Growing up in Fairfield in the 1920s, living life on and around the water was the norm for Alec Merriman. He spent many childhood days frolicking around Gonzales Beach and rowing on Foul Bay. As a youth, his interest in fishing saw him venture out on the waters outside the bay, where he would drop a hand line in the water angling for salmon, or wield a hand-made spear to hunt for rockfish.

He did his best to transfer his love for fishing to his comrades in the Canadian military during the Second World War, as well as to his new bride, Taffy, whom he met while serving overseas. Upon his return, he embarked on a career in newspapers, following in his father's footsteps. Naturally, he took on writing a fishing column, among other reporting duties, for the Victoria Daily Times. As his career flourished, he and his wife found themselves exploring around Vancouver Island, the perfect way to indulge his passion for the outdoors and fishing.

Over the years, his personal and professional experience visiting then-remote spots on the Island, and covering outdoor issues, helped to open up mainline logging roads to the public and create better access to areas off the beaten track. Merriman helped create legacies by successfully lobbying for the creation of provincial parks on the Island and through publication of seven road trip and backcountry recreation books. And the popular King Fisherman contest he instituted in 1960 helped instil a love of fishing in new generations.

Like many Langford boys, the roar of the nearby race track was irresistible for Gary Kershaw. He began a long and illustrious racing career in 1961 at Western Speedway, piloting a 1932 Ford stock car against such veterans as Billy Foster and Dave Cooper.

Finishing sixth overall that year gave Kershaw top rookie honours. He wound up second in 1962 and also began driving in the higher-calibre modified division. Late in that season he scored a rare double victory, winning stock car and modified 25-lap main events.

In the mid-to-late 60s he was the driver to beat at Western. He dominated the 1967 and '68 campaigns, winning 9 of 15 mains. He almost retired in 1969 but was talked into driving Rich Graham's car on the Pacific Northwest NASCAR super stock circuit. The partnership proved fruitful, as Kershaw took the title his first season, winning six of eight main events.

Kershaw and his team dominated the circuit in 1970 as well. On the heels of that solid season, he became the first Canadian to win the prestigious Permatex 200 in Riverside, California in January 1971, winning the race in his second try against a field of talented American drivers.

Named Victoria's male athlete of the year that March, he won the inaugural International Drivers' Challenge series, thrilling fans with his duels against American driver Herschel McGriff.

After five largely successful years on that circuit, he rounded out his racing career almost like he started, by driving a 1930 Ford in the Old-Time Racers Association.