Schools’ internet use spikes as students, teachers pull for Canadian — and local — athletes

Manitoba schools broke a record as students and staff tuned in to cheer on athletes — and in some cases, alumni — at the Winter Olympics.

The organization that connects the province’s 37 public school divisions to the internet saw historic spikes in activity this week.

Bandwith usage more than doubled what’s typical on a weekday for the Manitoba Education, Research and Learning Information Networks when Canadian hockey teams competed in the medal rounds in Milan Cortina.

MERLIN revealed usage spiked to 71.25 gigabits per second during the gold-medal game for women’s hockey, which Canada lost 2-1 to the U.S. in overtime, on Thursday.

That’s up from a 35 Gbps during a regular day of operations, according to MERLIN.

“This milestone is a powerful reminder of how critical reliable connectivity is: supporting learning, work, and shared moments that bring communities together,” the organization wrote in a series of posts on social media.

A new record was set Friday when the Canadian men defeated Finland 3-2 in a nail-biter semifinal.

Usage hit 77.39 Gbps during the game that culminated with the winning goal scored with with 35 seconds left on the clock. Canada will battle the U.S. for gold Sunday.

Starbuck School, which houses a Grade 5-8 hockey academy about 25 kilometres southwest of Winnipeg, can take some credit.

The elementary building has been streaming Olympic events of all kinds on screens in hallways, classrooms and the library since the opening ceremonies on Feb. 6.

Blair Adamson, a teacher and hockey coach, described a whirlwind of emotions inside the school that has two representatives on Team Canada.

The community has been cheering on forward Seth Jarvis, a former student of Adamson’s, as well as Starbuck alum Kurt Keats. Keats is the manager of hockey operations for the Canadian Olympic men’s team.

There was no shortage of sweaty palms amongst the crowd of student-athletes who crammed into a dressing room Friday to watch the third period after a morning practice, Adamson said.

The dramatic last-minute goal was met with “jumping, high-fives, clapping and lots of excitement,” he said.

“(Jarvis’s) love of the game is now paying off for him, times 10. It’s pretty neat to be able to tell the kids that,” he said. “And that Starbuck — we played a tiny part in his journey.”

In honour of the academy’s 25th anniversary this year, its leaders recently created a hall of fame to celebrate graduates who’ve gone on to compete in the National Hockey League.

One of the first four faces is Jarvis, a centre selected 13th overall in the the 2020 NHL entry draft by the Carolina Hurricanes and made his big-league debut in October 2021. He signed an eight-year $63.2 contract extension with the Hurricanes in 2024.

He’s pictured alongside St. Louis Blues’ goaltender Joel Hofer, defenceman Madison Bowey, who played for Washington, Detroit, Chicago and Vancouver and defenceman Owen Pickering, who has played for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Their accomplishments inspire students and teachers, Adamson said.

“It has opened our eyes — this is a possibility for our students. We strongly believe that if the work ethic is there and the passion and a little bit of a luck, it certainly can happen,” he added.

Winnipeg’s Balmoral Hall declared Thursday a “casual day” to encourage students to wear Canadian red and white instead of their regular uniforms.

The private girl’s school hosted a watch party in its theatre in support of alum Kati Tabin, a defender who played for the BH Blazers, and the rest of Team Canada.

“This was her ultimate goal — to play in the Olympics, even back when she was a student, here, so we are thrilled for her,” said middle school principal Bryan Williams, who both taught and coached Tabin before he became an administrator.

“We were thrilled for her to be able to achieve her dream and get to watch it.”

Williams recalled how the now-Olympian was a natural leader at Balmoral Hall who was known for her funny and magnetic personality, as well as her passion for hockey.

Despite the outcome of the game, the school’s gathering was a powerful community-building exercise and way to celebrate an alum’s “remarkable” silver-medal accomplishment, he said.

It’s been impactful for students to watch Olympians from different countries hug and support each other after successes and disappointing results, said Nathan Thacker, principal of Ochre River School.

“It’s a great lesson for them to learn.… Once the game’s over, we’re all human beings,” said the school leader from northwestern Manitoba.

The Olympics wrap up this weekend, but his kindergarten-to-Grade 8 school is gearing up for a kid-friendly rendition next week.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca