Cleve Dheensaw has covered sports for the Times Colonist since 1981, chronicling Vancouver Island athletes and events from high school competitions to the Olympics and World Cups. Over more than four decades, his reporting captured the achievements of Island athletes such as Silken Laumann, Steve Nash, Simon Whitfield, and the legendary Gait twins, documenting an era of Island sport that spans generations.

A native of Vancouver Island and a graduate of Victoria High School and the University of Victoria, Cleve began his journalism career writing for the Camosunette and the Martlet before joining the Times Colonist Sports Department in 1981. He has authored six books covering the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, lacrosse history, and Island sports.

Cleve’s career earned him induction into the BC Sports Hall of Fame in 2020 as the first media inductee outside the Vancouver market. He is also the recipient of the U SPORTS National Fred Sgambati Media Award. He now enters the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2025, winner of the Sid Thomas Award. Among his favourite stories are George Pakos’ 1986 World Cup goals, Laumann’s 1992 Olympic comeback, Whitfield’s Sydney 2000 gold, and the Gait twins’ transformative impact on lacrosse.

Sponsored by Victoria Shamrocks, Victoria Grizzlies, Victoria HarbourCats

Cliff began his broadcasting career at C-FAX in 1972 playing music and commercials and eventually he began doing sports updates on air.

While at C-FAX, Cliff had the chance to cover many events. For the 1979 Pan American Games, covering Men’s Fastpitch Softball, he was supposed to do updates over the phone, but stayed on air doing play- by-play from the press box. He also covered the Victoria Cougars 1981 trip to the Memorial Cup.

Cliff started working the PA at the Victoria Cougars’ games and later added the Victoria Shamrocks games. After the Cougars left, Cliff worked with the Victoria Salsa and then joined the Victoria Grizzlies. He also did the PA for the Victoria Salmon Kings, Victoria Royals, Pacific Football Club and Vancouver Ravens. Cliff announced at the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup at Royal Athletic Park.

In 1987, came the career move to 100.3 the Q! Cliff shifted from sports to news on the Afternoon Show and then join Ed Bain on the Morning Show. After all these years, Cliff says that working with Ed is still an amazing experience. “I've had a chance to work with two huge personalities in Victoria radio: Ed and Ken Dobson at C-FAX. I feel very lucky to have experienced so many things in Victoria sports. It’s been a great run!”

saveonABOUT THE GREATER VICTORIA
SPORTS HALL OF FAME

Victoria enjoys a stellar sports history and we celebrate the many athletes, teams and builders who have contributed to that history.  Our displays are seen at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre (1925 Blanshard St.)  through Gate Three.

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