with the commonwealth Games still happening, I look back at one of my messages from 198
concerning the spirit of the BC WINTERGAMES. It does not matter the level of the games,
the important issue is the "Spirit of the Games"
the 1985 message:
"To uphold the spirit of the goals of the BC Winter Games - participation,
interest and development - members ov Vancouver Island amateur Boxing (zone 6) are plsnning to hold an Island tournament at Parkville on March 24."
The rest of the story covered a brief history of Vancouver Island boxing and tripped through the
Fifties, Sixties and Seventies.
The key paragraph that kicks of the Island story could with some changes in a few words
apply to many regions or zones in British columbia or other regions scattered across Canada.
"Island amateur boxing has a proud history of achievement in the Public Awareness,
Acceptance, Growth, Education and Safety... Its present status in amateur boxing is
a large part due to the efforts and energy of those in the past. Although it is important
for current members to carry the torch forward for GROWTH and IMPROVEMENT,
it is important to remember the past deeds of our active and retired members."
Another Flashback in the March 1984 issue covered the HASTINGS COMMUNITY CENTRE
BOXING CLUB from the early days with data on Pat O'Reilly back in the early Fifties to
some of the happenings in the Eighties including a score of names such as PETER HOGG,
MIKE O'CONNELL, steve and jason downie, glen quocksister and others.
The Vancouvee Island boxing story was picked-up by the news media, and the publication
that did a complete copy of the three decades leading up to the 1984 tournament was
"LEISURE TIMES" magazine in addition they published a photo taken in 1966 of
various boxers and coaches that competed in a Port Alberni boxing card and included
the one and only BERT LOWES in the sea of faces. That was cool for me because
I was named the Best Fighter in that card. The photo was supplied by JIM HILLS
of Port Alberni who was involved in training a Port Alberni boxer that would represent
Parksville in the 1984 Vancouver Island Amateur Boxing championships
Photo - Bert Lowes - reproduced from a January 1968 Vancouver Firefighters Boxing Club program that would be the deciding factor in the BC Team for the Tacoma Golden Gloves.
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