A Salmon Arm hockey pioneer is one of several locals given the honour of lighting the torch in the opening ceremony of the upcoming 55+ BC Games.
While he won't be competing in this year's Games, being held Sept. 10 to 14 in Salmon Arm, Don Hurst, 87, is looking forward to watching other athletes compete in two sports he's been passionate about throughout his life: baseball and hockey.
This won't be the first Games Hurst has been involved in, though it will be the first he's been given the honour of being a torch bearer, along with Gerry Thomas, Marry Pakka, Ralph Owens and Lois Angle.
"I'm coming up 88 now and I'm going ot have a hard time even just participating as a torch bearer," laughed Hurst when asked if he'd be competing. "I want to make sure I鈥檓 in good shape for that."
Hurst guessed he's taken part in about a half dozen Games, explaining he and Joy, his late wife, used to enter teams for slo-pitch. He played twice with the team Almost Angels in the 1990s.
Born in Langley, Don and Joy moved to Salmon Arm in 1970 to start a new life with their young family, taking over a small motel operation, reads a bio shared by Salmon Arm 2024 55+ BC Games President Debbie Cannon.
To further supplement the family income, Don took a job at the Memorial Arena as an ice maker 鈥� or, as local kids would fondly call him, "Don the Zamboni driver." He held that position for about 30 years until he retired in 1998.
Working at the arena and watching his son鈥檚 hockey progress fuelled Don鈥檚 passion for hockey and desire to participate in the sport itself.
In 1975, Don started The Pioneers, one of the first adult recreational hockey teams in the town. In time, more Salmon Arm teams started up and they began playing teams in other towns. This would eventually growing to today鈥檚 "large and booming old-timers daytime recreational league."
"Don鈥檚 love of baseball also drove his involvement in coaching little league and his wife鈥檚 softball team for many years, ultimately participating himself in a 55+ slo-pitch team that enjoyed many years of playing, including participating in the BC Senior Games, reads the release.
"I started late in life, mostly recreational hockey," said Don. "So I was playing hockey in the winter and slo-pitch in the summer."
Don learned from another local hockey legend (and 2010 Olympics torch bearer), Roy Sakaki, that Salmon Arm had been chosen to host this year's Games. As for being a torch bearer, Don called it an honour.
"I will be honoured to be there and I will probably see quite a lot of the events that go on there," said Don.
For more information about this year's 55+ BC Games, visit 55plusbcgames.org/salmonarm/.
