A young Chapeau resident who passed away tragically in 2021 was remembered by friends, family, and his wider community in a two-day memorial tournament in Chapeau over the weekend.
In Feb. 2021, Chapeau resident Robert Chartrand went missing after his snowmobile went through the ice on the Ottawa River. After extensive community search efforts, his body was recovered in June of that year.
“After my brother passed away, we decided that we wanted to do something to remember him. He was very sporty and loved hockey and baseball and was very involved,” said Andrea Chartrand, one of Robert’s sisters and an organizer of the second annual Robert Chartrand Memorial Tournament.
“He was just everywhere, and he was very involved and very committed in his community, so we’re just trying to keep that going for him.”
At this year’s tournament, participants faced off in games of both hockey and baseball on Friday and Saturday.
The event also featured a 50/50 draw and several games tournament-goers could pay to play for a chance to win prizes.
Chartrand said she was happy the event brought out both adults and children to enjoy in the fun, especially given the cooler fall weather.
“We kinda got rain and miserable weather, and it’s cold, [but] people still show up, people still care, people still support, that’s amazing,” Chartrand said, expressing gratitude for the community’s generosity.
When team Dirty Dozen won the final baseball championship game, members gathered for a group photo with the trophy at the top of a big number 91 – Robert Chartrand’s jersey number – which had been written in chalk in the centre of the ball diamond.
“I think for us, it really is a way to keep Robert with us,” Chartrand said.
