Derek Douglas

Derek Douglas may have been born to be a soccer referee – in a career spanning almost two decades he has officiated at every level possible. He started officiating in 1973, shortly after settling in Sherwood Park, Alberta with his young family. In 1981, Derek was certified as a national soccer referee and began officiating in the North American Soccer League (NASL) the following season, a position he held until the league folded in 1984. Two years later, he became one of the first Alberta-based soccer officials to be promoted to the position of Federation International Football Association (FIFA) soccer referees. When he wasn’t officiating, Derek could be found promoting the sport on a local, provincial and national level.

Jan Ullmark

Since arriving in Alberta in 1973, Jan Ullmark and his elite coaching skills have made an indelible mark on the sport of figure skating in Canada. As the Director of Skating at Edmonton’s Royal Glenora Club, Jan elevated the club to prominence as one of the country’s top training centres. Under his tutelage, the club began to consistently produce national and international competitors. Among the athletes who benefited from his guidance were Michael Slipchuk, who won the 1992 Canadian Championship;  Canmore’s Jane Gray, who competes on the national stage;  former national skater Robin Forsyth; three-time Canadian national medalist Ben Ferreira; as well as the team of Jamie Salé and David Pelletier, who went on to win gold in pairs figure skating at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games.

John Currie

A pivotal figure as president of the 1983 Western Canada Summer Games in Calgary, helping in the development and funding of the game’s flagship facility - the Repsol Sport Centre, John Currie’s vision and dedication to Alberta amateur sport is unquestioned. At the time it was constructed, the RSC was the largest multi-sport complex of its kind in Canada. During the games, over 2,500 athletes from the four western provinces and the Northwest Territories competed in 23 summer Olympic sports, supported by a team of 5,000 volunteers. Since then, the centre has become the training ground for countless amateur athletes, as well as numerous Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

Kelly Sutherland

You have to look no further than Kelly Sutherland’s nickname to understand the impact he had on his chosen sport of chuckwagon racing. Known as “The King,” Kelly was racing at the age of 14, driving by the age of 16, and winning before he turned 23. With a career that spanned five decades, Kelly remains one of the most important influences in the sport’s history. He won an astounding 12 world championships over his career - his first in 1974 and his final one in 2011 at the age of 60.

Michael Robertson

Edmonton’s Michael Robertson was always a competitive and gifted athlete - he played hockey and soccer from the age of five before transitioning to competitive snowboarding at the age of 13. A member of a small team from Rabbit Hill Snow Resort, just south of Edmonton, Mike became provincial champion in his age group at the age of 14. Two years later, he transitioned to the sport of snowboardcross, where his competitive nature and dedication to his chosen craft, allowed him to quickly excel at the sport. Michael joined the National Development Team at 17 before progressing to the National Team, where he would remain until his career was cut short by injuries at the age of 27. Over the course of his career, he won the silver medal in Men’s Snowboardcross at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, two World Cup bronze medals in 2009, and a third place finish in the Baker Banked Slalom (Pro Men) in Washington state. From 2009 – 2012, he was the top-ranked men’s snowboardcross athlete in the country

Nancy Southern & Ian Allison

As the team who pioneered equestrian sport broadcasting in the province, Nancy Southern and Ian Allison are the first duo to be awarded the Bell Memorial Award. From initial funding of approximately $80,000 to set up Alberta’s first digital TV studio in 1990, Nancy and Ian have grown the studio into a powerhouse, one that reaches a global audience in excess of one billion people through national partners including Rogers, CBC, and CTV, as well as through partnerships with a variety of international broadcasters.  

Stan Wakelyn

If you are a promising soccer player in Alberta, you can probably trace some of your success back to Stan Wakelyn. Born in England, Stan moved to Calgary in 1905 and lived there until his death in 1976. Throughout the 1910s and 1920s, Stan, three of his brothers, and his father were members of the storied Calgary Hillhurst FC Soccer Club, which won the Canadian national championship in 1922, as well as three straight provincial championships from 1922-1924. Nicknamed “Porridge”, Stan was selected as one of the top 100 footballers as part of Canada’s soccer centennial and was a finalist for the Canadian Press’ Best in 50 Footballers (1900-1950). He was inducted into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame in 2017.

Terry Morris

Sherwood Park’s Terry Morris has been active in the promotion and development of the sport of curling in Alberta and across the nation for the better part of four decades. During that time, most of Terry’s exploits have flown under the radar, including his efforts to unite the sport’s governance structure which led to the establishment of the Northern Alberta Championship Curling Society, as well as the Alberta Curling Federation (Curling Alberta), which represents the province with Curling Canada. Terry’s curling roots began in Edmonton after he married, becoming a competitive curler, builder, and leader.

Ken Babey

In his nearly three decades behind the bench of the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) Trojans men’s hockey team, Ken Babey guided the team to unparalleled success on and off the ice while becoming the most successful coach in Canadian post-secondary hockey history. From 1987-2014, Ken picked up a total of 534 regulation and playoff wins, nine Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) championships, seven ACAC Coach of the Year awards, one Canadian College Athletic Association (CCAA) title (2000), and two CCAA silver medals (1992 and 1997). He also set over 15 ACAC career coaching records. After stepping away from the game in 2014, Ken was recruited to lead the Canadian men’s para ice hockey team. Under his guidance the team won world championship silver in 2015 and 2019, gold in 2017, and silver at the 2018 Paralympic Games.

John Helton

John Helton played fourteen seasons in the Canadian Football League, ten of them with the Calgary Stampeders. He played his first season with the Stampeders as a defensive end and then switched to defensive tackle. It was as a defensive tackle that he helped the team win the 1971 Grey Cup, ending a twenty-three-year drought for Calgary. John Helton won the Schenley Award in 1972 and 1974 and was runner-up in 1979 for Most Outstanding Defensive Player.