It really is all about maintaining and excelling at our fan game day experience. So those are the things the fans can look forward to. The other thing they can look forward to, and again, it's my softness for the fans, but I always love opening day because really it's like a big family reunion.

(19:41):

They haven't seen each other in months. They come to the stadium, they take their seats. And for the first few innings, you hear this constant buzz of the chater and the visiting and the conversation of people catching up and it's so incredible and so special. So all of those combined to make it an experience like no other at Seaman Stadium. And our fans can count on that this year. It's going to be wonderful.

Carlin Lutzer (20:04):

For sure. No it is. It is always such a great, because it is in a small town and the thing about it is it works so well in a small town, but we are also very dependent on the Calgary people coming in to watch as well. And so you are seeing people you haven't seen in, well, since last August, right? And it is such a great community event. I know that again, like I said, my kids love going now by themselves and attending the games. And it is a place where you're

Announcer (20:40):

Not

Carlin Lutzer (20:41):

Afraid of anything happening to your kid because it is such a safe environment. And yeah, we're just so proud of the Dawgs. Now what about the future? When we look into the future of the Dawgs, what are some of the things that as really you guys no doubt are always asked, as you alluded to earlier, people are asking what's the key thing? And you said fine and okaytoks, but I think also you guys are always evolving. You're never stagnant. You're always moving forward. What are some of the things that you guys have planned for the future?

William Gardner (21:19):

Well, there's considerable credit needs to go to our managing director and owner, John Arcandia. He has a passion for baseball that's unlike any other. And I think what's special about John is he prides himself on excellence. When the youth team began, it was built around top coaching and top competition. He wanted it to be the best and it is the best. By far it's the best. He wants the facility to be the best that it can be. He wants our team to be the best that it can be. So we've expanded our training center and our academy is recognized as number two in North America as a youth academy and top players are coming out of that academy and going into top collegiate programs. So we never stop because our passion never ends and it's striving for excellence and it's striving for what's next. And it's easy to maintain that and be driven by that when you have that passion yourself, but you also see the passion of fans like yourself, your family, and so many others.

(22:22):

They've invested as well. So we owe them our best. That's the way we feel. John has a great saying, Rust never sleeps. So we're constantly moving. We have plans for new seating sections. We'd love to do sort of a bleacher creature, green monster type experience out adjacent to the core four patio in left field and just make it an iconic seating area where it's unique and special and fun. So we're looking at developments along that way. The stadium is reaching age, so we're looking at maintenance issues of keeping it spruced up, keeping it world-class. Last year, year before, we did extensive painting and cleaning and really a thorough top to bottom evaluation of how everything is. Improvements in concessions, a lot of things behind the scenes. We feel our fans deserve our best. So those are always top of mind. Those are always our projects.

(23:21):

And then as I mentioned, the Youth Academy, there's always needs and things we need to do there. So Terminaline field turf needs to be replaced to keep it world-class. We've always got things that are perking in our minds. We never will stop. And again, it's easy to do because we have this great fan base that we want to treat them to a world-class experience at a world-class facility every single time they come to the park.

Carlin Lutzer (23:47):

Yeah. I think that's something that people just outside looking in don't really realize is how strong of an academy that you do have. And this is an academy that runs virtually all year. Year-round. A month. Yeah. So kids are showing up in the fall and they're part of the academy. They're traveling while they're here. It's almost like the Dawgs that we see in the WCBL are in reality, just kind of like the icing on the cake for the foundation that's taking place in the academy. Yeah, the second in North America, is that what you said?

William Gardner (24:24):

Second in North America. We're very proud of that. Our academy now comprised of teams from 18U down to 13U, 150 players, 14 year round coaches. We think we stack up against the best anywhere. That ranking of Second in North America came after we finished first at a tournament last year down in Florida, the perfect game tournament. We were ranked second only behind a team from Texas that is considered one of the top academy program in the US. And you're right, in some ways it's fortunate and unfortunate. The collegiate team gets all the glory and the recognition and notification, but really what's happening amongst that academy is really quite special. It is significant and amazing. This year we're hosting a tournament with Baseball Canada called The Road to Okotoks. It's the first time a tournament of this kind has ever been held in our nation. And the top academy teams from coast to coast, from the Maritimes to British Columbia will be gathering in Okatokes mid-July to play down through a tournament and the road to Okotoks will crown a Canadian champion for the first time.

(25:42):

That's going to be very special. That's going to be significant for our community, significant for our fans, significant for our academy. We think we stack up really well and it'd be wonderful to win that inaugural tournament on home turf. And we're very excited that Baseball Canada has gotten behind this. It'll bring a big spotlight to Okotoks, a big spotlight to our academy. And when you think about it, over 250 players in our academy have graduated out and gone on to receive college scholarships. Through our program and through our academy, we've had I think over 50 players drafted by Major League clubs out of our academy. Wow. And when you roll a college team into that, over 60 players drafted by Major League clubs that have worn the Dog's Jersey. So it's pretty special and it's wonderful to see the success and that continues to grow and a real tribute to the level of coaching that our staff brings to that program.

Carlin Lutzer (26:43):

Right, for sure. So the road to Oketoks, is that U19? Is that how we'd qualify that or?

William Gardner (26:50):

Correct. Correct. U-19.

Carlin Lutzer (26:52):

What are the dates of that, Will?

William Gardner (26:54):

July 14th to 19th. And tickets are available at Dawgsbaseball.ca.

Carlin Lutzer (27:03):

How are the ticket sales going for that?

William Gardner (27:05):

The ticket sales have been terrific. And I think as it draws closer, there'll be 14, 15 teams coming from across the country. All of their supporters and fans will be coming. Our local fans have evidenced their support by buying the tournament passes and we're just very excited by what that's going to mean to the summer. It's going to run parallel to the collegiate season. So the opening ceremonies will take place at a dog's game. They'll get to experience Dawgs baseball in a collegiate summer game in mid-July, which is just going to be incredible for us. And then the championship will be at Seaman Stadium scheduled for Sunday, the 19th of July and that will crown the winner of the Rodocatokes Tournament and the top academy program in the nation. And then from the players at the Road to Okotoks, Baseball Canada will be picking the members of the junior national team.

(28:01):

So all in all, it's going to be a very, very exciting event and it is a very big deal in baseball and in Canada.

Carlin Lutzer (28:07):

For sure. Will, that's awesome. Now is that going to be televised as well?

William Gardner (28:14):

There is going to be some broadcasting. I'm not sure what the deals are entirely. I know there'll be some online streaming of all the games, but Baseball Canada has been in conversations with a major sports network in Canada who's expressed interest in broadcasting at least some of the championship and final rounds. So that's going to be determined and we're going to look at the logistics of making that possible. Hopefully that comes to fruition, but it's incredibly exciting. It's exciting. We get calls from fans that are watching the Blue Jays broadcast and Jamie Campbell, who's visited our stadium, big supporter of Western Canadian Baseball League, but he's mentioned the road to Okotoks. He's mentioned the players that are coming through, what this is going to mean. And so it's going to be very, very special addition to the wonderful 2026 season that's ahead.

Carlin Lutzer (29:06):

Well, it is amazing how many times the Dawgs Organization is mentioned during Major League Baseball games, even this season already. I think I don't watch a ton of baseball this time of year. I start watching a little bit closer towards the end if the Blue Jays are in it or whatever, but I think this year already, and again, I do not watch a lot. I've heard them reference the Okotoks Dawgs about three times already, just awesome.

William Gardner (29:32):

It's really quite incredible. And as more and more players, you've got Tristan Peters with the Chicago White Sox just having a phenomenal year. Players getting recognized. Tugboat Wilkinson, I mean, he's the full package. He is not only bringing the ability, but he's got one of the greatest nicknames in all the baseball, just recently traded over to the Giants, but his performance during the World Baseball Classic was absolutely a

Carlin Lutzer (30:00):

Amazing. Absolutely.

William Gardner (30:00):

And boy, who didn't have a lump in their throat as a Dawgs fan? When you saw Tudbo go out and shut down some of the top hitters in all of baseball when he played against the US team, Canada versus US. There he is, our tugboat on the mound. I mean, just special and amazing. So it's wonderful to see the players going on and having great success. And to think of all of that traced its roots back to Seaman Stadium and Okotoks.

Carlin Lutzer (30:27):

For sure. Will, we have a lot of new people in the area. We have a lot of people moving into the area. A lot of people don't understand. I know it took me a while for ... The kids were younger and it was harder to get out or whatever when we first moved into town. It took me a while to get on the dog's train, but I'm there. What would you say to people that are new to town, never come to a dog's game? What would you say to those people?

William Gardner (30:56):

Well, the first thing I would say is that when we started, we committed to the fundamentals we call them. We wanted to bring entertaining and exciting baseball. And the players at this level bring all of that. They're young, they're enthusiastic. They bring a level of energy and excitement to the games that is just special. The other great thing about them is they have just enough ego to bravado to carry that big league posture as they walk on the field. But boy, when someone reaches across the fence with a baseball and says, "Will you sign this for me? " They light up. They just can't get enough of the fan engagement. So what a great experience for your family to come to an entertaining and exciting baseball game. Secondly, it's affordable. You can bring your entire family very, very reasonably to Oketoks. Berm tickets are $12 for adults.

(31:46):

Kids under 12 come free. What can you do with a family today for under 50 bucks, including some food and have a great experience and a great time out. Bring a blanket, throw it down on the berm. The kids can move around and expel some of that pent up energy. Or as you're experiencing, your kids get older and now they want to move around the park with their friends and just take in the ambiance and experience. So it really is if you've never come and experienced a game, you owe it to yourself. It truly is a world-class facility. There is no bad place to watch a game in Seaman Stadium. And when I say they're the greatest fans in all of baseball, I promise you this, you'll not forget your first game and you'll not forget the people you met. Okotoks is a friendly community.

(32:33):

Seaman Stadium is a friendly baseball park. You'll meet people, you'll visit, you'll make friends and all in all, you'll go home at the end of the night and simply say, "What a great experience. You'll check your calendar and want to come back." It is absolutely unique and absolutely special and it really is a treasure. There are so many people I run into that say we're so grateful that this came to our community. We never would've imagined ourselves getting hooked in the way we have. We plan vacations around the dog schedule. We plan family events. We plan a family reunion as an example around when there's a dog's game so everybody can take in what we enjoy on a regular basis. So if you've not wandered down and experienced it, please come. There are absolutely no barriers to enjoying Dawgs baseball. It's reasonable, it's affordable, and you're going to have a great, great experience.

Carlin Lutzer (33:28):

I know my wife doesn't book our vacations around a dog schedule.

William Gardner (33:32):

I had to get that in, Carla. I'm sorry.

Carlin Lutzer (33:34):

Still dealing with that, Will. I know. I know that was mean. That wasn't mean, but that's okay. Okay. Something for people to realize that, yeah, you can sit on a burn.You could bring a chair. The kids love playing out there because they're rolling down the hill. They're throwing baseballs, they're catching foul balls. But you can also come right to the stadium, get tickets there, but you can also go online. Now, something last year, I had a friend, he was like, "Oh, I can't believe the price of Dawgs tickets. They're insane." Well, he went on the wrong website to get the Dawgs tickets. I think they were like 50 bucks a ticket. He was cursing like, "What's happening?" I go, "No, you've gone on to another ticket vendor that has jacked up the prices, so you got to be careful." Also, buyer beware also Facebook, I almost fell for this.

(34:25):

Well, on Facebook, someone's trying to sell tickets. You got to be very careful of the person selling tickets on Facebook as well. I almost ... Yeah.

William Gardner (34:36):

All very true. And I take that seriously, but I'm going to just as an aside tell you, when this first started coming up, we kind of stood there in awe and amazement that dog's tickets are being scalped. We never thought we'd see the day that Canada Day tickets ... I saw some a couple of years ago. They wanted $300 a seat and then they dropped it to $150 for the pair. We were sitting back going, "This is just quite amazing." We urge fans to do two things. Always buy their tickets through the dog's website, Dawgsbaseball.ca, find the ticket portal on our website, very easy to locate. And if you are buying tickets on what I would call the aftermarket or resale through Facebook, fans of Dawgs baseball is simply that. They're season ticket holders, they're fans and aficionados of Dawgs baseball. They are reputable people.

(35:35):

There is a great ticket exchange option there and those are the places you want to look for Dawgs tickets. Call the office if you're not sure 262Dog, 262-3294. Sorry, Carla. Those are the old days when we were doing it all and I had to get the phone number out as many times as I could.

Carlin Lutzer (35:54):

Phone number. What's

William Gardner (35:55):

That? But those are the places to buy tickets. And it's sad and unfortunate we've had people that have said they come to the game and their tickets don't scan and they're disappointed. So buy them through the dog's office or visit fans of Okatok's Dawgs on Facebook. Those are the legitimate places to purchase our tickets.

Carlin Lutzer (36:14):

For sure. Well, I appreciate your time today.

William Gardner (36:17):

Anytime.

Carlin Lutzer (36:19):

Yeah. Well, we will have you on again and we're looking forward to a great season of ball and I have a feeling we're going to go a litle bit deeper this year.

William Gardner (36:29):

Count on it. We always feel if we fall short of hoisting that trophy at home plate, the season's been a big disappointment, but our players are committed. We're committed. We're excited. I'll close by just reminding the fans of a couple of things. FanFest on Saturday the 23rd from 2:00 to 5:00. Come on down to the stadium. A number of the players have already arrived. They'll be there. There'll be games on the concourse. Concessions will be open. You can try some of our new beverages and new food. And of course, opening night next Friday, the 29th. We can't wait. We're excited and I just look forward so very, very much to opening day each and every year. It's special. It's wonderful. And we have that great privilege of coming together as the greatest fans in all of baseball and starting another tremendous season.

Carlin Lutzer (37:18):

Right on. Will, thanks for your time today and look forward to seeing you in a few days down at the park.

William Gardner (37:25):

Thank you. No question. Thank you, Carlin. Thanks for being a great Dawgs fan and thanks for all you do with this great podcast.

Carlin Lutzer (37:32):

Yeah. Thanks, Will. A huge thank you to Will Gardner for joining me today for everything he's done for the Okotoks Dawgs Organization over the years. You can hear the passion and his voice and honestly, it's people like Will along with all the volunteers, staff, players, Billet families, and the fans that have helped turn Seaman Stadium into one of the true gems of the community. And if you've never been to a dog's game before, maybe this is your summer to finally experience it. Grab a blanket, bring the family, sit on the berm, eat way too much bald park food and take in one of the best summer atmospheres anywhere around. As always, thank you for supporting the Oak Dawgs Podcast. Be sure to subscribe, share this episode with another Dawgs fan and we'll see you next time down at the ballpark.

Announcer (38:33):

That's all from the Okotoks Podcast where we keep it grounded, just like the Big Rock. Thanks to Carlin Lutzer Real Estate for the support.