The 17 players and 5 coaches and support staff that make up team Manitoba taking part in the Canadian Bantam AAA Baseball Championship are safe and sound after a series of severe thunderstorms and tornados ripped through southern Ontario last night.

 


Manitoba, which is represented by South Central, is one of 11 teams taking part in the event in the community of Vaughan, Ontario, just north of Toronto.


South Central has players from all over the Pembina Valley, as well as some from Winnipeg, Brandon, and Portage.


Head Coach Clinton Brandt of Rosenort says the weather turned really ugly last night and forced the cancellation of all the evening games.


He says they made it back to their hotel safely, but the team Saskatchewan was not so lucky.


Saskatchewan Head Coach Mark Mann says they were in a restaurant when things got really bad.


Their bus was trashed by the high winds breaking windows, and even ripping the emergency hatch off the roof.


Brandt adds everyone came away from the incident uninjured.


He adds everyone came away from the incident uninjured.


Brandt expects team Saskatchewan to be shaken up by this, and there is still no word if there will be any changes to the schedule.


There was a report of at least one death in the community of Durham, which is about 110 km's north of Vaughan.


A number of injuries and widespread damage is being reported in a number of communities in the greater Toronto area.

 

~ Friday, August 21st 2009 ~