Builders

Alex Nelson (2017)

Alex Nelson

Born in 1946, Alex is a proud member of the Musgamagwx Dzawada’enuwx First Nations in Kincome Inlet. At age seven, he was taken away from family and community and became a seven-year product and survivor of St. Michaels Residential School in Alert Bay. Today, he maintains a strong family foundation with his wife Nella of 45 years, daughter Natasha, grandsons Gigalis and Braden and great-grandson Marcus. His strong cultural background has been reinforced through his father Henry Nelson’s Chieftainship and by the Nelsons’ past four Potlatches. Alex is also a Hamatcha Cedar Man Dancer.

Alex holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Leisure Studies from the University of Victoria. He is an Elder and Senior Advisor to the Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation Council, and helped create the then-Aboriginal Sport, Recreation and Physical Activity Strategy for BC (the first strategy of its kind in Canada).

Past Executive Director of the Victoria Native Friendship Centre, Alex is a founder of the Aboriginal Sports & Recreation Association of BC - at that time the only “recognized” Aboriginal sport organization in Canada. He is also a founder of the National Aboriginal Sports Circle and was the first Chair and three-time President of the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) Council. He has served as Aboriginal Team BC Chef de Mission for the 1993 and 1995 North American Indigenous Games, Board Member of the Native Participation Committee for the 1994 Commonwealth Games and member of the Minister's Sport & Recreation Advisory Council of BC.

One of his greatest and proudest achievements was helping organize the 1997 NAIG in Victoria which drew over 5,000 athletes, 3,000 cultural performers and 2,500 volunteers on a budget of only $2.5 million!

Alex is also a Level 1 Soccer Coach with 40+ years’ experience coaching youth and adult Aboriginal soccer teams. He helped expand the Victoria T-Bird Soccer Club to include women and five youth age groups. As an athlete, he has received many All-Star awards including gold medals in Soccer at the 2009 and 2016 BC Senior Games and he currently plays on a "65 & Over" team in the Vancouver Island Soccer League.

Alex knows that connection, ceremony and a sense of belonging are important to children so he has dedicated his life to helping youth as a founder of the Kwaguilth Urban Suicide Prevention & Intervention Group, where he has conducted community and self-help suicide prevention workshops for 18 years. He also lectures on Aboriginal issues to universities, high schools, communities and at conferences.

Other awards Alex has received include the Queen's 125th Commemorative Medal for Community Services, the 1998 C-FAX Runner-up Sports Person Community Award, the 1998 Victoria Sports Leader of the Year Award and City of Victoria 2002 Honourary Citizen. He also was a 2010 Olympic Torch Relay carrier.

Sport has always been a vehicle for freedom and healing for Alex: "My responsibility is to give to the next generation what sport has given to me.”

John & Marilyn Bate (2016)

John & Marilyn Bate

Marilyn Bate

John & Marilyn Bate

John Bate

How did an accomplished young figure skater from Saskatoon come to meet and marry a scrappy Vancouver ice hockey player? Little did John Bate know that a dare from his work colleagues to join the Ice Capades in 1958 would have a profound impact on his life. Marilyn had been with the Ice Capades for a year and they toured North America and Russia together for five years before retiring to get married.

After their marriage, Marilyn worked as a Dental Assistant while John was Building Supervisor at the Pacific National Exhibition in the new Agrodome. They moved to Victoria in 1965 and John’s career really took off. His work accomplishments include: Assistant Manager of the Victoria Memorial Arena and later Royal Athletic Park, McPherson Playhouse and Royal Theatre and Manager at Crystal Pool. In 1970, John became Deputy Director of Recreation for the City of Victoria and in 1997, he retired as the Director of Parks and Recreation.

Marilyn’s and John’s accomplishments and community work are impressive. Separately and together, they have been involved in international, national and local sport competitions in figure skating, speed skating, fast pitch, basketball, lacrosse, ice hockey, curling, golf, darts, tennis, and soccer. They have been recognized many times by the Recreation Facilities Association of BC (R.F.A.B.C.). A few of their outstanding achievements include:

John
• 1967 – R.F.A.B.C. Manager of the Year Award
• 1968 – Award of Merit, R.F.A.B.C. for Meritorious Service
• 1982 - Facilities & Awards Chairman Air Canada Cup, National Hockey Championships.
• 1984 – Media Relations Vice-Chairman, Labatts’ Brier Men’s Canadian Curling Championships
• 1985 - Honorary President, R.F.A.B.C. Honour Roll
• 1988 - Certificate of Merit, Service to the Community, Government of Canada
• 1988 – Chairman, Celebration ’88 Olympic Torch Ceremony, Greater Victoria
• 1991& 93 – Chairman, Membership Committee, IAAM International Association Arena & Auditorium Managers
• 1991 – Charter Member and past President of the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame (GVSHOF)
• 1993 – Life Membership Award, Recreation Facilities Association of BC
• 1994 - Co-Chair, Memorial Arena & Royal Athletic Park, 1994 Commonwealth Games
• 1994 to 2016 – Chairman, GVSHOF “Dobber Classic” Golf Tournament
• 1995 – Greater Victoria Sports Council Award in Recognition of Outstanding Contribution to the Sporting Community.
• 1995/96 – Board of Directors, Tourism Victoria
• 1999/2000 – Director of Sport, Victoria BC Summer Games
• 2016 - Honorary Life Member of the GVSHOF

Marilyn
• Treasurer, Hillside Park National Little League Baseball
• Secretary and Chairman, Vancouver Island Little League Baseball Association
• Public Relations Officer, Skate Canada and the Canadian Figure Skating Championships
• School District 61 parent representative and District Chair of the Adhoc Committee
• 1994 – R.F.A.B.C. Harry Atkinson Award
• Registrar, 22 years for the GVSHOF “Dobber Classic” Golf tournament
• 2016 - Honorary Life Member of the GVSHOF

For some people, Marilyn and John may best be known for their decorated home and yard at Christmas time. The Bates led the way in Victoria’s Annual Christmas spirit for over 30 years on “Candy Cane Lane.” Marilyn and John have a son, David and daughter, Lisa and 6 lovely grandchildren.

SPONSORED BY THE RECREATION FACILITIES ASSOCIATION OF BC

Builders

Alex Nelson (2017)

John & Marilyn Bate (2016)

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