A former player and coach who had an opportunity to help a group of local juniors step into the senior ranks, Herb Bate found himself bitten hard by the fastball bug in 1968. As sponsor-manager of the newly minted Bate Construction team, he set the stage for a provincial and national dynasty in men's fastball that would last well into the next decade. From the word go he was keen on making more than simply a run-of-the-mill team out of this fairly talented group of players. Working with his coaching staff, he recruited top pitchers on a regular basis, a key ingredient at the senior level. He then found high-level opponents for his squad to play and was instrumental in forming a Northwest International Fastball League. The formula led to seven B.C. titles in eight seasons and helped attract the Canadian championships to Victoria in 1974. He achieved two major goals the next year when his team captured a Canadian championship, then later earned a tie for the world championship title in New Zealand.

Like many aspiring pro golfers, Bill Wakeham first hit the heights in the amateur ranks, representing Canada in such competitions as the World Amateur Cup, Commonwealth Competition and Americas Cup. After collecting more than 20 amateur titles, it was inevitable that he would turn pro; the only question was when. He got his answer in 1964 at age 23, when he aced the 12th hole at the Vancouver Golf Club during the B.C. Open. At first he declined the hole-in-one prize of a boat, but he had second thoughts and accepted, thus launching a professional career that continues to this day. Wakeham grinded it out on golf's touring trail for nearly seven years before accepting his first head pro job at the Cowichan course. He continued to play tournaments, however, and ultimately eclipsed the 50-win mark as a pro. His best year was 1974, when he had five wins. After years as an Associate and Teaching professional, one of the game's great promoters holds court today as head pro at the Royal Oak Golf Club.