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UPDATE: Ex-Canuck Odjick, wrestler Kiniski now in BC Sports Hall of Fame, with 10 others

Class of 2021 inductees announced at Surrey Arts Centre on Oct. 7
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Retired hockey player Gino Odjick (on screen) and other 2021 BC Sports Hall of Fame inductees at Surrey Arts Centre Thursday (Oct. 7) during an induction announcement hosted by five-time Olympian Charmaine Crooks (left). (Photo: Tom Zillich)

Twelve more BC Sports Hall of Fame inductees were announced at Surrey Arts Centre on Thursday morning (Oct. 7).

The 2021 class includes former Vancouver Canucks hockey player Gino Odjick, soccer great Dale Mitchell, basketball-er Eli Pasquale, broadcaster Karin Larsen and pioneering wrestler Gene Kiniski.

Also named were athletes Jason Delesalle (para-athletics) and Gerry Gilmore (field hockey, basketball and softball), builders Judy Broom (field hockey), Dr. David Cox (sport psychology) and Kelly Mann (multi-sport), the 1961-62 Vancouver Firefighters men’s soccer team, and W.A.C. Bennett Award winner Ron Jones (for work with B.C. Lions and BC Sports Hall of Fame).

“Induction into the BC Sports Hall of Fame is the highest sporting honour in British Columbia, celebrating the extraordinary individuals and moments that make up the fabric of B.C’s diverse sport history,” noted a pre-event news release from Laura Ballance Media Group.

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BC SPORTS HALL OF FAME | Class of 2021 Announcement from Hubcast Media Productions on Vimeo.

Since 1966, the BC Sports Hall of Fame has inducted 416 individuals and 64 teams to its Hall of Champions, “ensuring their legacies will carry on inspiring future generations.”

A formal gala for the induction of the 2021 class “is currently in the planning stages and will be announced in the months ahead.”

CLICK HERE to read about the 2020 BC Sports Hall of Fame induction class.

Online at bcsportshall.com, BC Sports Hall of Fame is located at BC Place Stadium, at Gate A.

• RELATED STORY, from 2019: Surrey rugby player ‘extremely honoured’ to be inducted into BC Sports Hall of Fame.

• READ ALSO: Two Surrey women win BC Sports Hall of Fame awards for inspired service.

On Thursday afternoon and into the evening, the organization will host its “Annual Summit” and AGM at Surrey Arts Centre, both in-person and online, featuring presentations by Aziz Rajwani, Scott Ackles and Charmaine Crooks, an interview with Wally Buono on “Why Sport History and Recognition Matters,” and a talk about “A Template for Hall Building Throughout British Columbia.” Later, winners of the Eric Whitehead Inspired Service Awards will be announced.

Meantime, an endowment fund aims to create a new Surrey Sports Museum, thanks to a recent launch donation from Elizabeth Model, who gave $1,000 after she completed her 100th Ironman triathlon in Wisconsin on Sept. 12.

The museum would “commemorate Surrey’s athletes who have demonstrated the mental fortitude and commitment to take their athletic performance to the highest level,” according to a news release from SurreyCares Community Foundation on Sept. 23.

The sports museum would be located in Downtown Surrey, where Model is CEO of the area’s business improvement association (BIA).

It’s not immediately clear whether Surrey Sports Museum would include a Surrey Sports Hall of Fame, an idea floated two years ago, at a 2019 meeting of Surrey’s Parks, Recreation & Culture Committee. City staff were asked to report back on a potential model for such a hall.

• READ MORE, from 2019: Sports hall of fame in Surrey is ‘something that should be done,’ city councillor says.



tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com

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Tom Zillich

About the Author: Tom Zillich

I cover entertainment, sports and news stories for the Surrey Now-Leader, where I've worked for more than half of my 30-plus years in the newspaper business.
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