Michael
O’Connor is somewhat of a rarity in professional sports
– he is a Canadian quarterback who has a legitimate shot
at one day playing in the Canadian Football League at his
favourite position.
The Orléans
native recently took part in the CFL combine where he earned
rave reviews for his immense talent, his poise and his football
IQ.
The combine
is held every year in the lead up to the CFL draft to give
teams a chance to meet potential prospects face-to-face
and ask them questions about everything from Xs and Os to
possible issues in their personal lives.
O’Connor
was a busy man at the combine, sitting down with six different
teams. That’s high for any prospect and is usually indicative
of the type of interest shown in someone who ends going
pretty high in the draft.
For his
part, O’Connor made the most of the opportunity to express
his love and commitment to the sport.
“I went
into it with a mission to show the teams a little bit more
of my person- ality, how passionate I am about football
and the type of person that I am,” O’Connor said in a recent
interview with the Orléans Star. “I think I really
did that, teams got to know me better on a more personal
level.”
O’Connor
has spent the last four years at the University of British
Columbia where he led the UBC Thunderbirds to the 2015 Vanier
Cup as a freshman.
In the
three years since reaching the pinnacle of Canadian college
football, O’Connor and his Thunderbird teammates lost to
the University of Calgary Dinos in twice the Western Conference
champ-ionship in 2016 and 2017 by less than four points,
and this past season they lost their opening playoff game
in overtime.
The defeats
not only made O’Connor appreciate the Vanier Cup win that
much more, they made him appreciate the sport on a much
deeper level.
(This
story was made possible thanks to the generous support of
our local business partners.)
IVNTAGE
VEHICLE EXPERIENCE from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Cumberland
Heritage Village Museum, 2940 Old Montreal Rd. in Cumberland
Village. Experience first hand the significance and history
of early automobiles in a fun, entertaining, and engaging
way! Restored, partially restored, and un-restored vehicles
manufactured prior to the 1940s will be exhibited on site.
Come chat with the owners, check out a demonstration to
learn more about how early automobiles worked, and get an
introduction to the world of pre-1940s tin can tourist camping.
Complete the day with a performance by a local barbershop
quartet!. Admission $19.75 per family (2 adults + children);
$7.75 adults; $5.50 seniors, children and students. Children
5 and under are free. 
ORLÉANS
OUTDOOR MARKET from 12 noon to 6 p.m. in the Ray Frield
Centre parking lot on Tenth Line Road. Come meet local vendors
and artians from across the east end.
CUMBERLAND
FARMERS MARKET from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the R. J. Kennedy
Community Centre 1115 Dunning Road in Cumberlans Village.
The Cumberland Farmers’ Market features a variety of localy
produced vegetables, seasonal fruits and specialty foods.
