Annual Summit Honours Peter Bentley & Welcomes Alison Noble As Newest Trustee

VANCOUVER (Monday, September 30th, 2019) – The BC Sports Hall of Fame paid tribute to longstanding businessman, sports advocate and philanthropist Peter J.G. Bentley, O.C., O.B.C., Friday night at the inaugural Council of Chairs Dinner, part of the Sports Hall’s 2019 Annual Summit Sept. 27th-28th.

The special tribute at the Council of Chairs Dinner presented by the BC Sports Hall of Fame Foundation took place at the Inn at the Quay in New Westminster on the 20th anniversary of Bentley’s induction into the BC Sports Hall of Fame. He was inducted as winner of the W.A.C. Bennett Award in 1999, a distinction built upon a lifetime of community leadership in hockey, golf and sport in general.

Bentley left his mark as athlete, administrator, and financial supporter of several sports in the province, most notably golf and ice hockey. He played for the UBC golf team in the late 1940s and went on to become President of the BC Golf Association and Governor of the Royal Canadian Golf Association. In ice hockey, Bentley played Junior, Commercial League and for UBC, although he was best-known as a member of the group who brought NHL hockey to Vancouver in time for the 1970 season.

Bentley was celebrated along with eight winners of the Eric Whitehead Inspired Service Awards, named after the former sports editor and columnist of The Province newspaper who served as the first curator of the BC Sports Hall:

• Carolynn Boomer, Executive Director, PacificSport Interior, Kamloops, BC
• Brenda Chinn, sport sector professional and volunteer, Vancouver, BC
• Michelle Collens, Senior Manager, Sport Hosting Vancouver; President, BC Golf Association; and Vice-Chair of the BC Sports Hall of Fame, North Vancouver, BC
• Jack Fulton, long-time executive of the Salmonbellies of WLA lacrosse, New Westminster, BC Ron Jones, Honourary Trustee and former Chair of the BC Sports Hall of Fame, Maple Ridge, BC
• Bill Maclagan, Chair, BC Sports Hall of Fame Foundation; former Chair, BC Sports Hall, Vancouver, BC
• John Mills, outgoing General Manager of the Richmond Oval, founder of KidSport and former Executive Director of Sport BC, Vancouver, BC
• Rochelle Winterton, Executive Director, BC Lacrosse, Vancouver, BC.

“As storytellers who value the responsibility of honouring the past and inspiring the future, we relish the opportunity to not only celebrate some of the most important moments in BC sport history but the people, teams and organizations that help make them happen,” said Tom Mayenknecht, Chair of the BC Sports Hall of Fame. “We are indebted to those such as Peter Bentley and the former Chairs and Trustees who came before us and dedicated themselves to the preservation and promotion of BC sport heritage and culture. Friday night reflected that.”

Following the awards celebration Friday night, the Annual General Meeting took place Saturday at the BC Sports Hall of Fame where Alison Noble of Victoria, BC was elected as the newest member of the Society’s Board of Trustees. Noble is a veteran of the sport system in B.C. and is the Chief Executive Officer of the BC Games Society. She is now one of 22 Trustees governing the BC Sports Hall of Fame.

About Peter Bentley: for more information on Peter Bentley, visit bcsportshall.com/honoured_member/peter-j-g-bentley/

About the BC Sports Hall of Fame
The BC Sports Hall of Fame celebrates extraordinary achievement in BC sport history and inspires future generations to make their dreams come true. Each year, a diverse audience of visitors from around the globe are educated and enthralled by the collection of 27,000 artifacts and 100,000 archival documents representing 150-years of sporting accomplishments in British Columbia. Through Hero in You Youth Education Programs, the BC Sports Hall of Fame reaches over 6,500 youth across the province, advancing its mission of building outstanding community legacies by honouring the past and inspiring the future.

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Media Contact:

Kelly Gleeson

LBMG 604-240-6231 / kgleeson@lbmg.ca