Order of Canada coach, founder honoured by Canada West
James Daly is inducted into the Canada West Hall of Fame
CALGARY - James Daly is the latest member to be inducted into the CW Hall of Fame, the conference announced Thursday. Daly’s legacy lives through every athlete who walks through doors into Manitoba’s indoor field house. The man the complex is named after was a remarkable coach, builder, fundraiser and advocate for athletes in the province.
Daly was a well-known coach, who devoted more than 65 years of his life to his athletes. He founded the track and field club at the University of Manitoba, and coached there until 1996.
Daly’s commitment to athletics ventured far outside the track – he led a group that brought the 1967 Pan Am Games to Winnipeg before becoming the games’ executive director. He also managed the Canadian Olympic team in 1964, served on the board for Tennis Canada, advised the 2002 North American Indigenous Games, and acted as the chef de mission for two Commonwealth Games.
He valued all aspects of the athletics, working hard to help plan the University of Manitoba’s Frank Kennedy Centre and indoor complex, which made way for the world-class Active Living Centre.
Daly became a member of the Order of Manitoba in 2000 before being appointed the Order of Canada the following year.
The man affectionately known as “Mr. Track and Field” has already been inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame.
ABOUT THE CANADA WEST HALL OF FAME
For the last century, organized university sport has been a central part of the student experience at institutions across Western Canada. Beginning with the University of Manitoba capturing the first Western Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Union (WCIAU) men's hockey banner in 1919-20, student-athletes have been competing to reach their full potential in sport and the classroom, while enriching campus life.
To commemorate 100 years of university sport across Western Canada, the Canada West Hall of Fame was created in the spring of 2019. This year's induction class will be unveiled throughout the summer of 2022.
VISIT: CanadaWestHallofFame.org