Family wants Gordie Howe interred in Saskatoon statue

The family of hockey great Gordie Howe wants toreturn Mr. Hockey to his home.

A city official says the family has requested that the crematedremains of Howe and his wife Colleen be interred at the base of astatue that honours him in Saskatoon.

Catherine Gryba says the city will have to apply to the provinceto have the statue at SaskTel Centre and a small portion of adjacentarea declared a cemetery.

Gryba says it would be a fitting tribute to someone who alwaysremembered his roots.

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Howe was born in Floral, Sask., but his family moved nine dayslater to Saskatoon, where he grew up before embarking on arecord-setting hockey career in the United States.

He died on June 10 at the age of 88.