A host of upcoming hall inductions

A long list of Manitoba athletes, builders and teams will be honoured between May 2 and 5. Over the four-day period, the provincial softball, curling and golf halls of fame will hold their annual induction ceremonies.

The 23rd induction ceremony of the Manitoba Softball Hall of Fame is scheduled for Saturday, May 2, at the Victoria Inn and Conference Centre in Brandon. The Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame will induct its 2026 class on Sunday, May 3, at the Victoria Inn in Winnipeg. The Pine Ridge Golf and Country Club will be where the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame inducts its 2025 group of honourees on Tuesday, May 5.

The 2026 softball class includes Al Norris and Dave Saulnier, who played the outfield for the Winnipeg Colonels, who won the first Western Major Fastball League championships in 1973. In addition to captaining the Colonels, Norris played on other senior A championships teams in Manitoba before relocating to Calgary in the 1980s, where he coached and managed. Saulnier switched to slo-pitch where he played for Beavers, who dominated the sport for many years.

An infielder, Brian Gadsby played fastball for many seasons, winning a senior A provincial title with the Steinbach A&W Stealers. In slo-pitch, he played for a SPN National 60+ champion and won three silver medals with the Manitoba Keystone Canucks at the Huntsman World Championships in Utah. Dean Fuller from Boissevain caught for the Minto Mustangs and Winnipeg Penguins for 11 seasons, winning provincial intermediate A and senior B titles. James Mann was an outstanding outfielder in Brandon fastball for 20 seasons, then switched to slo-pitch in his early 60s and played until he was 76.

Larry Skinner is being inducted in the all-around category. In Winnipeg, from the mid-1960s until 1970, he coached and managed and served as president of the Manitoba Major Fastball League. In 1971, he moved to Ottawa as the first executive director of the Canadian Amateur Softball Association. The teams being inducted are the U21 women’s squad that won silver in the 2013 Canada Summer Games and 1999-2003 Westman Magic. Provincially, the Magic girls won three gold, a silver and a bronze in provincial midget and junior play over the five-year period.

Curling will recognize several championship teams. In 2008 and 2009, teams skipped by Kaitlyn Lawes,with Jenna Loder at third, won the Canadian junior women’s championship. Liz Peters and Sarah Wazney were the front end in 2008, when the team won bronze in the world championship. The next season, Laryssa Grenkow and Breanne Meakin helped the team win silver at the worlds.

The 2013 and 2016 Canadian junior men’s championship teams skipped by Matt Dunstone with Colton Lott at third won bronze at the worlds both years. Daniel Grant and Brendan MacCuish were the front end in 2013; Kyle Doering and Rob Gordon in 2016. On March 8 of this year, Dunstone and Lott added to their laurels when their Granite team, with brothers E.J. and Ryan Harnden on the front end, won the Canadian men’s championship.

In 2009, Sean Grassie’s team of Allison Nimik, Ross Derksen and Kendra Green won the Canadian mixed championship. Reid Carruthers, whose long list of accomplishments includes curling for a world men’s champion and junior, men’s and mixed provincial champions, and Derek Samagalski, a men’s and mixed champion, will be inducted as individual curlers.

Golfers Jill Hardy, Nick Mickoski and Sandy Paterson (recognized as both an athlete and builder) and builder Tim Campbell make up the golf hall of fame class. Hardy won the Manitoba women’s amateur championship four times between 2001 and 2009 and was named Manitoba amateur golfer of the year in 2004. Mickoski, who died in 2002, was better known as an NHL hockey player and a Winnipeg Jets coach, but on the golf course he won the Manitoba amateur in 1966 and the senior title in 1983.

Paterson competed on the Canadian tour from 1972 until 1977 and was the head pro at Breezy Bend from 1978 until 2014. He was twice named PGA of Manitoba professional of the year. Campbell covered golf as a Winnipeg Free Press sportswriter. In 2010, he won first and second-place honours in the Golf Journalists Association of Canada writing awards. He was inducted to the Manitoba Sportswriters and Sportscasters Media Roll of Honour in 2012.