VANCOUVER ISLAND SPORTS

GREATER VICTORIA:
 PAST CHAMPIONS AND BUILDERS: by brian zelley

Introduction
Greater Victoria has a great history of amateur and pro
sports.  Some of the builders, teams and athletes have
been recognized in the Greater Victoria Sports Hall
of Fame, others have been recognized in Provincial
or different sports halls of fame, and a few of the many
have been inducted into several halls of fame.


THE BUILDERS of Greatness and Excellence:


No great athlete or team of athletes can reach the top
of the mountain without the help of many trainers
and coaches or even managers and officials in the
specific sport.  But then there are the news reporters
and sports reporters that tell the story such as MAX
LOW, SID THOMAS, and CLEVE DHEENSAW.


In the Victoria area one of the all time stand-out names
is ARCHIE MCKINNON.  But, there were many others
throughout the decades in a variety of sports such as
RICK BROUGH, HOWARD CURLING, and RON JACKS.
But, we cannot forget such names as Leona Peterson, 
Judy Bourne. and Ed Ashmore. 


THE MANY SPORTS
From Archery to Wrestling, Boxing to Track and Field,
and those team sports of basketball, hockey, soccer and
lacrosse there have been many golden moments from
local arenas and fields, to the world stage.


ARCHERY:
One of the important names of importance in the sport
of archery in Victoria is FRED USHER.


AUTO RACING:
With spinning wheels and the black and white flag, 
Greater Victoria has produced many great names
in Auto Racing including the tragic BILLY FOSTER.
An important local place for the drivers was the 
"Western Speedway".


BOXING:
One of the great names of boxing in the area was
EDDIE HADDAD.  But many others have performed
well such as FRED DESROSIERS and DONNIE ORR.
One of the top clubs in the Sixties was the London Boxing
Club and in 1976 a club of interest was the Victoria 
Athletic Club followed by the Victoria Jaycees Boxing Club.

                       Former boxers and coaches involved in amateur boxing
                                (photo by Dorothy Zelley, at the 2009 Induction Ceremony of the 
                                                                 Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame )


BASKETBALL 
In recent decades the high profile team has been the "U. Vic Vikings"
but, there have been many other teams throughout the decades.