The Greater Victoria Sports Awards banquet from 1968 to 2005 was like the Oscars, Golden Globes, Emmys and Junos wrapped into one, honouring the previous year’s best on the fields, courts and rinks of play.
The Greater Victoria Sport Tourism Commission will revive the tradition at Government House on March 2 after this year’s planned relaunch was cancelled due to the pandemic.
The original awards were discontinued due to cost and logistics following the 2005 ceremony in which NBA MVP Steve Nash was named Victoria male athlete of the year, Paralympics multi-medallist swimmer Stephanie Dixon top female athlete, future Olympic medallist swimmer Ryan Cochrane junior athlete of the year and then Victoria Shamrocks lacrosse mentor Walt Christianson coach of the year.
Past winners have been a Who’s Who of Victoria sporting greats with those named male or female athletes of the year including George Pakos, Gary Gait, Eli Pasquale, Silken Laumann, Gareth Rees, Simon Whitfield, Mel Bridgman, Peter Reid, Mark Wyatt, Derek Porter, Grant Main, Dean Crawford, Jim Rutledge, Lori Bowden, Kirsten Barnes, Brenda Taylor, Pam Rai and Carol Turney-Loos.
The awards were inaugurated by former Daily Colonist and sa国际传媒 columnist Gorde Hunter and his connections in the NHL, CFL and pro golf netted a galaxy of headline guest-host speakers such as Foster Hewitt, Jim Robson, King Clancy, Babe Pratt, Annis Stukus, Byron Nelson, Stan Leonard, Joe Kapp, George Reed, Jerry Tagge, Jim Young, Normie Kwong, Don Matthews, Vic Rapp, Eagle Keys, Jack Gotta, Vince Lombardi Jr., Herb Capozzi, Jake Gaudaur, Jim Finks, John Ferguson, Dale Tallon, Tony Waiters, Jack Donohue and Gene Kiniski. The Empress Ballroom sold out each year for the ceremony.
Keith Wells, executive director of the Greater Victoria Sport Tourism Commission, is asking anyone with knowledge of the whereabouts of the old trophies to contact the new committee.
A selection committee has been struck and the public is being asked to nominate athletes and teams. The award categories, for achievement in 2022, are for top male and female athlete, Indigenous male and female athlete, junior male and female athlete, senior male and female athlete, coach, volunteer, team and organization of the year. To nominate persons or teams by Jan. 5, go to .
Olympic medallist rower Dave Calder and Paralympic medallist wheelchair racer Michelle Stilwell will be the masters of ceremony. Tickets are $75 plus GST with all proceeds going to KidSport Greater Victoria. For more information and tickets go to gvsa.ca.
