For those of you, like Amelia, who have asked (and keep asking), yes, it’s true, I once worked as a sports scribe. But please don’t hold that against me. I’ve reformed. I don’t write about jocks anymore. Quit cold gobbler just last week.
I began my journalism career in the mail room of a Winnipeg newspaper in 1969, the same year man first walked on the moon. The moon is still there. The newspaper isn’t. I would lug two, sometimes three, large sacks of mail from the post office across the street to the business office at the Winnipeg Tribune. Twice a day. Then I’d sort it and distribute it to the various departments of the six-story structure. It was my baptism in a career that stretched across three decades, followed by an after-life as a freelance writer/blogger.
I might write a book about it—Mail Room to Menopause: That’s all She Wrote after 45 Years. Here are the gory details…
Winnipeg Tribune—1969-80: Mail room, editorial copy runner, sports reporter.
Covered: Winnipeg Jets in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League, Manitoba Junior Hockey League, Western Canada Hockey League, Canadian Amateur Senior Hockey League, Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League, amateur and professional boxing, tennis, high school football, university football, junior football, provincial curling championships, figure skating, auto racing, horse racing at Assiniboia Downs, Manitoba Junior Baseball League, high school track championships, bowling, Canadian national tennis championships…
Toronto Sun—1980-82: Sports columnist.
Covered: Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Blue Jays, Toronto Argonauts, Toronto Blizzard, North American Soccer League, National Football League, Super Bowl, Grey Cup, Major League Baseball, world championship boxing, world curling championships, minor league baseball, ATP tennis, Virginia Slims tennis, Canadian Open tennis, Canadian Open golf, horse racing at Woodbine, Harlem Globetrotters, 1981 Canada Cup, world junior hockey championships, world hockey championships…
Calgary Sun—1982-85: Sports columnist, sports editor
Covered: Calgary Flames, Calgary Stampeders, Grey Cup, Super Bowl, Pacific Coast League baseball, Pioneer League baseball, World Cup skiing, Stanley Cup final, local tennis, the Brier, Calgary Stampede rodeo, horse racing at Stampede Park, Seniors PGA tournament…
Toronto Star—1986: Sports copy editor.
Winnipeg Sun—1986-99: Sports columnist, Jets beat writer, sports editor (twice)
Covered: Winnipeg Jets, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Winnipeg Goldeyes, the Grey Cup, Super Bowl, Stanley Cup playoffs, world championship boxing, local boxing, the Pan-American Games, horse racing at Assiniboia Downs, the Brier, world curling championships, provincial curling championships, Olympic curling trials, Morris Stampede rodeo, Manitoba Open golf tournament, junior golf, ladies’ Canadian Open golf tournament…
Noteworthy:
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Only living sports reporter to cover both the Jets final game in the WHA and first game in the NHL.
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Only living sports writer to cover Winnipeg Jets’ first rookie training camp in Ste. Agathe, Que.
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Only sports writer to ever play an official game for the Winnipeg Jets (as a replacement for Patrick Daley in the final exhibition of rookie training camp in Ste. Agathe).
- Only living sports writer to cover the last three Winnipeg Blue Bombers Grey Cup victories.
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Only living sports writer to cover the 1975 World Junior Hockey Championships in Winnipeg.
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One of only a handful of sports journalists to cover the Don Lalonde-Sugar Ray Leonard title bout in Las Vegas.
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One of only a handful of living Canadian sports writers to cover Muhammad Ali’s final fight in the Bahamas.
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One of only a handful of Canadian sports journalists to cover Canada’s first World Junior hockey championship gold medal victory, in Rochester, Minn., 1982.
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Covered Edmonton Oilers’ first Stanley Cup championship.
Major events covered: Super Bowl-6
Grey Cup-10
Stanley Cup final-2
World Hockey Association final-2
World Hockey Championships-1
World Junior Hockey Championships-2
Brier-7
World Curling Championships-3
Olympic curling trials-1
World boxing title fights-2
World Series-1
Special Olympics-1
Canadian Open golf-2
Canadian Open tennis-1
Radio: Color commentary on Winnipeg Jets broadcasts, WHA and NHL; Host of Prime Time Sports on CJOB; daily sports commentary on CJAY in Calgary.
Television: Regular guest on Global late night sports, Sports Hot Seat (Calgary).
Freelance sports writing: The Hockey News (Winnipeg reporter), MVP magazine, Calgary Magazine, Canada History magazine, Tankard Times, Heart Chart, The Huddle magazine, Manitoba Hockey News magazine.
Work has appeared in: Every major daily newspaper in Canada, plus the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Seattle Times, the Denver Post.
Freelance work: Statistician and PR for Canadian Amateur Senior Hockey League.
Statistician and PR for Manitoba Junior Baseball League.
Post-mainstream media career: Copy editor, Canwest News Service in Winnipeg.
Sports reporter, Victoria News
Copy editor, Victoria Times Colonist
Freelance writer, Monday Magazine
Author of 10 books, including five with sports-related themes and one based in Winnipeg/St-Pierre-Jolys
Writing awards: 2012 Q Award for writing on LGBT issues in Victoria.
In the Community: Represented Winnipeg Tribune and Winnipeg Sun at countless charity functions.
Bi-weekly contributions to Harvest food bank.
Played for West Kildonan North Stars of the MJHL.
Most valuable player in 1969 Greater Winnipeg Minor Hockey Association Juvenile tournament.
Played for various teams in local slo-pitch and fastball leagues.
Coached Peanuts League baseball at Bronx Park Community Club.
Coached Midget hockey team at East End Community Club.
Refereed and umpired kids’ hockey/baseball at Bronx Park.
Now you know the rest of the story.
words are all i have 