Hal Beasley (1997)

Hal Beasley was an outstanding track athlete in the early years of the 20th century. Running for the James Bay Athletic Association track and field club, he won races up and down the West Coast and in 1911, at the Pacific Coast track and field championships in Astoria, Oregon, Beasley finished second in both the 100 and 200-meter races. He was Canada's top sprinter of the day and he represented his nation in the 1912 Olympic games at Stockholm. He ran in the 100, 200 and 400-meter races. Beasley was the first athlete from Victoria to represent Canada at an Olympic games. Beasley didn't win any medals at the Olympic games but he did go on to win some big meets in North America, including the 100-yard at the Pacific Coast Championships of 1913 in San Francisco. As well, he won at a huge international track meet held here in Victoria, in 1913, at which all of the top track and field stars from the West Coast of the U.S. attended.