Latest news with #Willson
Global News
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Global News
Super Bowl champion Willson highlights USask Huskies' 23rd annual Dogs' Breakfast
In his travels through football which have taken him all across North America, Luke Willson had never stepped foot in Saskatchewan until landing in Saskatoon on Wednesday. It took less than 24 hours for the Super Bowl champion to see what the hype was about when it came to the province's football scene, following his appearance on Thursday at the 23rd annual Dogs' Breakfast fundraiser at Prairieland Park. 'It's electric,' said Willson. 'It's 7 a.m. right now, we got music blaring, the lights from top to bottom, the players even being here are pretty special. I've always heard that Saskatchewan is the football capital if you will of Canada. Everywhere I've gone it'll be like, 'Man you want to know where they're doing it right when it comes to football? Saskatchewan.'' One of just 17 Canadians to win the Super Bowl, Willson spent parts of eight seasons in the National Football League with the Seattle Seahawks, Detroit Lions and Baltimore Ravens. Story continues below advertisement It's a story that began as a high school football star in LaSalle, Ontario, a path not too dissimilar to the 22 new recruits for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team who crossed the stage on Thursday morning. One of those being Holy Cross High School running back Aulain Penner, committing to his hometown Huskies and shaking the hand of head coach Scott Flory. 'I was here last year as a recruit watching guys,' said Penner. 'I was like, 'That could be me.' Here it is, so it's crazy that it's come true and I'm finally here now.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I was here last year as a recruit watching guys," said Penner. "I was like, 'That could be me.' Here it is, so it's crazy that it's come true and I'm finally here now." For Flory, it's a day he has circled on his calendar every year as a symbolic end to the recruiting process and one which turns the page to the development of their rookie talent. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'It was heavily localized here within the city which is really good and which means the product here is strong,' said Flory. 'We feel we don't over-recruit. We want to bring the right people into our program and we feel like we got the right kids that are coming in.' In all, this year's Dogs' Breakfast was able to raise $110,000 on the day through donations and was capped off by a sizable $300,000 donation courtesy of the Saskatchewan Roughriders Foundation to provide scholarships for incoming and current student-athletes. Story continues below advertisement Two Huskies veterans were also honoured by Roughriders head coach Corey Mace and general manager Jeremy O'Day before the end of the event, in what's become a recent tradition. As linebacker Seth Hundeby and receiver Daniel Wiebe were given their official team hats after being selected by Saskatchewan two days prior in the 2025 CFL Draft. 'Trevor Harris reached out to me,' said Hundeby. 'I was like, 'Man you're the quarterback of the Roughriders.' Just to be a part of that foundation it really means a lot. I'm super excited to be a part of it.' 1:06 Saskatchewan Roughriders GM O'Day reflects on top picks in 2025 CFL Draft Hundeby was nabbed in the fourth round on Tuesday by the Roughriders, while Wiebe was taken with the team's final pick in the eight round. The pair, alongside Huskies teammate Lane Novak who was selected by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, all watched the draft together with friends and family and got to celebrate all three getting to advance their football careers. Story continues below advertisement 'It's still kicking in and it's crazy to think,' said Wiebe. 'Looking back I've dreamed of playing for the Riders for a long, long time. To have that opportunity means everything to me, so I'm feeling grateful.' Hundeby has been confirmed to return to the Huskies for the 2025 Canada West season, while both Wiebe and Novak are eligible but have not yet committed either way in regards to the remainder of their Canada West play. Spring camp for the Huskies will get underway on Thursday night at Griffiths Stadium with Willson delivering a key piece of advice for the recruits putting university pads on for the first time. 'You want to sit here to make your mark early and prove you belong here,' said Willson. 'So it's that kind of combination of excitement, but also you got to buckle the chin strap because the bullets will be flying a lot faster than they were in high school.' Touted as one of the top running back recruits in western Canada, Penner said he's excited for the challenge and is ready to make that leap up to the Huskies program. 'It's a big jump and it feels like opening a new book,' said Penner. 'It's a blank slate. I don't have a name anymore, I got to build myself up from the ground [floor] one and I'm ready to do that.' Story continues below advertisement Huskies spring camp runs through Sunday at Griffiths Stadium and will be capped off with a scrimmage on Sunday at 11 a.m.
CTV News
01-05-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Dogs' Breakfast headlined by Super Bowl champion Luke Willson
The 23rd annual Dogs' Breakfast supporting Huskies football brought out some of the big names in the sport. One of the largest football fundraising events in Canada brought around 1,400 University of Saskatchewan Huskie football supporters together in the early hours of Thursday morning. While head coach Scott Flory says the event, hosted by the Huskie Football Foundation, is known by many as the unofficial start of football season. 'First off, it's a great morning kicking off spring here and football season,' said Flory. 'At the end of it, we're trying to raise money for scholarships first. And that is really what it's about. But it's also bigger than that. We get to have a guest speaker introduce all the recruits, and just the community support behind the football program is unbelievable to have this many people come support us at 6:30 in the morning. It's just awesome.' The event also serves as the introduction to the 22 new recruits walking across the stage for the first time as Huskies. For some, it's been a long time coming. 'It feels really good because I was here last year as a '25 recruit,' said Aulain Penner, running back. 'So, I got to watch guys from my high school, because I'm from Saskatoon. I got to watch them cross the stage, I came to the spring game, I went to the season games. I grew up here, so I always watched the Huskie football games, and now it's me crossing that stage. I'm really excited to experience that.' The new recruits will try to fill spots left by the graduating players such as Lane Novak, who was drafted by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, or by Seth Hundeby and Daniel Wiebe picked by the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Riders coach Corey Mace says the two were no-brainer decisions after their careers with the Huskies. 'We're looking for them to do exactly the same for us with the Riders,' said Mace. 'So, it works out that it's a combination of keeping the local talent local. We certainly love that as a plus-one. But first and foremost those kids are outstanding football players and they deserve a shot.' The event was headlined by eight-year NFL player for the Seattle Seahawks and Super Bowl XLVIII champion Luke Willson. He is a football analyst for TSN and says he's always trying to grow the game in Canada. Willson says the enthusiasm for football experienced at his first Dogs' Breakfast serves as inspiration when he returns to his home province of Ontario. 'I've always heard, you know who's doing it right? Saskatchewan,' said Willson. 'When it comes to football, Saskatchewan. Whether it's CFL or university. And for me to be able to get out here and see it firsthand, it kind of inspires me to go back to Ontario and be like, listen. What they're doing in Saskatchewan with the football world, we've got to start pushing it in the province of Ontario.' The Huskies hit the field at Griffiths Stadium this weekend for Spring Camp with the Green and White game on Sunday morning. Then the Roughriders will take over for rookie camp beginning May 9, with main camp kicking off on the 11.
Business Post
26-04-2025
- Automotive
- Business Post
Time is now for green manufacturing
Quentin Willson, a name synonymous with motoring, said he believes the convergence of environmental imperatives and geopolitical shifts has created a unique opening for a renaissance in green manufacturing. Electric vehicles (EVs) are only a part of this, but they are a significant part, and it has taken a very long time for the modern EV to prove itself as a viable mode of transportation. Now that it has done so, however, the EV is emblematic of the opportunities ahead. 'The moment I realised it was the future was in California in 1987, when I drove the General Motors EV1,' Willson said. Progress was slow – until it wasn't. Today, EVs are not only a realistic alternative to cars with internal combustion engines, but are rapidly becoming the first choice for drivers and policymakers alike. Just the last decade has seen a huge leap in EV range and the rollout of charging infrastructure. 'I bought my first EV in 2009; it did 50 miles and the kids had to keep their scarves and hats on, on the school run, as the heater reduced it to 30,' Willson said. Today it is a rather different story – and Willson would know. A noted automotive author and, most famously, a former presenter of Fifth Gear, Top Gear, and The Car's the Star, Britain's three best-known motoring television programmes, Willson has long been associated with the cutting edge of automotive technology and consumer trends. He has also been a voice for change, for example campaigning against artificially high car prices in the 1990s. Today, however, the green transition is what interests Willson. It is not just a case of wanting to be green, though. Yes, Willson said, having environmental sensibilities – and acting on them – is important in itself, but there is another factor to consider: the economy. The need for an energy transition away from fossil fuels is well understood. What may be less known, he said, is that this creates new opportunities for industry. 'We need to think about the geopolitical shifts here and to look again at manufacturing. We need to look at the opportunities for green manufacturing – for solar, for EVs – and to see the signs that are out there,' he said. The signs are clear for all to see. Indeed, US tariff policies that have caused panic among trading nations have simply added the case for creating new, green supply chains. Consequently, Willson said, there is now an opportunity to reassess manufacturing and our approach to it, and build a productive base in the green manufacturing sectors whose products we need today. 'We just heard from the IEA [International Energy Agency] that oil is at historic lows as a primary energy source, and we know that companies are not looking at deepwater drilling. This means we are at a special moment,' he said. This does not mean nostalgically hoping yesterday's sunset industries spring back to life. Instead, Willson said, counties such as his own, Ireland, and others across Europe should be looking at how they can become hubs for the burgeoning green technology sector. We need to start thinking about how we attract that capital, those investments, those factories, because we have an opportunity to direct it towards what is going to be a green transition. Willson will underscore this message in June when he speaks at Manufacturing Solutions, the collaborative manufacturing event which is returning to the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) Coonagh Campus. Founded in 2016, Manufacturing Solutions Ireland is a collaborative event run by TUS in conjunction with engineering and manufacturing trade body GTMA. At the event, Willson's presentation will explore manufacturing opportunities in electric vehicle batteries and components, something he said has the scope to not only create high-paying jobs, but revitalise the sector, while meeting key political goals including securing supply chains and driving a shift to sustainability. 'We need to start thinking about how we attract that capital, those investments, those factories, because we have an opportunity to direct it towards what is going to be a green transition,' he said. Looking to his own country, Willson said that in spite of real challenges, the public embrace of EVs was clear. 'At the moment Britain has the highest electricity costs in Europe because of a decline in the grid (but we will get that done) and yet there is an amazing shift going on. We sold the most EVs [in Europe] in March and one in four cars sold today are electric cars, meaning we're outpacing Germany and France,' he said. The upshot is that as new and ever-better components are needed, and indeed as old supply chains shift, there is an opportunity to establish robust domestic and regional green manufacturing capabilities. 'We need to make the batteries here, the battery management systems, the chargers…, our reliance on China is unsustainable,' Willson said. For Willson, this isn't just an environmental imperative, but a strategic economic necessity. 'It's time for the government and SMEs to say that there is a very bright future for manufacturing,' he said.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Utah Man Who Bought Cruise Ship on Craigslist Mourns Its 'Horrible Death' After Spending 15 Years — and $1M — Trying to Restore It
A man from Utah who spent over $1 million restoring a cruise ship he purchased on Craigslist is speaking out about the vessel being demolished "It's probably one of the saddest things that I've had to witness in this lifetime…' Chris Willson, who sold the boat in October 2023, told CNN Travel Willson and his long-term partner, Jin Li, spent 15 years restoring the Aurora — a 293-foot vessel — after purchasing it online in 2008, PEOPLE previously reported A man from Utah who spent over $1 million restoring a cruise ship he bought on Craigslist before it started sinking is speaking out about the sad moment the vessel was demolished. As previously reported by PEOPLE, technology entrepreneur Chris Willson revealed in a September 2024 interview with CNN Travel that he and his long-term partner, Jin Li, spent 15 years restoring the Aurora — a 293-foot vessel — after purchasing it online in 2008. The ship — which was originally named the Wappen von Hamburg and inspired The Love Boat — was built by Germany after World War II. It featured 85 cabins, a swimming pool, and a theater and was featured in the 1963 film From Russia with Love. The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) announced in May of last year that the boat had begun to "sink in 13 feet of water and discharge pollution" in Little Potato Slough near Stockton. In December, USCG's Northern California X account confirmed a "dead ship tow" had been conducted and the vessel had been taken to nearby Mare Island. Stockton Community Relations Officer Connie Cochran has since told CNN that the vessel "is no more." Willson, who sold the boat in October 2023 after locals took issue with the dormant ship, told CNN Travel that seeing it demolished was, 'probably one of the saddest things that I've had to witness in this lifetime." He added, 'It's hard to watch 15 years of hard work just go to complete waste.' Cochran told the outlet in an email, 'It was towed to Mare Island, and as of April 9, 2025, the destruction of the Aurora was complete except for the final disposal of a few key pieces and material." Willson told CNN of his decision to sell the vessel nearly two years ago, 'Was I willing to go down with the ship? I mean, I would have worked on that ship my entire life." 'But once they threw a wrench in the works, that kind of ended it for me. I decided, no more," he added, per the publication, insisting he was grateful to have been able to keep it on the water for so long. 'I kept it safe for 15 years, and then I couldn't see any hope for me working on the project anymore. So I passed it on to someone else,' Willson, who wanted to turn the ship into a museum, told CNN. 'If I would have known it would have [gone] in this direction, I would have stuck it out,' he admitted to the outlet. 'But, I think it would have been sticking it out to my detriment.' Maritime historian and cruise writer, Peter Knego, told CNN last month of witnessing the ship's end, 'They're demolishing it with these cranes that go in and just grind up the steel,' calling it the 'safest' method. 'It's a really mean-looking, horrible death for the ship,' he added to the outlet. In a June 2024 statement shared on Instagram, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Office of Spill Prevention and Response said that contractors had 'removed an estimated 21,675 gallons of oily water, 3,193 gallons of hazardous waste, and five 25-yard bins of debris' from the ship. 'It really hurts that I couldn't jump back in there and save it,' Willson told CNN while discussing the ship eventually meeting its end. However, he said he had no regrets and "wouldn't trade the experience for anything." Willson, who previously documented the Aurora's "restoration project" on Instagram and YouTube, added to the outlet that there, 'were so many almosts with that ship." Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 'We almost had the right people involved in order to save that ship for many, many more generations, but things fell through and we just kept waiting for the next one to happen," he said. He claimed the buyer who purchased the ship from him "seemed just as passionate about saving" the vessel as he was, per the outlet. While Willson didn't disclose the original cost of the vessel, he said in his previous CNN interview published in September that he was able to "work out a really good deal with the owner." Willson and Stockton Community Relations Officer Connie Cochran didn't immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for comment. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Craigslist Cruise Ship That Cost Man $1 Million And 15 Years Of His Life Is Now A Pile Of Scrap
I've got regrets man, I mean, who doesn't? I'll tell you who: the man who bought a derelict cruise ship, poured his money and energy into saving it, only for the ship to end up on the business end of a steel-eating crane. That is a downright impressive amount of folly to embrace. Chris Willson, who purchased the 294-foot Aurora on Craigslist of all places, says he has no regrets even after his beloved ship became a minor ecological disaster in a city that could ill afford the clean up. But the Aurora wasn't just a dream project of one very optimistic man. Thousands of people volunteered their time to save this ship and it's historic roots. It was the first significant ocean liner built by Germany following World War II. It appeared in a Bond film and served as a cruise ship for two decades before Willson took delivery. Now its been ground into nothing at a pier outside of Lind Marina, on Mare Island, California. Willson told CNN that his regrets lie, not with buying the massive money pit, but not seeing the rehabilitation of the Aurora through to the end. Read more: Nobody Does Land Yachts Like Cadillac, And These Are Five Of The Best Ones I know what you're thinking and no, this isn't the story of some weirdo Libertarian trying to create a lawless sea-based society. It seems Willson just really likes old ships. He bemoaned the state of historic ships in the U.S. to CNN and called the Aurora "one of the most historic on the planet," which might a bit of an overstatement due to his affection for the vessel. Still, the Aurora certainly has a fascinating providence. Built in 1955 and dubbed the Wappen von Hamburg, the ship served as the headquarters for the nefarious Spectre organization in the 1963 James Bond film "From Russia With Love." For two decades the Aurora operated as a pocket-sized cruise ship and changed hands several times until Willson spotted it on Craigslist in 2008. Willson negotiated a "really good deal" with the seller, and from there it was just a question of finding a place to put the nearly 300-foot-long derelict ship, a challenge that would prove its undoing. He eventually parked the boat in a shallow, fresh water berth about 14 miles outside of Stockton, California. This worked for a few years, even after the Marina closed, but locals demanded the Aurora's removal after other ships left at the site started sinking. Things got more complicated from there, according to CNN: "The ship was trapped in that channel," he says. "There was no getting it out without dredging and that's something that the city would have to do... So there was absolutely no getting out of that situation." As time went on and the pressure mounted, Willson felt more and more out of his depth and the situation began to take an emotional toll on him. Feeling dejected, he says he ultimately chose to sell the Aurora to an interested buyer who seemed just as passionate about saving the ship as he was."I didn't see myself being able to fight that battle anymore," he says, adding that selling the ship "destroyed" him."It became far too in depth for me. And I decided for mental health reasons, just to kind of stay away... To move on and find another project and do something else with my life." Willson sold the Aurora, believing the new owner had the wherewithal to keep her afloat. But seven months later, the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office announced the ship was slowly sinking and "leaking diesel fuel and oil into the Delta Waterway." The spill required the removal of an "estimated 21,675 gallons of oily water, 3,193 gallons of hazardous waste, and five 25-yard bins of debris," according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Office of Spill Prevention and Response. This is exactly the outcome the folks who put pressure on Willson originally were worried about. By December of last year, the U.S. Coast Guard of Northern California was over the polluting ship with seemingly absent owners. The ship was transported to Mare Island for disassembly. It seems the city of Stockton, which already has its own share of problems, is on the hook for the disassembly and clean up as no one can get a hold of who owned the ship when it fell into such a state of disrepair. One cruise ship historian estimated the clean up would likely cost between $10 and $20 million, CNN reports. On April 9, the Aurora was chewed apart by cranes designed to scrap ships. As for Willson, he regrets parting with the Aurora now, but doesn't regret the time he sank into the vessel. "I wouldn't trade the experience for anything," Willson told CNN. "There were so many almosts with that ship. We almost had the right people involved in order to save that ship for many, many more generations. But things fall through and we just kept waiting for the next one to happen. So I think it was worth it to take the chance." I guess there just isn't enough room in this world for the love of a man for his 294-foot vessel. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
