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Sports writer Cleve Dheensaw, in his 40th year covering Island sports for the sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½, was among some big names in sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ sports to finally have their day in the spotlight.

Dheensaw, along with former Vancouver Canucks’ Stanley Cup-finalist goaltender Kirk McLean, former MLB pitcher Jeff Francis and former sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ Lions all-star defensive lineman Brent Johnson were finally inducted into the sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ Sports Hall of Fame with the Class of 2020 in an online ceremony Thursday from Vancouver. The live induction ceremony was to be held at the Vancouver Conference Centre in the spring of 2020 but was postponed due to the pandemic. A Class of 2021 was not selected during the pandemic. A more formal ceremony is still planned for the spring of 2022.

Also inducted with the Class of 2020 were Olympic and Tour de France cyclist Alex Stieda and Paralympic gold-medallist wheelchair curler Sonja Gaudet.

The 1979-80 University of Victoria Vikes men’s basketball team, which began UVic’s run of seven consecutive national titles under coach Ken Shields, was inducted in the team category.

Robin Bawa of Duncan, the first Indo-Canadian to play in the NHL, was enshrined in the pioneers’ category. Entering in the builders’ category were Kathy Newman from Paralympics wheelchair basketball, Valerie Johnson from trampoline gymnastics, Bill Mitchell of wrestling and the late Harry White from junior golf.

Dheensaw was enshrined in the media category. He began writing for the sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ in 1981 and becomes the first inductee into the sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ Sports Hall of Fame media category whose entire career has taken place outside the Vancouver market.

A total of 406 individuals and 63 teams have been inducted into the sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ Sports Hall of Fame since its founding in 1966.