Many local contributors to sport honoured

Winnipeg

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This article was published 28/05/2025 (476 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

On May 16, Donald Street between Portage and Graham avenues was designated Honorary Chad Posthumus Way to honour the Winnipeg Sea Bears captain, who died in November 2024. The recognition was the latest given to an individual or a group to acknowledge accomplishments.

In Fort Garry, alumni of the Fort Garry Lions football organization got together to have the city recognize their coach Bob Rye. Lyons Street, where Rye lived until his death in 2018, is now Honorary Ryder Way. Rye, who quarterbacked the junior Weston Wildcats, coached the midget and junior Lions, the junior Winnipeg Rods, and playground hockey in Fort Garry. In 2023, out in Westwood on Wordsworth Way, Honorary Chris Jericho Way signs were installed to honour the pro wrestler, who grew up in the area.

Memories of Sport decided to look at locations in the city that recognize persons with a connection to sport. Many will be familiar to readers, but others may not be. The Cindy Klassen Recreation Complex on Sargent Avenue and Clara Hughes Recreation Park in Elmwood honour the two great Olympic athletes. Two of the best-known facilities are arenas named after NHL Hall-of-Famers Bill Mosienko and Terry Sawchuk. The Bill Mosienko Arena in the North End originally was the Keewatin Arena. The Terry Sawchuk Arena on Kimberley Avenue in East Kildonan was previously known as the Incinarena, because a city garbage incinerator was there.

After Jonathan Toews captained the Chicago Black Hawks to the Stanley Cup in 2010, the facility at the Dakota Community Centre in St. Vital was given his name. In 2018, the Pioneer Arena on Logan Avenue, was renamed the Charlie Gardiner Arena to honour the Black Hawks goalie, who died in St. Boniface Hospital in June 1934 not long after leading the Hawks to a Stanley Cup victory. In 2022, a rink in the St. James Civic Centre became the Ab McDonald Arena to honour the former NHL player and first captain of the WHA Winnipeg Jets.

The Dutton Memorial Arena at the private St. John’s-Ravenscourt in Fort Garry is named after Mervyn (Red) Dutton, who attended St. John’s College more than a century ago and went on to play in the NHL and serve as the league president. Dutton spearheaded the creation of the Olympic-sized rink in 1967 for the school’s hockey teams and for Canada’s National Team to use for practices.

The Eric Coy Arena in Charleswood recognizes the track and field athlete, who was named Canada’s outstanding amateur athlete in 1938 after he won a gold medal in discus and a silver on the shot put at the British Empire Games in Australia. He was inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame with the inaugural class in 1980. The Grant Park Arena was renamed the Charles A. Barbour Arena to honour a man who served as the City’s director of recreation for three decades. The Sam Southern Arena in the Riverview/Lord Roberts region and the Keith Bodley Arena at the Kirkfield-Westwood Community Centre recognizes their namesakes’ contributions.

The Charlie Krupp Memorial Stadium at the Old Exhibition Grounds is no more, but it was the main home to softball from 1967 until 1990, when the city opened the John Blumberg Complex in Headingley. Krupp was a softball player and strong supporter of sport, who, when he was inducted into the Sports hall as a builder in 2003, was described as “the wee fellow from the North End who wasn’t happy if he wasn’t doing something good for somebody.” The John Blumberg sports area that includes soccer pitches and a golf course was named after a man who served for many years on the city council.

A small park between Wellington Crescent and Renfrew St. in River Heights was named Andrew Currie Park in 1997 in honour of the former City director of parks, football player and official, and 1989 Sports HOF inductee. It previously was known as Blossom Park where a group of young athletes played sports. In 2020, Honorary Blossom Boys Way signs went up to recognize their friendship since the 1950s.

The soccer complex on Waverley Street is called Ralph Cantafio after a most-deserving builder of the sport. At Red River Polytech, a soccer field honors Norm Konowalchuk, a former VP, who was involved with the sport as a coach and provincial association administrator. A storm retention pond in South Transcona used for water skiing and wakeboarding was named for city councillor Shirley Timm-Rudolph after she passed in 2014. Arena Road near the long-gone Winnipeg Stadium and Winnipeg Arena was renamed Milt Stegall Drive in 2008 to honour the former Winnipeg Blue Bomber receiver, who was inducted into the Sport HOF in 2023.