Moose Jaw and District Sports Hall of Fame inductee Wayne Cormier has received many an accolade throughout his powerlifting career, but Thursday morning brought something a little bit special.
Cormier had previously been inducted as a builder in 2019 but despite his storied career as an athlete was ineligible for induction for those achievements since he was still competing. With his retirement last year, Cormier becomes the first person to be inducted twice by the Hall of Fame in two different categories.
And to say the least, it means a lot to one of the most dominant powerlifters the sport has produced in the province.
“I was telling Larry earlier that this event is really special for me because I’m being recognized by my community and peers,” Cormier said during the induction ceremony on Thursday at the Moose Jaw Events Centre. “This is where it began, and to come full circle and be recognized here is an honour. This is my fifth Hall of Fame induction for powerlifting and I can’t believe where 45 years went.”
That career saw Cormier win close to a dozen provincial titles to go along with a host of top finishes at nationals, with his top showing coming in 1999 when he won the Champion of Champions Cup as the top overall lifter, one year after winning bronze at Worlds.
It all began and Dave and Bill Pyle’s gym way back in 1981.
“Dave and Bill Pyle always used to tell me ‘be consistent in your beliefs and you will achieve excellence,” Cormier said. “That was a saying on one of the wall in the gym in the weightlifting corner, and I was fortunate because I was 17 and had just moved here from Lennoxville and little did I know I would be coached by two of the finest coaches anyone could have.”
While the highest of high echelons of the sport eluded him, a career of consistency is something Cormier will always be proud of.
“I’d like to be remembered as a good lifter for a long time,” he said. “I was never a great lifter, I won a bronze medal at worlds and it took every amount of energy I had for a full year, but I just couldn’t get up to that next level. But I was good for a long time, and here I am.”
The eight inductees mark the largest single-year class for the Hall of Fame, and president Larry Graham was more than happy with the decision.
“It’s a great class, a great group of folks,” Graham said. “We’ve met quite a few of them today and it’s nice that their family and friends are here. It’s Moose Jaw, everybody knows everybody or has played with somebody along the way and it’s pretty neat… every time we have the banquet, someone can look across the room and say ‘hey, that guy coached me in hockey’ or ‘I played with him’ and that kind of thing. So it’s a nice night and there are lots of smiles at the induction ceremony, too.”
The unveiling included the reveal of a new title sponsor for the Moose Jaw and District Sports Hall of Fame, with JGL Livestock signing on.
“They’ve been super,” Graham said. “They’ve been involved in the community and are involved in so many community projects, so we’re thrilled to have them partner with us and keep the Hall of Fame running as well as it is.”
Tickets are now on sale for the induction banquet and are $60 each. They can be picked up a the Moose Jaw Events Centre Box Office, sasktix.ca, or by calling (306) 624-2050.
John Bozak
Athlete: Wrestling
John Bozak started wresting in 1954 with the Moose Jaw Wrestling and Barbell Club under coach Dave Pyle, kicking off one of the most storied wrestling careers in local history.
Bozak won the Saskatchewan welterweight title in 1958 and was to attend the British Empire Games before having to decline due to a family illness.
Over the next several years Bozak dominated provincial competition and arrived on the national scene in 1959. He participated at the Canadian Championships, winning bronze in 1959, ‘60 and ‘61. He was voted the Most Outstanding Wrestler at Nationals in 1965 when he won the middleweight title and was named to the Canadian National Wrestling team.
Bozak competed at the World Championships in 1966 where he finished in 10th position. Later that year he was named to the seven-man Can/Am all-star squad that took on the Japanese National team at Expo ‘67 in Montreal.
Bozak joined the Moose Jaw Police Service in 1959 and served the community as a Little League coach. In 1968, he retired to Duncan B.C. and continued to coach minor baseball and hockey.
Wayne Cormier
Athlete: Powerlifting
Already inducted in the Moose Jaw and District Sports Hall of Fame as a builder, Cormier’s recent retirement from the sport of powerlifting now sees him inducted as an athlete.
The Lennoxville, Que, product moved to Moose Jaw in 1981 and soon before working with Dave and Bill Pyle. After breaking into the upper echelons of powerlifting in the late 1980s, Cormier hit his stride in the ‘90s and began dominating provincial competition, winning the Saskatchewan Powerlifter of the Year in 1997 in and 1998.
Cormier amassed thirteen Saskatchewan provincial titles, one Manitoba Open title, three Western Canadian titles as well as several other top-three finishes. At the Canadian Nationals he had five top-three finishes, winning twice. He attended the World Championships in 1994 and 1997 where he had three fifth places and in 1998 a bronze medal. He also won the Western Canadian and Minot State titles in 1998.
In 1999, Moose Jaw hosted the Canadian Championships, where Cormier captured the Champion of Champions Cup as the number one overall lifter in Canada. Cormier retired in 2018 after accumulating the most medals in Saskatchewan powerlifting history.
David Jukes
Athlete/Builder: Rugby
Starting in the early 1970’s and continuing through the mid 2010’s Jukes established himself as a premier rugby player, coach and administrator. He participated at all levels from local teams to international matches. Jukes was a fixture on the Saskatchewan Rugby team roster playing every year but one between 1974 and 1987.
In 1978 Dave attended the Western Rugby Player Development camp. The following season he was invited to the National Rugby Team trials. Dave made the team as an alternate in 1980. He has played rugby across North America and Europe including Wales and Scotland with various international touring teams.
Administratively, Jukes has spent countless hours supporting the community rugby program and facilities at the MacDonald Rugby Field. He has been an executive member of the Moose Jaw and Saskatchewan Rugby Club boards for many years, and the provincial organization presents the Dave Jukes Award for the most outstanding junior forward each season.
At the inaugural Saskatchewan Rugby Union awards ceremony in 1996, Dave was inducted into the Hall of Fame as both a player and coach.
Jim Little
Athlete/builder: Hockey
Little played defence for the Moose Jaw Pla-Mors from 1960-65 winning two provincial championships. He signed with the New York Rangers in 1965 and briefly played for the San Francisco Seals and the Toledo Blades. In 1965-66, Jim moved to the Saskatoon Quakers and was picked up for the Western League final by the Calgary Spurs that year. He joined the Regina Caps in 1966-67 where they won the provincial title.
In 1969-70, he won the Allan Cup with the Spokane Jets and received the Spokane Sports Association award. He returned to the Moose Jaw Pla-Mors from 1971 to 1974 winning a Western Canada League first all-star defenseman award in 1970-71. He continued to play rec hockey in Moose Jaw until the early 1980’s.
From there, Little became a coach and instructor at many levels before joining an interesting project in 1984. Little became a member of the organizing group to bring a junior hockey team to Moose Jaw and would eventually help land the Moose Jaw Warriors.
Jim Little was a teacher with the Moose Jaw Board of Education beginning in 1962 until his retirement in 1995.
Gary Ross
Athlete: Hockey / Fastball
After a stellar hockey career as a teenager, Ross was drafted by the Chicago Black Hawks and played five games for the St Louis Braves before being sent to the Port Huron Flags of the International League. Ross played there for two seasons, winning the Turner Cup in 1966-67. He returned home to play for the senior Pla-Mors (1967-74) and the Regina Caps (1975-76). He was a member of the Moose Jaw Old Timers that won the Pacific Cup in 1973-74.
Ross began his fastball career as a pitcher for the Johnstone Dairy Juniors in 1959 and would become one of the best hurlers in the city’s history.]Ross spent two seasons in the Western Canada Major Fastball League with the Regina Carlings (1973-74) and he continued to pitch locally in the Memorial Field League until his retirement at the age of 63 in 2007. Ross was the league’s multi-time winner as the most valuable player (7), all-star (14) and top pitcher (12). He pitched several no-hitters during his career.
Ross gave back to the game locally by providing pitching clinics for minor girls’ fastball and earned the Memorial Field Association Contribution award (1990) for his longtime involvement in the league.
Ivan (Amos) Wilson
Athlete: Hockey
Wilson was born in Moose Jaw and participated in the local minor hockey program, joining the juvenile Monarchs for the 1944-45 season. He then moved up to the junior Canucks for the next two seasons, winning the Abbott Cup as Western Canada junior champions in 1946-47 and qualified for the Memorial Cup. The best-of-seven series was played for the first time in western Canada, with the Canucks finishing second to the Toronto St. Michael’s Majors
Amos was signed by the Chicago Black Hawks in 1946. He turned professional playing for the Kansas City Pla-Mors (1947-48), Vancouver Canucks (1948-49) and the Tacoma Rockets (1949-50). Wilson was named second team all-star with Vancouver in 1948-49 as well as first team all-star and top defensemen with Tacoma in the1949-50 season. His hockey journey took him to the Kamloops Elks (1950-52), the Moose Jaw Millers (1952-54) and the Moose Jaw Pla-Mors (1958-61) where he served as the team captain. The Millers won the Saskatchewan Senior Hockey title in 1953-54 and the Pla-Mors captured the Henderson Trophy as the Saskatchewan Intermediate “A” champs in 1958-59.
After his retirement from hockey, Amos became the manager/owner of the TV & Sports Center. He actively supported Moose Jaw minor sports programs and the junior Canucks.
Brad Hennenfent
Builder: Volleyball
After a stellar career as an athlete himself, coaching came naturally for Hennenfent. He began with high school volleyball in Moose Jaw, His teams won provincial high school volleyball medals at Central (bronze 2000), Swift Current (bronze 2015), (gold 2016), (silver 2017) and Vanier Collegiate (gold 2019) over his 30 years of coaching.
Hennenfent worked hard to improve his coaching talents reaching the level three volleyball coaching standard. This led to an opportunity as assistant coach and trainer with the University of Regina women’s volleyball team from 2014-16, winning the under-21 Western championship. He also developed his skills as a volleyball official working at all levels from elementary to provincial and regional caliber games.
Hennenfent’s coaching experience extended to coaching the Astro’s baseball team (1988-90) and the STI men’s and women’s badminton teams to Nationals (1987-88). He coached the local ladies fastball team at the Nationals in Surrey B.C. (1995). Brad has coached at the Canada Games in London Ont. (2001) and Regina (2005).
For his lengthy service in Moose Jaw Brad Hennenfent has received several awards including: PAC Top Badminton Coach (1988); PAC Volleyball Top Coach (1989); the SHSAA Service Award (1997); SCDAA District Service Award (2012)
Stan Montgomery
Builder: Baseball / Curling
Montgomery’s love of both baseball and curling led him to a lifetime of coaching youth sport. He coached Moose Jaw Little League champion teams in 1960, ’65, ’68, ’70 and ’71. In 1961, he managed the Colt All Star Baseball team to the Canadian championship and participation in the Worlds in Rockford, Illinois. Stan’s teams also had success winning the provincial Junior title in 1962 and Juvenile championships in 1962, ’72, ’73 and ’82. His teams captured the Western tournament and participated in the National championships in Vancouver (1973) and Sarnia (1982).
In the winter, Stan was an accomplished curling competitor who coached and skipped the Moose Jaw Police Services team to the National championships in 1956 and 1962. He had much success coaching numerous high school, junior and men’s teams to provincial and national championships. The most exciting win was the National Schoolboy championship won in 1971 by the Moose Jaw team including his sons Greg and Jeff Montgomery, Don Despins and Rod Verboom. Stan also coached the Rod Montgomery rink at the men’s Breir in Kamloops (1996) and Winnipeg (1998). The City of Moose Jaw recognized Stan’s contribution to local sports by naming a baseball field in his honour.
Montgomery was inducted into the Saskatchewan Curling Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.
