For more than 40 years, Carol Soles has been dedicated to volunteering, fundraising, coaching and taking the lead on various committees to help benefit a number of sporting activities and events in Prince Albert and area.
Carol served as a director on the Prince Albert Sports Council from 1985 until the organization ceased operation in 2025. She held a variety of positions including president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer and was also very hands-on with many of the Sports Council’s capital projects, with the largest one being the Summer Games Sports Centre. She sat as the Sports Council’s representative on a number of committees throughout the city including the City of Prince Albert Parks and Recreation board, Terry Fox Award Selection committee, Community Grant committee and Summer Games Sports Centre tenants’ group. Carol also took the lead role in organizing the Prince Albert Sportswoman of the year award.
The Prince Alberts Sports Hall of Fame board benefited from Carol’s skills from 1990 until 2025 where she held various positions as a director including vice-president, secretary and treasurer, while also sitting on a number of sub committees from constitution to decorating.
If there was a big event in Prince Albert, there’s a pretty good chance you would see Carol volunteering; having lent a hand for the Saskatchewan Winter and Summer games, the Western Canada Summer games, Junior Men’s World Softball Championships and the Saskatchewan Senior Fitness Association (SSFA) 55+ games.
Carol’s commitment to the community hasn’t gone unnoticed as Carol has received many awards including the YWCA Woman of Distinction Award for recreation, sport and active living, Saskatchewan Centennial Medal, North Central Regional Recreation Association, volunteer recognition award, City of Prince Albert Award of Merit and Big Brothers Big Sisters, Big Sister of the year.
The name Rusty Clunie is well known in the Prince Albert community for his generosity in many charitable events and for developing and supporting numerous sports including football and bull riding. He’s not one for the limelight, yet he quietly goes about his business, rallying support to initiate programs that promote sports and entertainment in Prince Albert. Rusty’s efforts have left a lasting impression: not only in Prince Albert, but throughout Saskatchewan and across Canada.
As the founder, builder, and coach of the PA River Riders football program, Clunie has been central to developing youth sport and fostering new opportunities for participation. His leadership was also pivotal in bringing and promoting Professional Bull Riding (PBR) and rodeo events to Prince Albert and its surrounding area, broadening the city’s reputation as a hub for athletic excellence and entertainment.
Clunie’s commitment extends to investing in and supporting the Max Power Ball Parks and Max Clunie Field, helping to create vital spaces for local athletes and families. He played an instrumental role in the Friday Night Lights campaign which resulted in the installation of lighting at Max Clunie Field—giving local teams the chance to play and compete under the lights for the first time.
Through these programs and initiatives, Rusty Clunie continues to help build, promote, and showcase Prince Albert. His legacy endures in the enhanced facilities and opportunities available to athletes of all ages, ensuring that his influence will be felt in the community for years to come.
If you have been to any Prince Albert Raiders games in the last 40 plus years, you’ve likely run into Roger Mayert. Not only has Roger been a season ticket holder since 1971, but he has also volunteered for the club in numerous capacities over the years.
His many volunteer duties included running the ticket booth back in the ‘80s, to helping with the scout room in 2024. Roger also spent 19 years as a member of the Raiders board of directors and was heavily involved in the Bring Back the Magic Campaign in the early 2000s. The campaign helped raise money for the Art Hauser Centre to bring it up to Western Hockey League Standards.
Roger has also helped the community in a number of other capacities, offering his services as a volunteer to:
Canadian Junior and Bantam Softball Championships
World Junior Softball Championships
World Men’s Softball Championships
Esso Cup National Championships
Canadian Junior and Senior Men’s and Women’s Curling Championships
Special Olympic Summer Games
The City of Prince Albert is well known across Canada, and now around the world, as a top-notch host for a wide variety of sporting events. One of the reasons for the success of these events is because of the volunteers, especially ones like Roger Mayert, who tirelessly dedicates his time to anyone who comes calling.
Al Dyer has spent a good portion of his lifetime contributing to his community with his work for Special Olympics, Nordale Community Club and female hockey in Prince Albert and beyond.
Dyer was introduced to the sports scene in Prince Albert volunteering as the accreditation chair for the 1999 Western Canada Summer Games. He also was part of the committee doing the preliminary planning and initial stage construction for the Rotary Trail.
Dyer began his work with Special Olympics in 2000 when the Special Olympics Canada Games were awarded to Prince Albert. He would go on to manage the very successful 2002 event. He joined the Saskatchewan Special Olympics board in 2004 and held various positions including board chair and mission staff until 2017. In 2011, Dyer was chair of the host committee for the 2011 Special Olympics Saskatchewan Winter Games. In 2013, he was awarded an honourary life membership in Special Olympics Saskatchewan.
In 2014, Dyer was recognized for the time he gave to Special Olympics and received the Saskatchewan Sport Volunteer Award. His accolades didn’t end there. In November of 2015, he received the Harry “Red” Foster award from Special Olympics Canada. The award is made available by Special Olympics Canada for presentation to an individual, Special Olympics Chapter staff or volunteer who best exemplifies the spirit, philosophy and goals of the Special Olympics movement and has contributed significantly in the development, awareness and success of Special Olympics in Canada.
In 2019, Dyer was honoured at a 50th anniversary Special Olympics gala ceremony in Toronto. He was recognized as one of the 50 top builders for Special Olympics Canada.
Dyer also worked with the Prince Albert Raiders to help co-ordinate the Special O Power Breakfast. The event ran for 10 years and raised a total of $100,000 for the Raiders Education Fund and Special Olympics.
In 2014, Dyer was chair of the host committee for the Saskatchewan Winter Games. This multi-sport, week-long event brought thousands of athletes, coaches and spectators to Prince Albert, showcasing the many wonderful facilities in the city.
Dyer also served on the SaskSport Board of Directors serving a three-year term beginning in 2017. Subsequently, he served on the SaskSport Sport Funding Committee which oversees funding from Sask Lotteries for the 78 member sport organizations and districts in Saskatchewan.
His work with hockey began in 2006 when he volunteered his time to Prince Albert Minor Hockey in coaching and managerial positions on his daughter’s hockey teams. He also assisted PA Minor Hockey, serving on a committee to implement a major structural and governance review.
He began his tireless volunteer work with the Prince Albert Northern Bears U18 AAA hockey team in 2017 when he became a member of the board of directors. In 2022, Dyer was co-winner of the Esso Volunteer Award from the Saskatchewan Female U18 AAA Hockey league. His work with the Bears culminated in 2023 when he was part of the organizing committee for the Esso Cup which saw Prince Albert as the host city for the National Female U18 AAA club hockey championships. As co-chair of the marketing and sponsorship committee, Dyer helped create a legacy of $30,000 that will go toward the development of female hockey in Prince Albert and area. Dyer continues to serve as the Northern Bears’ treasurer.
Dyer also spent 25 years as a member of the Nordale Community Club board. During that time, he held a variety of positions including President, helping to co-ordinate everything from hall rentals and playground construction to outdoor ice maintenance.
The Kozun brothers: Andy & Merle have been key behind-the-scenes contributors to many sports and events in Prince Albert for decades and are very deserving to be inducted for Meritorious Service. The Kozun boys grew up on the family farm near Nipawin where hard work and dedication was instilled in both at a young age.
Both boys attended elementary school in Aylsham before going to Nipawin for junior and senior high school. Both learned trades in the automotive industry and eventually would move to Prince Albert to pursue their careers and start their families.
Andy and Merle’s daughters both played ringette and both dad’s were highly involved, a trend that would continue over the years. Andy coached the Carton Park Bunnies ringette team from 1995-2000 while Merle coached and managed the East End Ringette and North East Mighty Ducks ringette teams through the late 1990’s to 2006, highlighted by the Mighty Ducks winning gold at Provincial B Belle championships in 2004 and silver in 2006.
Andy also became very involved with his children in softball, soccer and skiing. He coached a mite girls’ team to the city finals in 2000. In soccer he coached both indoor and outdoor teams for Crescent Acres from 2000-2003, including going to the finals in 2002 and winning the city championship in 2003. In downhill skiing, Andy assisted coaching which involved organizing equipment and arranging bus trips to Wapiti with the Nancy Greene ski team.
Merle became very involved with the East End curling rink and was part of the committee that worked to install artificial ice in the facility.
As a tandem, the Kozun brothers are well known around the city for their volunteer and fund raising abilities for many organizations. Both have been very involved in the volunteer driven Prince Albert Raiders organization, not only at games, but also fund raising for Bring Back the Magic. Both also were part of the volunteer grounds crew of the highly successful 2018 Junior Men’s World Softball Championship making sure PA’s facilities were world class throughout the event.
But aside from all this, both Kozun’s are best known for their involvement with the Prince Albert Mintos Midget AAA team. Both have been on the Board of Directors and helped establish the Mintos as one of the premier organizations in Canada. They were a big part of the first ever-Midget Outdoor game in 2013, the Western Regionals in 2014, building the Minto fitness centre in 2017 and their overall contribution to a successful organization. The Mintos have had success off the ice winning back to back nationals and provincial championships, and the Kozun boys were a key part of making sure everything off the ice was of a championship nature.
In all of the areas mentioned, the Kozun brothers were the first to step up and volunteer for anything and everything from selling tickets, raising funds, collecting garbage, going door-to-door raising funds and many other duties.
Officiating is a passion for Barry Schrader. An integral part of any sports competition and one that comes under scrutiny more often than not, Schrader enjoys being part of the game, treating people respectfully and doing it with a smile, most times.
A golfing accident when he was 12 cost Schrader the sight in his right eye, limiting advancement in officiating to a high level, so he has concentrated on the grassroots of developing minor officials in Prince Albert and area for the Saskatchewan Hockey Association (SHA).
He started officiating hockey in 1970 at the age of 14 but soon quit due to the abuse of officials and swore at that time he would come back someday to help young officials. He returned to officiating in 1984 and through to 2020 worked approximately 3,500 games on the ice, while supervising a further 4,000.
In 2013, Schrader became the Female Development Coordinator for SHA making him responsible for the development and recruitment of female officials in Saskatchewan. He has helped in the development and mentoring of female officials and watched them obtain National, International and Pre-Olympic recognition. Schrader has also been instrumental in the selection of female officials for National ESSO Cups Championships, Sask Winter Games, Sask First Programs, National Aboriginal Championships. In 2013 Schrader was named the Referee-In Chief for Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA League.
From 2011 to 2017 Schrader was assigned as Zone 8 Coordinator and responsible for the mentoring supervising & development of all male and female officials for Zone 8. He developed a strong system of supervisors throughout the zone to assist him in this process.
Barry Schrader has been the Referee In Chief for Prince Albert (Minor) Hockey for three terms: 1988 to 1995, 2000 to 2013 and again starting in 2019. He has officiated at all levels of the game from Minor Hockey to Midget AAA, Junior B and SJHL. He also has served as a Video Goal Judge for the Prince Albert Raiders of the Western Hockey League. In 2012 Schrader received the Most Deserving Officials award from the SHA.
In 2000 Schrader became an umpire for softball, baseball and slo-pitch in the city and has worked numerous provincial championships.
The Kozun brothers: Andy & Merle have been key behind-the-scenes contributors to many sports and events in Prince Albert for decades and are very deserving to be inducted for Meritorious Service. The Kozun boys grew up on the family farm near Nipawin where hard work and dedication was instilled in both at a young age.
Both boys attended elementary school in Aylsham before going to Nipawin for junior and senior high school. Both learned trades in the automotive industry and eventually would move to Prince Albert to pursue their careers and start their families.
Andy and Merle’s daughters both played ringette and both dad’s were highly involved, a trend that would continue over the years. Andy coached the Carton Park Bunnies ringette team from 1995-2000 while Merle coached and managed the East End Ringette and North East Mighty Ducks ringette teams through the late 1990’s to 2006, highlighted by the Mighty Ducks winning gold at Provincial B Belle championships in 2004 and silver in 2006.
Andy also became very involved with his children in softball, soccer and skiing. He coached a mite girls’ team to the city finals in 2000. In soccer he coached both indoor and outdoor teams for Crescent Acres from 2000-2003, including going to the finals in 2002 and winning the city championship in 2003. In downhill skiing, Andy assisted coaching which involved organizing equipment and arranging bus trips to Wapiti with the Nancy Greene ski team.
Merle became very involved with the East End curling rink and was part of the committee that worked to install artificial ice in the facility.
As a tandem, the Kozun brothers are well known around the city for their volunteer and fund raising abilities for many organizations. Both have been very involved in the volunteer driven Prince Albert Raiders organization, not only at games, but also fund raising for Bring Back the Magic. Both also were part of the volunteer grounds crew of the highly successful 2018 Junior Men’s World Softball Championship making sure PA’s facilities were world class throughout the event.
But aside from all this, both Kozun’s are best known for their involvement with the Prince Albert Mintos Midget AAA team. Both have been on the Board of Directors and helped establish the Mintos as one of the premier organizations in Canada. They were a big part of the first ever-Midget Outdoor game in 2013, the Western Regionals in 2014, building the Minto fitness centre in 2017 and their overall contribution to a successful organization. The Mintos have had success off the ice winning back to back nationals and provincial championships, and the Kozun boys were a key part of making sure everything off the ice was of a championship nature.
In all of the areas mentioned, the Kozun brothers were the first to step up and volunteer for anything and everything from selling tickets, raising funds, collecting garbage, going door-to-door raising funds and many other duties.
Luc Robin is a highly sought after and valuable volunteer due to his knowledge, hard work, dedication and willingness to come up with and implement, solutions for all groups and associations with which he is involved. He is known for his work in Female Hockey and Softball throughout Prince Albert.
Robin has been coaching Hockey in Prince Albert for 33 years and has been a board member of the Association since 1988. Along with his good friend Jim Flynn, Robin has guided the Midget AA program for 31 of those years. He assists in running the annual Female Hockey Tournament, which is one of the largest in Western Canada, and has been on the Nor-Sask Female League executive since 2012 and is currently their Vice-President.
In 2014 Robin was awarded the Hockey Canada Century Tour Canadian Tire Heroes of Play Award which celebrates and recognizes the “behind-the-scenes” people who contribute to the success of hockey in Canada. He also received the Prince Albert Minor Hockey Presidents Award in 2014.
In the world of Softball, Robin also was a well-respected coach for both male and female teams over 12 years. He served on the Executive of PA Minor Softball for 15 years and was a founding member of the Aallcann Development Fastpitch Organization (ADFO).
If there is a major hockey or softball event in the city, Luc Robin is usually one of the first to volunteer and gregariously offers his time to not only make sure events are executed with ease, but also is the guy you go to for electrical, mechanical or structural challenges, as he will get a solution, most times, fixing things himself.
Luc Robin also has been a member of the East Hill Community Club Executive for 31 years, and a member of the St. Michael Knights of Columbus for 30 years.
Luc Robin is being inducted for Meritorious Service.
Derek Smith is a rare individual who has accomplished so much, and affected so many things, he is a triple inductee as an athlete, builder and for meritorious service.
As a competitor Derek Smith excelled in volleyball and softball at many levels. In volleyball he was a stand out for the St.Mary Marauders and Prince Albert Toppers club team. He helped the Marauders to Provincial gold in 1994. Smith and the Toppers won Provincial gold and Canadian silver in 1995 with Derek being named to the All-Star team at nationals. He would go on to red shirt with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies volleyball team.
Smith was a dominant pitcher in softball starting with PA Minor Softball in the Squirt B division in 1988 winning B Provincials with the MacDowall Monarchs. There were numerous accolades for Smith through the 1990’s in softball including gold at the Midget Canadians in 1995 with the PA Ken-Gar Selects where he was named tournament MVP. Smith was named the Softball Saskatchewan Athlete of the Year and adding his volleyball prowess, he was named the Kinsmen/900CKBI Athlete of the Year for 1995.
More softball honours came his way in the late 90’s including a Canadian championship with the PA Northern Business Selects in 1996, Junior Canadians Silver with the Saskatoon Junior Merchants in 1997, pitching again at Junior Men’s nationals in 1998 and finally an appearance in the Australian Men’s Fastpitch championship in 1999. The year 2000 saw Smith help the Prince Albert Aallcann Astros to the Senior A provincial title and an appearance at nationals, followed by various Senior A, National and International Softball Congress appearances with the Saskatoon Merchants.
Derek Smith then pulled back some from playing to get into coaching and mentoring, in a big way. That success in competition built the foundation for a coach that also has accumulated a stellar resume in volleyball and softball.
In softball, Derek Smith has been coaching since 2005, starting, like in his playing days, with PA Minor Softball. His success reflects his knowledge of the sport and ability to teach skills to young athletes. He followed his boys Riley and Ethan through the age classes with success including U12 Provincial gold (2012), U14 Provincial and Western Canadian Gold (2015), U14 Silver (2016 & 2017), U18 Provincial Silver & National Bronze (2017) culminating with the 2017 Softball Saskatchewan Coach of the Year Award in 2017.
His volleyball, coaching also is rather decorated, starting in 2013 with the Smashing Bananas program. He lead his team to a Nationals appearance for U16 in 2016 and won Provincial Bronze with another appearance in Nationals in 2017 and a Provincial Bronze in 2018.
For all of the tremendous successes Derek Smith has had as an athlete and coach, he is also a go-to organizer. He organized and has been President of the Prince Albert Community Basketball Association since 2010. He has grown that program from a couple of dozen young players in it’s inception to hundreds learning the sport of basketball. He administers the entire association including organizing coaches, gym times, registration, website, tournaments and more.
In softball he has been on executives of PAMSA and ADFO and one of the key organizers of Project Triple Play, which saw Derek Smith as the co-chair of the WBSC Junior Men’s Softball World Championships in July 2018. According to WBSC, that event was one of the best ever at the World level. Smith and Co-Chair Felix Casavant were named the Prince Albert Kinsmen Club/Daily Herald Citizens of the Year for 2018. The event left a lasting legacy of 2 world-standard diamonds as well as hosting the first ever World Championship in Prince Albert that will be remembered for decades.
Derek Smith will be inducted as an Athlete, Builder and for Meritorious Service.
Derek Smith – Athlete / Builder / Meritorious Service
A lifetime of competing in hockey, baseball and slo-pitch with success at many different levels makes Blair Hoffman one of Prince Albert’s most decorated athletes. From 1960 through 2018 (58 years and counting), Hoffman did not miss a season of playing in either hockey or baseball.
Hoffman is a baseball and slo-pitch veteran in many ways. After playing minor ball in the Battleford area where he grew up, Hoffman would join the North Battleford Beavers organization where he was part of a winning organization. In 1968 with the Midget team they would win the Provincial championship and finish 2nd at Westerns. The Junior team would win 2 league titles between 1969-73 with Hoffman on the roster, then he played with the senior Beavers from 19971-73.
He them would join the Naicam Vikings of the Central Baseball League in 1974 and be there player/coach the following season. Hoffman was the league all-star centre fielder both seasons. He would then go on to play with the Birch Hills Brewers of the Torch River Baseball League from 1976-81, winning 4 titles there.
The Prince Albert Oldtimers (35 years plus) added Hoffman from 1986-2002. During this time Hoffman was awarded the Sask Baseball Ten Year Appreciation Award for his support of the Twilite Baseball program in the province.
Slo-Pitch is the sport in which Hoffman has the most notoriety, many because it provides opportunities for players to compete throughout their lifetime. He started with the Taco Time Men’s Molson League Slo-Pitch tam from 194-88 winning league MVP honours in 1986. As a member of the Prince Albert Old Spikes 40 Plus Slo-Pitch team Hoffman would be part of the SPN Championship team in 1994, then National silver medallists in 1996 as well as numerous Provincial titles in the 90’s.
Hoffman played with the Prince Albert Legends Plus 50 Slo-Pitch team from 2002-2015 winning three Bronze medals at the Plus 50 SPN Nationals and 1 silver & 1 bronze at the Plus 60 SPN Nationals.
A major international accomplishment for Hoffman is at the Huntsman World Senior Games conducted annually in St. George, Utah. Hoffman has competed for teams out of St. Albert, Albert (the Buzzards and Combines) for 13 consecutive years (from 2005-2018 and counting), winning no less than 10 medals including 4 gold, 3 silver and 3 bronze. This makes Hoffman the most decorated Huntsman World Senior Games Slo-Pitch athlete from Saskatchewan over the 24 sports all-time at these games.
Hoffman also has competed at hockey starting in minor days, to university intramurals, senior and old timers for close to 60 years. He has skated with the Prince Albert Silver Foxes Oldtimers team since 1978 (32 years and counting) winning the West Hill tournament and Melfort Oldtimers tournament on numerous occasions.
Blair Hoffman’s extensive and storied career in baseball, slo-pitch and hockey have represented the City of Prince Albert proudly through close to 6 decades of competition.
