Baseball players from Chemainus, Crofton and Saltair and a long-serving baseball umpire from Chemainus are among the inductees for the 2022 North Cowichan/Duncan Sports Wall of Fame.
The ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 19 at the Cowichan Golf and Country Club will see the induction of the Stuart Channel Little League baseball team from 1987 that placed second in the Canadian championships and came within one game of making it to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, a feat once thought impossible for a local team to even consider. The team also included players from Ladysmith at the time.
Also on the induction list is long-time baseball umpire Roy Price, who devoted himself to the game both at the Chemainus Ball Park and working at countless regional and provincial baseball tournaments for many years.
The remainder of the 2022 inductees are: Dano Thorne and Ken Williams, known for their contributions in soccer; Sheron Chrysler for her efforts as an athlete and coach with the CeeVacs Road Runners for decades; Garrett Elliott, a proficient fastball player and golfer; and Stan McKinlay for his contributions to softball as a coach and builder for numerous years.
“We’re delighted to be back hosting the inductee ceremony, after a hiatus of the program during the pandemic,” said North Cowichan Councillor Tek Manhas, chair of the Sports Wall of Fame nomination committee. “The Cowichan region has a strong community of past and present athletes, teams, coaches and builders, making it an easy decision to expand the number of inductees this year from five to seven. Congratulations to everyone on their amazing achievements.”
The inductees will receive plaques and also be recognized with paver stones located on the Walk of Fame in front of the Cowichan Aquatic Centre. There’s also an electronic biography inside the pool lobby.
The Wall of Fame recognizes individuals and teams that have made great achievements or contributed significantly to athletics locally, within the province, country or even the world.
The Wall of Fame induction ceremony is normally held every two years, although there will be another one in 2023 to make up for time lost during the pandemic.