Gerry Thomson

Gerry is being recognized on the Home of Champions Monument for his years of dedication to hockey in our community, particularly coaching minor hockey.

Gerry began his coaching career in 1939 with the Trail Midgets, leading the team to the Provincial Championship in 1940. In 1942, he assumed coaching duties of the Trail Junior Smoke Eaters where he enjoyed greatest success. In 1944, the team was Western Canadian Champions and played in the Memorial Cup in Toronto, losing to the Oshawa Generals.

In 1945, he coached the Trail Juveniles to the Provincial Championship before returning to coach the Trail Juniors to a Provincial Championship in 1947.

In 1951, he moved to the senior ranks, and won a Provincial Championship at this level with the Smoke Eaters. He coached the Smoke Eaters until the close of the 1953 season.

Gerry was also a strong force in the administrative side of hockey locally and provincially. He served as President of the Trail Athletic Association, President of the BC Amateur Hockey Association, and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. In 1951, Gerry was awarded the prestitious Diamon Stick Pin by the BC Amateur Hockey Association for his service to hockey in BC.

Gerry dedicated a life time to the sport of hockey in Trail and in our Province as both a Coach and an Administrator.

Glen Kalesniko

Glen Kalesniko estimates that over the last 33 years, he has trained between eight and ten thousand students and mentored over 20 nationally recognized champions.  His Pride Gym has become a main fixture in the City of Trail.  The list of champions that Glen has trained is indeed numerous.

Glen's list of champions include Leeanne McLim (Canadian Muay Thai Super Bantam champion), Brent Russell (six time Gladiators North American champion), Francis Pettitt (North American Bantam Title), Charles Bisset (World Cruiser Weight champion and Suwit Stadium champion in Thailand), Boom Watt Hanaya, Gavin Neil, and Wesley Neil to name a few.

Besides training champions, Glen is instrumental in promoting physical fitness with local youth at Pride Gym by working with school groups, youth groups, summer camps and hockey teams.

Glen was inducted in 2019.

Glen Sanders

Glen began a coaching career in 1978 with the Trail Pee Wee rep team.  This was followed by three years coaching the Trail Bantam Rep team.  In 1984, Glen's scouting career began when he was invited to help secure talent for the Prince Albert Raiders of the W.H.A.  

Glen coached the Trail Junior B team for two years, winning coach of the year in 1987.  The same year, he was hired by Ken Hitchcock to scout for the Kamploops Blazers.  For ten years, Glen helped the team win six Memorial Cups and winning three of them.

In 1996, Glen became the General Manager for the new Trail Junior A team.  After three seasons, he returned to scouting and took on the position as head scout for the Tri City Americans, then the Regina Pats.  

In 2004, Glen was hired to scout for the NHL's Nashville Predators, a position he contiues to hold.

Glen has dedicated his life to many hours on the road, visiting countless hockey arenas, and helping many young players realize their hockey dreams.

Glen was inducted in 2019.

Gordie Robertson

Gordie played every sport.

He had swum from Castlegar to Trail, played lacrosse, baseball, softball and hockey.

He played with a minor hockey bantam team which won the B.C. Championship. As a juvenile, he played for the Nanaimo Clippers in 1945 and came back to play for the Smokies in 1946-47.

In 1952, his team won the Gold Medal in the Olympics while he played for the Edmonton Mercury Champs. In 1958-59 he played with the Smokies when they went to the Allan Cup. Gordon "Gordie" Robertson was born on June 25, 1926.

Gordon Longmuir

Ambassador & Plenipotentiary of Canada to the Kingdom of Cambodia, Phnom Penh.

Mr. Longmuir was born in Trail in 1937 and was educated at schools in Trail and Victoria.

He served from 1955-1962 in the Royal Canadian Navy, attaining the rank of Lieutenant.

Gordon is a graduate of the University of British Columbia (Honours BA, International Studies, 1965) and the National Defence College of Canada (1980).

After joining the Department of External Affairs in 1965, Gordon served in:
New York, Tokyo (twice), Saigon and Hanoi (International Control Commission in Indochina, 1967-1969), Seoul & Bangkok (1984-1986 with accreditation also in Vietnam and Laos), New Delhi, 1991-1995 as Deputy High Commissioner for Canada, with accreditation as Minister Counsellor in Nepal.

At headquarters, he served in the Asia Pacific Branch and in the Defence Relations Division.

He was Canadian Secretary to the Canada-USA Permanent Joint Board on Defence from 1976-1979.

Gordon attended the National Defence College of Canada in 1979-1980.

He was Director of the Caribbean and Central America Division from 1987-1991.

He presented His Letters of Credence to His Majesty King Norodom Sihanouk Varman on August 17, 1995.

Graham Kenyon

Graham Kenyon was born in Leicester England and immigrated to Canada in 1961 settling in Rossland and was employed by Cominco/Teck.  He became active in local wildlife and conservation organizations and carried forward his dedication to environmental causes to the provincial and national levels.  He became President of the Trail Wildlife Association, President of the BC Wildlife Federation, was a member of the BC Environmental Appeal Board, Director of the Canadian Wildlife Federation and founding Chair of the BC Conservation Foundation. 

Locally he was a member of the Trail Lead Task Force, a founding member of the Trail Environmental Health Committee and a Director of Community Futures.  Graham passed away in April 2015.

Graham Livingston

Trail-born Graham Livingston was first introduced to the world of weightlifting and bodybuilding while a student at JL Crowe in the 1970s. He built a camaraderie with fellow lifters Jim Halpin and Larry Kucher, who encouraged him to enter his first competition in Vancouver in 1978, at the age of 21. He returned home from that competition as both Mr. Vancouver and Mr. BC.

His dedicated and regimented training continued over the next decade, accumulating awards from across Canada and the Pacific Northwest in the light heavyweight and middleweight divisions.

Securing second and top spots over the years in the Mr. BC and BC Summer Cup competitions, his crowning achievement came in August 1988, where he secured first place in the middleweight division and second overall in the Mr. North America competition.

Graham’s passion for the sport and representation of his community did not go unnoticed. In the early iterations of the Home of Champions program, he was the recipient of the 1988 Home of Champions Athlete Award by Trail City Council. He was also awarded a 1988 Certificate of Merit, issued by the Prime Minister’s Office for Service to his Community.

Graham’s dynamic presence in Trail’s fitness facilities was an inspiration to a generation of athletes. He built quite a home gym for himself, but generously donated it to the city to enhance their equipment and facilities when located in the arena. In fact, the chin up bar still in use in the aquatic centre’s fitness centre came from Graham’s home gym!

We are proud to again, and formally, recognize Graham as the first Home of Champions inductee for bodybuilding in 2025.

Grant Rutherglen

Grant was born in Rossland and began skiing at an early age and soon became an elite ski racer.  He won many medals in regional, provincial, and national events, culminating with winning the National Ski Championship in 1973 for the Pontiac Cup series.  From 1968 to 1973, Grant was a member of the Canadian National Ski Team.

In 1976, Grant began working as an alpine ski racing coach at Red Mountain.  By 1981, under his tutelage, nine members of the Red Mountain Racers went on to compete for Canada at many World Cup ski events and Olympics.

He has been a member of the Canadian Ski Coaches Federation for 39 years and was recently nominated for induction into the CSCF's Hall of Fame.  From 1982 to 1988, Grant coached disabled skiers through the Canadian Association of Disabled Skiers in Switzerland, Austria, and Sweden.  In 1984, he was a Canadian coach at the Disabled Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria and at the National Championships in Kimberley.  In 1982 and 1986, he was a ski coach at the World Championships and the National Championships.  In 1988, he was a Canadian coach at the Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria.

Grant has dedicated thousands of hours to coaching and training young skiers to excel at the world and national levels and is very deserving to be recognized on the Home of Champions Monument.

Greg Barber

Greg is one of only twenty-some Canadians to complete the Seven Summits, climbing the highest mountain on each of the seven continents.

He climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa 19,339’, Denali in Alaska 20,320’, Aconcagua in Argentina 22,840’, Elbrus in Russia 18,841’, Carstensz in Papua New Guinea 16,023’, Vinson Massif in Antarctica 16,067’,  Cho-Oyu in Tibet 26,906’ and Mount Everest in Nepal at 29,035 feet.

Greg has climbed over 10,000 feet many times in his life, and summitted at least 15 peaks above that elevation, a feat of which any climber would be proud.

He can truly boast he has been to the top of the world several times.

Greg was inducted in 2019.

Helen Bourchier

MASTERS CHAMPION - CROSS COUNTRY SKIING
Helen has participated and excelled in sports and athletics since her high school years. While attending Rossland High School, she participated in both junior and senior teams in basketball, volleyball, curling and bowling, track and field, and swimming.
She continued her athletic endeavours while attending Normal school in Vancouver, playing on the volleyball, basketball, and bowling teams.

As a teacher, she has coached a variety of sports teams, including the J.L. Crowe girls’ basketball team that was second in the BC Provincials.

At 46 years of age, Helen returned to competitive skiing, an activity started with her parents at the age of 3 or 4. Helen started to participate in local competitions, BC Winter Games, Western American Championship, the Western Canadian and National Championships, earning success at each level.

Helen has recently become a World Champion in Masters Cross Country Skiing, competing in Quebec, Alaska and Switzerland. She has attended 6 World Championships and has won a total of 7 Gold medals, 7 Silver medals and 4 Bronze medals. In 1999, she won the Gold medal and 2 Silvers in the World Masters Cross Country Skiing Championships in Switzerland; in 2000, she won 2 Gold medals in the World Championships in Sweden, and just recently this year won 3 Silvers in the World Championships in Austria.

Helen has also competed in 10 BC Seniors Games in the cycling events, winning 14 Gold, 12 Silver and 2 Bronze medals.
Helen is quoted as saying “If it’s nice, I like to ski everyday.” She skis 15 to 20 km every time out to keep in shape for her competitive distances. When the snow leaves, she gets out her bicycle and puts on two hours a day. Her Masters World Championships attract over 1,000 athletes from 23 countries, and Helen has been fending them off since 1989. It is her stamina, dedication and consistent excellence that makes her a marvel.

Helen is married to Pete and has 3 daughters.

Helen Dahlstrom

Helen Dahlstrom was awarded the 1998 Order of British Columbia.

Mrs. Dahlstrom's contribution to music in our area is legendary and may be unparalleled in the province. Her interest in music and the teaching of young performers has led to numerous positions in a long list of local, provincial and national music organizations for over 70 years. Through this dedication, she has guided young musicians to major achievements in music in Canada, the United States and Europe.

She was instrumental in the establishment of Canada Music Week to recognize and promote the work of Canadian composers and was Chairman of this organization for 25 years.

She was an organist and choir leader of St. Andrew's Church in Rossland and for thirty-five years, was a director and conductor of the A Capella Singers.

Jason Bay

Jason was born and raised in Trail and rose through the ranks of the Trail Youth Baseball system. He was a member of the 1990 Canadian Little League Champions and a member of the 16-18 Year Old World Series Team and a member of the 1996 National Junior Team. He attended North Idaho College in 1997 and Gonzaga University in 1998, where he was a two-time All Conference Selection.

Jason was drafted by the Montreal Expos in 2000. He played minor pro baseball before making his Major League debut with the San Diego Padres in 2003. San Diego traded him to Pittsburgh, where he finished the season. In 2004, Jason had a stellar season with the Pirates and was named the Naitonal League Rookie of the Year, the first Canadian to win a Rookie award.

Jeff Lakes

Jeff Lakes was born in Trail in April 1962. He began climbing at age 18 on bluffs and mountains in and around Trail. Jeff became an experienced mountaineer, an expert ice climber, and a talented photographer.

As his climbing techniques improved, he began climbing in more challenging locales, mostly in the Canadian Rockies.

His resume over his 15 year climbing career include solo ascents in the Canadian Rockies, ascents of peaks in the Peruvian and Bolivian Andes, in the Himalayas, and in Alaska. Photographs taken by Jeff during these adventures have appeared in numerous mountaineering and outdoor magazines in Canada and the United States.

Throughout his career, Jeff was known for his skill, his awareness of safety, and his competence. He taught many others the basics of climbing, introducing them to the sport he loved.

In 1993, Jeff was part of a Dutch expedition attempting to climb K2 in Pakistan, the world's second highest mountain. This expedition was turned back due to a severe storm.

In 1995, the opportunity arose again for Jeff to be part of a New Zealand team attempting to climb K2. Tragedy struck the team when it was hit by a severe storm and Jeff and 6 other climbers perished on the mountain.

In memory of Jeff, the College of the Rockies in Fernie has named a climbing wall in his honour to assist others in participating in the sport of mountaineering.

Jim Anderson

Jim was born in 1916 and began to play hockey at the age of 10.  This would prove to be a lifelong dedication to the sport of hockey and its growth locally, provincially and nationally.

Jim excelled as a player and became a member of the Trail Senior Smoke Eaters in the late 1930s before enlisting for WWII.  Following the war, he rejoined the Smoke Eaters before becoming coach of the Trail junior team in 1949.  Under his direction, the juniors won the BC Championship in 1950 and 1952.

From 1958 to 1963, he served as the Association's Secretary-Treasurer.  From 1963 to 1986 he was the Association's Honourary Vice-President.

Jim's major contribution to the administration of hockey in BC and Canada came through support for the rules of the game.  He was the Chairman of the BC Amateur Hockey Association's Rule Committee and Referee in Chief for 5 years and was the Western Canada representative of the CAHA Rule Committee for 5 years as well, including Chair of the Committee for 3 years.

In 1974, Jim received the CAHA Meritorious Award for service to hockey in Canada.  Previously, he had been awarded the BCAHA prestigious Diamond Stick Award for his service to hockey in BC.  Jim made a significant contribution to the evolution of amateur hockey in BC and Canada through both the BCAHA and the CAHA.

Jim Mailey

James Anthony Mailey was involved in just about every kind of sport available in Trail and will always be remembered as someone who always had the sport's best interest at heart.

Jim was born in Vegreville, Alberta.

He played junior hockey with the Trail Smoke Eaters and the Nanaimo Clippers and senior hockey with the Trail Smoke Eaters.

Jim coached Midget, Juvenile, Junior and Intermediate hockey in Trail.

He refereed at all levels of hockey, including Junior, Senior and the Allan Cup finals. He also organized and instructed referee clinics in B.C.

Jim was very active as President, Secretary and Director of the Trail Minor Hockey Association for many years. He held positions with the B.C. Amateur Hockey Association, including Referee-in-Chief and representative to the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. For many years, he was also very active with the Trail Athletic Association.

Together with Bobby Kromm and Art Misisco, Jim established the Bobby Kromm Summer Hockey School in Trail.

Jim was presented with the Diamond Stick Award in 1978, one of only four area residents that have received this honour.

In 1984, Jim was named Kiwanis Sportsman of the Year. This award is bestowed upon a Trail citizen who has given endlessly, over a long period of time, to sports in Trail, The Home of Champions.

Jimmy Morris

In 1974, Jimmy Morris was elected to the BC Sports Hall of Fame as a multi-talented athlete.

Jimmy was born in Tacoma, Washington on December 15, 1911.

He arrived in Trail in 1925 and first played organized hockey during the 1927-28 season for Peter McIntyre's Trail Juniors. He joined the Trail Smoke Eaters in 1932 and played until 1946 when he retired as an active player.

In 1939, Jimmy was a member of the World Championship Smokies.

His success in sports was not confined to hockey. He also excelled in lacrosse, soccer, rugby, baseball, softball, basketball, and track and field. He played on at least 27 BC championship teams, an outstanding achievement that will be difficult to duplicate.

Joanne Cutler

Born Joanne Nutini in Trail in 1967, Joanne attended JL Crowe Secondary School, where she took a special interest in playing basketball.  In 1984, she was chosen to BC's Under 17 team and the following year led the JL Crowe basketball team to a 9th place finish in the BC High School Championships, being named to the tournament all-star team.

Following graduation, she attended the University of Victoria and quickly rose to starting centre on the university's bastketball team.  In 1982, the UVic women finished 2nd in the Canadian Interuniversity Championships.  They won the 1987 Championship and placed 3rd in the 1988 tournament.  Joanne was selected to the CIS National Championship All-Star team in the 1988 tournament.

Joanne has represented BC and Canada in numerous national and international basketball tournaments and currently teaches in North Vancovuer and continues to be involved in basketball as a coach.

Joe Drennan

Joseph Albert Drennan was President and Chief Executive Officer of West Kootenay Power from 1980 to 1993.
During this period Mr. Drennan successfully guided West Kootenay Power through two significant business transformations. The first occurred when Cominco set West Kootenay at arms length from its mining operations. That meant West Kootenay had to get into the money markets, purchase dams and networks from Cominco, find a new head quarters, and build from scratch many of the basic support services required to run a company.

Mr. Drennan orchestrated the company's development in Trail. Then in 1986, before the dust had settled from the first major change, Cominco chose to divest itself of non-core assets like West Kootenay Power.

A year later UtiliCorp United acquired WKP. It was a turning point for both companies, the first international acquisition for UtiliCorp, which today serves 4 million customers in five different countries.

From that point forward, Mr. Drennan and UtiliCorp redoubled their commitment to Greater Trail, a commitment that resulted in the construction of a $4.5 million head office in 1993.

Things continue to evolve and grow for UtiliCorp in Canada. The ebb and flow of the global market place that Joe Drennan foresaw and embraced every day.

Few Trailites would know that he was a past chairman of the Canadian Electric Association, whose members represent hundreds of billions dollars in utility investments and electric sales across our country. Or that he was a well-respected director of the Western Electric Power Institute, which dealt with bilateral industry interests in both Canada and the United States.

To everyone in Trail he was "Joe", a likeable unassuming gentleman who was as comfortable in the international arena as he was in the Cominco Arena.

Joe Drennan passed away on December 31, 1993.

Joe Haley

In 1934, Joe Haley competed in the British Empire Games Trials where he placed first in the high jump and qualified to compete in the 1934 British Empire Games. At the games, he won the silver medal in the high jump.

In 1936, Joe Haley was the first participant to represent Trail in the Olympic Games.

Pat, Joe and Paul Haley, legends in Trail track and field during the 1930's and 1940'sHe also participated in the 1937 British Empire Games.

Joe Haley has held the Canadian high jump record.

The Warfield track oval was named in his honour.

Joe Kobluk

Joe began a career in radio as a student announcer with CJAT in Trail in 1942. He became a full-time announcer in 1944 and rose to be General Manager in 1960 and Managing Director in 1965. Joe left CJAT in 1976.

With his broadcasting experience, Joe participated in many community events and activities. He was Master of Ceremonies for numerous functions, such as building and business openings and special events in the community. He conducted and directed local talent presentations on stage and on the air, sporting events and community displays.

He has been involved in many community and charitable organizations, usually becoming President. These include: the Catholic Youth Organization, Knights of Columbus, Trail & District Arts Council, Trail & District Chamber of Commerce, Trail Rotary Club, Trail International Film Society, Trail Regional Hospital Foundation, and the Trail Senior Hockey Club.

Joe also Chaired committees that organized major community events, such as the 1951 Jubilee of Incorporation, the 1967 Centennial Committee, the 1971 Esplanade Centennial Park Project, the Trail Day at Expo ’74 in Spokane, Washington, the 1976 City Diamond Jubilee Celebration and the Kootenay Music Festival. In 1977, Joe received the Queen’s Silver Medal for his dedication and service to his community.
Joe also assisted with the founding of the Knights of Columbus Trail/Warfield Citizen of the Year and the Home of Champions Monument.

Joe’s dedication to improving the welfare of his community and its residents is remarkable.