Not a dry eye was remaining on June 12 at the grand opening of Falher Ball Diamonds as two of the diamonds were officially named in memory of two young, respected and loved Falher men.
“The official names of the ball diamonds are Pat and Ben for the two main diamonds, in honour of Patrick Gaudet and Ben Gardecki – young men who (passed away and) meant a great deal to the community and enjoyed baseball,” says Friends of Falher Ball Diamonds Society vice-chair Lise Cote.
“Naming rights were available for $15,000 per diamond, and this idea originated with Sharon Wolfe to keep the memories of these individuals and their families alive, as they impacted nearly every family in the area through their work at Maternelle and the Falher IDA.”
Friends of Falher Ball Diamonds Society was formed when the old ball diamonds were long overdue for revitalization. No work had been done on them for decades and they were slowly becoming unusable. The team of community members paired to gather resources, acquire machinery and manpower, and fundraise to build two new regulation-size ball diamonds and one smaller diamond for youth.
The first diamond was named after Patrick Gaudet, who was born and raised in Falher. Patrick was the youngest son of Jean-Claude Gaudet and Josette Thériault Gaudet.
“Patrick was a superstar athlete,” says Friends of Falher Ball Diamonds Society member and friend of Patrick, Taylor Cote.
“It didn’t matter what sport he was playing—he excelled.”
Cote adds in minor hockey he was the best player. When playing volleyball, Patrick was the captain. In badminton, Patrick earned zone medals, and in track and field he set divisional records.
“In baseball, he could hit a home run in Grade 8 and throw the ball from centerfield to home plate with ease,” explains Taylor.
“Along with his athletic accomplishments, Patrick was also strong academically. This trait no doubt came from his mom, Josette Gaudet, the longtime “Maternelle” teacher at Routhier.”
Benjamin Gardecki, affectionately known as Ben by his friends, was known by most people in Falher and the area. He is son to Barb and Ron Gardecki, former owners of Falher IDA and Pharmacy. His kind nature, friendly smile and ability to communicate made him popular amongst everyone who knew him.
“When looking for something to do, Ben’s phone would start to ring and friends would be looking to get together,” the Gardeckis say of Ben.
“You could find Ben and his friends on a volleyball court, on a ski hill, on a quad playing in the mud, on a snowmobile riding or on a ball diamond playing slo-pitch.”
One of Ben’s favourite spring highlights was the annual Honey Festival Slo-pitch Tournament.
Ben passed away in 2019 while enjoying time in the mountains snowmobiling with friends. Patrick was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma and lost his battle in late 2023.
The two diamonds were dedicated to Patrick and Benjamin’s memory and to the Gaudet and Gardecki families for their years of contributions in the community.
“It is our hope that the young athletes who play here will be inspired by Patrick and Ben on and off of the diamond,” says Cote.
The two families and Friends of Falher Ball Diamonds Society members were joined by nearly 100 community members to commemorate the evening and pay tribute to the two men.
Lise Cote says the total baseball diamond revitalization project cost was $500,000. They still have to finish the bleachers, dugouts and are working on a collaborative walkway to the sports court located east of Ecole Heritage.
Emily Plihal
Local Journalism
Initiative Reporter