Indigenous, basketball halls announce 2026 inductees

The Manitoba Aboriginal Sports and Recreation Council inducted its 2026 Indigenous Sports Hall of Fame class on April 15. The council describes the class of five as incredible leaders whose impact reaches far beyond sport.

Heading the list is curler Kerri Einarson, a proud Red River Métis athlete who, as the hall described, redefining excellence at the highest level. Inducting an athlete such as Einarson, a skip who is still competing and still winning, is very unusual for sports shrines. They traditionally wait until an athlete has retired from competition, but that policy is starting to change as athletes in several sports, such as curling and softball, continue to play at a high level in seniors and masters categories.

Trevor Kidd, another Red River Métis athlete, played goal in the NHL from 1991-92 until 2003-04 and for Canada in the 1992 Winter Olympics. Kevin Hart, of Nisichwayasihk Cree Nation, is a former athlete and national leader dedicated to advancing Indigenous rights and community well-being. Mike Sutherland, of Peguis First Nation, was a builder, coach and mentor for Indigenous athletes. Trechelle Bunn, of the Birdtail Sioux Dakota Nation, is called an athlete, advocate, and leader who is turning sport into a path for healing and reconciliation.

The Indigenous hall has been inducting the best of the best since 2022. Among those honoured in the past are Angela Chalmers from athletics, hockey players Jocelyn Larocque, Theoren Fleury and Reggie Leach, and Shelly Hruska from ringette. Dakota Collegiate principal Jill Mathez, who was an outstanding multi-sport athlete, was inducted as a builder in the first class along with Faron Asham from baseball and Ron Brown of racquetball.

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On April 21, the Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame and Museum announced its 2026 induction class. Three athletes, three builders and two teams will be celebrated on Sept. 26 at the Victoria Inn in Winnipeg.

While playing for the University of Winnipeg from 2002 to 2007, Collège St. Norbert Collegiate grad Uzoma Asagwara earned two All-Canadian and two Canada West all-star selections and was the U of W female athlete of the year in 2006. Twice a member of Canada’s national team, Asagwara, a nurse who is now the Manitoba health minister, played in the 2007 Pan-Am Games.

River East Collegiate grad Chad Posthumus, who tragically died after suffering a brain aneurysm in 2024, played university ball in British Columbia and the U.S.A. and professionally in Argentina, Japan and China, as well as in Winnipeg for the Sea Bears.

Daniel McIntyre grad Anne Schimnowski-Boyko was a GPAC all-star in 1990 and 1994 and a CIAU/CIS All-Canadian in 1994. Builder inductee Earl Barish was the founder, president and majority owner of the Cyclone professional team that played in Winnipeg from 1995 to 2001. He also served as president of the International Basketball Association.

Ted Fardoe spent 14 years on the Winnipeg Minor Basketball League executive, including 11 as president. These days, his energy is focused on pickleball, as he serves as president of Pickleball Manitoba, which will be officially recognized May 1 as a provincial sports organization under the Sport Manitoba umbrella. During his coaching career at Glenlawn Collegiate, Bryan Kornberger saw his varsity girls teams win a record eight AAAA provincial championships and reach 12 finals. He also coached 10 Manitoba provincial teams.

The teams being honoured are the Brandon University Bobcats men and the Glenboro School Panthers varsity girls. The Bobcats won two silver and two bronze medals in the CIAU/CIS national championships between 1980 and 1984. The Panthers were the provincial A high school champions from 2004 to 2007 and again in 2009.