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SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 emailsports@oakvillebeaver.com* FRIDAY, MARCH 31,2006 35 Local paddling community loses a legend By Jon Kuiperij BEAVER SPORTS EDITOR The local paddling community lost a legend earlier this week with the passing of Bert Oldershaw. Oldershaw died Tuesday m orning at B u rlin g to n 's Joseph B rant Memorial Hospital after collapsing the previous evening at Lakeshore Place, an assisted retirem ent home he had lived in for two weeks. He was 84 years old. Oldershaw was a three-tim e Olympian, reaching the canoeing finals in the 1948, 1952 and 1956 Games. However, it is what Oldershaw achieved following his competitive canoeing and kayaking days th at he will likely be most remembered for. The Toronto native founded the Mississauga Canoe Club and Six Nations Canoe Club, encouraged former Olympic partner Bill Collins to form the Burloak Canoe Club and helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars in sponsorships for the Aquatic Federation of Canada. Two years ago, Oldershaw was recognized for his contributions to am ateur athletics by being inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame as a builder. "I see all the things he's created that wouldn't be available for people if he had n 't done all the things h e's done," Oldershaw's son Dean said Wednesday when asked to reflect on his father's life. "The canoeing, certainly... there would be no Burloak Canoe Club or Mississauga Canoe Club. All the success Burloak has had wouldn't J>e there if he hadn't got involved in canoeing." B ert's passion for paddling has lived on through his family. All five of his chil dren -- Dean, Reed, Scott, Lee and Lynn -- have won Canadian championships or competed at the world championship or Olympic level, while grandson Mark won two gold medals at the world junior canoe championships in 2001. Scott and Dean Oldershaw continue to coach with the Burloak Canoe Club. Scott, the head coach at Burloak, was Adam van Koeverden's personal coach when van Koeverden won gold and bronze medals in kayaking at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Bert Oldershaw's body was cremated Wednesday. The family will hold a m emo rial Sunday at the Burloak Canoe Club, located at 150 Water St., beginning at 2 p.m. Bert Oldershaw Down you go EVERYONE W ELCO M E Spaces are filling up fast so email T O D A Y to reserve your spot: tra in in g @ fro z e n ro p e s c a n a d a .c a ccccccc Player Evaluation ccccccc RON KUZYKI OAKVILLE BEAVER I 1 Frozen Ropes baseball cap or t-shirt with · program sign up! 2009 Wyecroft Road Oakville ON 16 1 6J4 Cali 905.847.7697 FINALS INTENSITY: Rob Dziuryn (right) of the Buckley's Flames pushes an unidentified DPI Gators opponent to the ice during Wednesday's MOHA house league bantam red championship game at Dominion Twin Rinks. The Flames edged the Gators 3-2. MOMs Awards Week continues until Saturday. For results from Tuesday's and Wednesday's championship games, see page 36. SSL www.frozenropescanada.ca