Alberta
Alberta Sports Hall of Fame announces 2024 Inductees
Alberta Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024
Shelley Vettese-Baert – Taekwondo Athlete
Born and raised in Edmonton, Shelley has left an indelible mark on the world of Taekwondo, boasting a remarkable 30-year career that has set her apart as a true pioneer in her sport. Her exceptional achievements include a World Cup bronze in Spain (1990), silver in Yugoslavia (1991), Olympic bronze in Spain (1992), gold at the Moscow and US Open in 1993, a bronze at the World Poomsae Championships in Russia (2011), and a bronze in Bali, Indonesia (2013). Recognized with the Governor General’s Jubilee Medal, she stands as Alberta’s only female athlete to reach such heights in Taekwondo. Beyond her achievements, Shelley is appreciated for her community impact, serving as a provincial and international coach and advocate in health and fitness. Retiring from Taekwondo sparring in 1999, she continues to participate in the “pattern” side of Taekwondo called Poomsae. To have reached the highest levels in both areas of Taekwondo (sparring and Poomsae) is a feat that few others have achieved. Shelley is also the first Taekwondo athlete to ever be inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame.
Chris McGregor – Horse Racing Athlete
Chris is a legendary figure in the world of horse racing. From 1979 to 2006 he participated in nearly 14,000 races and won 2,248 of them. A career high point came in 2000 when he won the Canadian Derby aboard Scotman, boasting an impressive 46% winning rate. McGregor’s excellence was recognized with nominations for the Sovereign Award in 1990 and 1992, along with notable wins such as Jockey of the Year in Saskatchewan in 1987 and Outstanding Jockey of the Year in 1988. He continued to be recognized for his winning talents by earning the Lou Davis Memorial Trophy for the top jockey in Alberta with 229 wins in 1990, as well as receiving the Joe Perlove Award for the most wins.
Darwin Davidiuk – Curling Builder
Darwin, a passionate advocate for curling, has been an integral part of the Alberta Curling community. He represented Northern Alberta’s interests at both provincial and national levels and coached successful Junior Men’s and Women’s teams in the 1960s-1970s. A competitive curler until 1990, Darwin won numerous zone berths and was a respected competitor known by many influential curlers. He founded the World Open, the first televised bonspiel on CBC, and is a founding member and current Vice President of the Northern Alberta Curling Championship Society. Notable achievements include serving as Vice Chair for various editions of the Labatt Brier and Tim Hortons Brier, promoting the Ford Men’s World Curling Championship in 2007, and leading initiatives for the 2013 Brier to honour curling legends and championship athletes in Edmonton.
Darwin spearheaded a project to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Northern Alberta Curling Association (NACA), which ceased to exist due to the amalgamation of regional curling associations in Alberta. Serving as Vice President of the NACCS, Darwin collaborated with Terry Jones over 18 months to create a book celebrating NACA’s history.
Julius Fodor – Handball Builder
Julius Fodor played a pivotal role in advancing team handball in Alberta from 1963 onwards. Initially coaching at several Edmonton high schools, he founded the “Edmonton Canucks,” which significantly contributed to the sport’s future success in the province. Over the following years, Fodor played a vital role in introducing handball to prominent events such as the Alberta Winter Games and the Western Canada Games, and in developing the Canadian Team Handball Federation. Starting in 1968, he both played and coached teams at the international level, actively participating in organizing the 1978 North American Championships. Fodor’s extensive involvement in handball, spanning local, provincial, national, and international levels from the 1960s to the early 2000s, defines his lasting legacy in the sport. Anyone who has played handball in western Canada owes a debt of gratitude to Julius, acknowledging him as a pioneering force in introducing and fostering the sport in the region.
Ken Hitchcock – Hockey Builder
Ken Hitchcock was born with a connection to the rink, spending a significant portion of his life in Alberta and the rest wherever he was needed as a coach and ambassador of the game of hockey. With over 50 years dedicated to shaping the sport, Hitchcock’s impact extends far beyond coaching excellence. His legacy is one of tireless commitment to building the game of hockey and uplifting those involved at every level. Hitchcock has contributed to hockey development in Alberta, Canada, and around the world. His journey includes not just coaching but also helping hockey grow in Indigenous communities in our province and organizing coaching clinics in countries like France, Norway, and Germany. His dedication to hockey’s growth and empowering those involved shines through in his remarkable career.
Patrick Jarvis – Paralympic Builder
Patrick Jarvis has dedicated his life to empowering people with disabilities and encouraging them to seek their full potential through sports. As an athlete and builder, he has provided leadership to the Canadian Paralympic community for several decades. He competed at the 1990 World Track and Field Championships, as well as in the 1992 Summer Paralympic Games. Following his retirement from competition, he turned his attention to team management. He volunteered his time to the Alberta and Canadian Amputee Sport Associations, as well as the Canadian and International Paralympic Committees. Through these and other roles, he has guided hundreds of Canadian para-athletes and transformed multiple sports organizations.
Clayton “Darrell” MacLachlan – Alpine Skiing Builder
Darrell MacLachlan swiftly gained recognition within the Alpine Skiing community for his exceptional knowledge, unwavering passion, and remarkable skills, particularly in his commitment to supporting athletes navigating the challenges of a highly competitive environment. His global impact became evident as he consistently advocated for athlete safety and strived to establish a fair and level playing field for all participants. Embracing an important role within the Federation of International Skiing (FIS), Darrell took on critical responsibilities within various Committees and Sub-Committees of the FIS, making invaluable contributions to the Canadian Snowsports Association (CSA), FIS, and the broader International Ski Community. Above all, Darrell exemplifies a readiness to listen, adapt, and learn, ensuring the transfer of knowledge to others in the pursuit of excellence in alpine skiing.
Theresa Maxwell – Volleyball Builder
Theresa stands as one of the foremost builders of volleyball in the Volleyball Canada community, leaving an indelible mark on the sport. A dominant female student-athlete at the University of Calgary in the 1960s, Theresa’s sports journey began as she earned the title of University Female Athlete of the Year in 1964 and 1966. She then went on to coach children and youth at all levels, from developmental to highly competitive. She seamlessly transitioned to the administrative side of sports, dedicating over a decade to the Board and Presidency of the Alberta Volleyball Association. Her focus was to provide participation opportunities for all by developing programs and support at whatever age and level they chose to compete. From 1990 to 1994, Theresa assumed the role of President with Volleyball Canada, making history as the first woman appointed to the World League Volleyball jury in 1995. Her leadership extended internationally as the Head of Delegation for various prestigious events, including the Women’s World Championship in 1993. Theresa’s enduring commitment and devotion to volleyball have been instrumental in fostering the sport’s growth at the local, provincial, and national levels.
Ozzie Sawicki – Paralympic Builder
Ozzie Sawicki’s enduring career in the realm of sports spans over three decades, marked by a steadfast commitment to inclusivity and the belief that sport should be accessible to individuals of all abilities. From 2000 to 2004, Ozzie served as the head coach for the Canadian Para-Alpine Race team, achieving remarkable success at the Salt Lake City Paralympic Games in 2002. As the head coach of the Canadian Para Alpine Ski Team, Ozzie played an important role in securing 12 out of the total 15 medals earned by Team Canada at those Games. His leadership extended to the position of Team Canada’s Chef de Mission for the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games, where Canada surpassed performance goals, securing seven gold, two silver, and seven bronze medals. Beyond his notable contributions on the international stage, including his role as head coach with the Canadian Para-Athletics Team (2009 to 2011) and as performance advisor to the Paralympic and Olympic Equestrian Teams (2009 to 2016), Ozzie is deeply involved in his community, earning recognition for his tireless efforts to enhance the world of adaptive sports and advocate for inclusivity and positive change.
Ron Thompson – Athletics Builder
For over four decades, Ron’s unwavering dedication to coaching has left a mark on the athletic landscape. His influence stretches beyond regional borders, encompassing the Edmonton community and various track clubs, where he has adeptly recruited and coached athletes. Among his notable successes is Marco Arop, the first Canadian male to win world gold in the 800m. Ron’s coaching legacy goes beyond individual achievements, as he has mentored several athletes to become esteemed coaches at national and international levels. Serving as a “team coach” at the University of Alberta and representing Team Alberta and Team Canada at national and international games, Ron consistently demonstrates a commitment to excellence. His impact isn’t confined to track and field; he has also made substantial contributions as a specialized sport performance trainer for athletes in football, rugby, soccer, basketball, and hockey, with nine players in the NHL. Throughout his extensive coaching career, Ron Thompson has been a beacon for the transformative power of sports in the lives of his proteges, shaping the Alberta sports community and leaving a positive impact that extends well beyond the world of athletics.
Tom Three Persons – Rodeo Pioneer
Tom Three Persons, a member of the Kainai Nation and a revered Siksikaitsitapi rodeo athlete and rancher, secured his legacy by winning the saddle bronc competition title at the inaugural Calgary Stampede in 1912. This victory, recognized as a world championship at the time, marked him as the only Canadian victor among the top rodeo athletes of that era. As an Indigenous athlete, Three Persons left a lasting mark on the history of the Calgary Stampede. Beyond his excellence in the arena, he played an important role as a builder in the sports of rodeo and horse racing in southern Alberta during the first half of the twentieth century. It is this lasting impact that positions Tom Three Persons as a Rodeo Pioneer in Alberta, a testament to his enduring contributions to the rich heritage of rodeo and horse racing in the region.
John Frederick Utendale – Hockey Pioneer
John Utendale, a pioneering force in hockey, cemented his legacy as one of the first Black players to sign an NHL contract when he joined the Detroit Red Wings in 1955. His impact extended beyond the rink as he became the first athletic director and hockey coach at NAIT in 1966. Utendale’s dedication to the sport reached new heights in 1980 when he earned an Olympic gold medal as the assistant training coach for the USA Men’s Hockey team. In 2023, he was recognized for his remarkable contributions by being honoured as a member of the induction class for the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame. Utendale’s lifetime of barrier-breaking achievements was commemorated in 2022 through a House Bill by the Washington State Legislature, acknowledging his role as an athlete, educator, and civil rights trailblazer. Further accolades followed in 2022, as he was inducted into the Western Washington University Athletic Hall of Fame and received Black History Month recognition from both the Edmonton Oilers and the Seattle Kraken in 2023. Utendale’s multifaceted impact on the world of hockey and his unwavering commitment to breaking barriers continue to resonate across generations.Top of Form
Join us for our Induction Ceremony on May 24. More details to follow.
For more information, please contact Tracey Kinsella, Executive Director at 403-341-8614 or via email at [email protected]
From LifeSiteNews
After Alberta’s Danielle Smith put forth legislation to protect kids from being gender ‘transitioned,’ the Canadian media went on a predictable melt down, citing ‘experts’ who blatantly lie to advance the LGBT agenda.
A year after announcing her intention to combat transgender ideology and protect children, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has tabled three pieces of UCP (United Conservative Party) government legislation:
- The Education Amendment Act 2024 will require parental consent for “socially transitioning” children under the age of 16 (changing a child’s name or “preferred pronouns”). The bill also gives parents an “opt-in” option for any sexual or content at school. Smith has emphasized that the Alberta Teaching Profession Commission has the power to discipline teachers if they decide to break the law.
- The Health Statues Amendment Act 2024 will ban the use of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for minors, as well as prohibit sex change surgeries on minors.
- The Fairness and Safety in Sport Act will ban trans-identifying men from female sports teams.
Together, these three bills represent the most definitive pushback against gender ideology in Canada by any premier. Smith’s decision to announce her intent to pursue such legislation and then wait has turned out to be politically savvy—it has given the UCP government a good look at the LGBT response, and during that time the U.K.’s Labour government has successfully fought to maintain a similar ban in the courts and publicly rebutted many of the scare tactics used by LGBT activists.
Smith and the UCP are thus walking into this debate with eyes wide open, and are clearly certain that the public is on their side (it is) and that the legislation can survive the court challenges surely coming from LGBT activists. The policies are clearly popular with the UCP party’s base, who handed Smith a staggering 91.5% approval rating in her leadership review at UCP gathering in Red Deer last Saturday.
The party also passed 35 policy resolutions, including several that indicate the UCP’s willingness to go further in fighting transgender ideology, with resolutions that would restrict “exclusively female spaces” like bathrooms and changerooms to females and designating transgender surgeries as “elective cosmetic procedures” not funded by the taxpayer. The motions received near-unanimous support.
The Canadian press, unsurprisingly, is working hard to present policies that the vast majority of Canadians support as an attack on fundamental norms (albeit norms that only surfaced in the last few years and were never presented to voters). Global News ran the headline: “Alberta unveils 3 sweeping bills affecting trans and gender-diverse youth.” It is important to note that the press accepts the premises of transgender ideology as the starting point for their reporting, with heavy usage of nonsensical phrases like “gender-diverse youth,” which implies that there are many genders.
In fact, Global News and other Canadian outlets trotted out talking points that have been definitively rebutted by the U.K.’s Cass Review and multiple medical studies—in fact, even the New York Times has been reporting on the permanent harms of puberty blockers over the past several years. An example from Global News:
Alberta parents of gender-diverse youth like Haley Wray believe the new laws will give kids less choice — especially when it comes to health-care that is not permanent but instead, gives kids time to work through their identity struggles.
‘Hormone blockers are a very valuable tool,’ Wray said, explaining they have a very small window of effectiveness to pause, but not prevent, puberty. ‘It is reversible because nothing changes. And what that does is it allows youth and families to have that that pause, that break to explore further, validate, understand what this means and know that permanent changes aren’t happening.’
Wray believes the proposed legislation will make the province a less safe place for tens of thousands of Alberta kids who aren’t straight. It’s why, Wray says, a growing number of families with transgender children are now grappling with whether Alberta is a place they can stay. ‘I know people who have, and I know people who genuinely feel like there is likely nowhere to go,’ she said.
This is incorrect. Puberty blockers cause permanent damage, and children may be rendered permanently sterile after taking them for a relatively short period of time. Puberty is not something that can be “paused,” and it frequently causes irreversible rather than reversible damage. Smith and her government understand this, which is why they have decided to pass this legislation—not, as nearly every press outlet claimed, to “target trans youth,” but to protect them.
The CBC chimed in with sentences like this one:
Terms like ‘biological female’ and ‘biological male’ can be used to imply that transgender people are still their assigned sex at birth, despite their identity.
To translate: a scientifically accurate and precise statement is now an ideological one, but inherently ideological language invented by the transgender movement over the past decade is, in fact, technically accurate. People can identify as anything they want; it is irrelevant to their biology. The CBC presents pointing this out as some sort of propagandistic attack on vulnerable people.
Fortunately, Smith appears to know what she’s doing here. She’s taken her time to ensure that the legislation she has put forward will pass, and that it is defensible in court. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, who has just led the Saskatchewan Party to its fifth straight majority government, is of a similar mind—he’s promised to put forward legislation protecting female spaces as a matter of first priority. It took long enough, but Canada’s conservatives are finally starting to move.
Alberta
Alberta calling for federal election! Premier Smith demands feds scrap dangerous oil and gas production caps
Premier Danielle Smith, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas Rebecca Schulz and Minister of Energy and Minerals Brian Jean issued the following statement on the proposed federal oil and gas production cap:
“This production cap will hurt families, hurt businesses and hurt Canada’s economy. We will defend our province, our country and our Constitutional rights.
“Make no mistake, this cap violates Canada’s constitution. Section 92A clearly gives provinces exclusive jurisdiction over non-renewable natural resource development yet this cap will require a one million barrel a day production cut by 2030.
“The evidence is overwhelming. Three reports from reputable firms have shown that these regulations will sucker-punch Canada’s economy, a million barrels cut every day according to S&P Global, $28 billion a year in lost GDP according to Deloitte, and up to 150,000 lost jobs according to the Conference Board of Canada.
“The losses to GDP mean billions a year will disappear from the economy. Billions that won’t be going towards new schools, hospitals and roads, all for a reckless ideological scheme that will not reduce global emissions.
“Ultimately, this cap will lead Alberta and our country into economic and societal decline. The average Canadian family would be left with up to $419 less for groceries, mortgage payments and utilities every month. Canadian parents and workers will suffer while Justin Trudeau outsources the duty to provide safe, affordable, reliable and responsibly produced oil and gas to dictators and less clean producers around the world. We could be the solution. Instead, Ottawa would rather sacrifice our ability to lead.
“Tweaks won’t work. This cap must be scrapped. Alberta’s government is actively exploring the use of every legal option, including a constitutional challenge and the use of the Alberta Sovereignty within a United Canada Act. We will not stand idly by while the federal government sacrifices our prosperity, our constitution and our quality of life for its extreme agenda.”
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