Where were you in '93? The post-game riot in Saskatoon

With the Blue Jays making the playoffs for the first time since 1993, many people are wandering back in their memories 22 years to where they were that night. 

For some people in Saskatoon, the post-game celebration quickly turned into a night of tear gas, police squads and vandalism as a riot broke out on 8th Street.

Author Brent Loehr drove in from Muenster, Sask. that night to join his friends at a house party not far from 8th Street where they watched the game on a small TV screen.

"When Carter hit that home run, obviously there's jubilation and people are very, very excited and pumped," Loehr said. 

Soon, he and others at the party poured onto 8th Street like thousands of fans that night.  

"It was awesome, " he said. Picture a crowd of happy people, high-fiving each other, flying Canadian flags, shouting random Blue Jay cheers, and "car horns bleating like geese"

"I even recall high-fiving a police officer on the sidewalk and chatting with him about the game."

"That was pretty much our cue to exit."

But the mood changed quickly.

"Eventually though it did sour," Loehr said. 

...knew that it was getting out of hand when I saw people dangling from street lights- Brent Loehr

According to Loehr, the police officers were soon talking on radios. The riot squad came out creating a bottleneck the crowd pushed back against. He recalls seeing someone jump onto a vehicle at a car dealership.

"I kind of was a little concerned or knew that it was getting out of hand when I saw people dangling from street lights." 

Even though Loehr was near the back of the crowd, he could see smoke at one point and smell tear gas.

"That was pretty much our cue to exit."

Loehr said "It's the most embarrassing thing I think I've ever witnessed that is related to baseball."

He said he hopes people learn from what happened. The experience inspired Loehr to write a piece in a short story collection called The Global Baseball Classroom.

CBC Saskatoon host Garth Materie was also on 8th Street that night, watching the game with his wife at a pub. Hear his account of what happened that night. 

Saskatoon Morning2:33CBC Saskatoon host Garth Materie describes 1993 riot

Garth Materie was on 8th Street in Saskatoon when a riot broke out after the Blue Jays won the World Series.

Were you on 8th Street that night? What were your memories? Email us at [email protected]