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Coach, Manager, Administrator,
Sports Promoter, and Leader
 Len Roberts was born in Lacombe in 1920 and became
involved in sports at an early age. Len played hockey
and ball and at the age of 16 was playing senior hockey
for the Lacombe Athletics. During World War II while
serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force, Len played for
different base hockey and ball teams in Dauphin, Vulcan
and Calgary. After his discharge in 1945 he played
hockey in Red Deer and then for the Camrose Maroons.
When he moved to Wetaskiwin in 1946-47, Len played for
the Wetaskiwin Colonels and helped them win two
championships that season, the Central Alberta Senior
Hockey League Championship as well as the Edmonton
League. The next year (1947-48) he played for the
Ponoka Stampeders. Len then retired from playing hockey
and became involved in coaching.
Len is being recognized for the more than 20 years that
he was engaged in the administrative aspect of sports in
Wetaskiwin, as a coach, manager, member of several
sports committees/executives, and promoter as well as
the many other contributions he made to the youth of our
city through his efforts.
Many Hours of Volunteer Time Devoted to Coaching
In 1948 Len became manager of the Wetaskiwin Junior “A”
Canadiens and stayed with the team until 1950 when the
team ceased operations. During the 1950’s, in the
summer Len played for and managed the Wetaskiwin senior
ball team for a few seasons. Winters saw Len helping
with minor hockey and coaching his own team. Often he
spent Saturdays at the Wetaskiwin Arena coaching his
team as well as teams other than his own when other
coaches were unable to leave their jobs. He also
assisted Al Arner with the Juvenile Hockey Club.
Kinsmen Build First Swimming Pool
 In
the late 1950’s under his leadership as president, the
Kinsmen Club, worked to build Wetaskiwin’s first
swimming pool. During the same years, he also assisted
in the administration of the Wetaskiwin Minor Hockey
Association. Len was involved in the building of a new
arena in Wetaskiwin. He helped form the North
Central Alberta Intermediate Hockey League and in 1962
was the League’s first Commissioner. Because he was
League Commissioner he could not be involved with the
Colonels so he coached the Wetaskiwin Legion Juveniles
with Jerry Greene for two seasons. In the summer’s of
1961 and 1962 Len coached the Kiwanis Little League
Baseball team, winning two straight championships. The
next two summers, 1963 and 1964, Len coached the
Wetaskiwin Moose Lodge Pony League team again winning
two straight championships.
In 1964, Len returned to the Wetaskiwin Colonels and
managed the club for the next seven seasons. Although
the hockey club was built around local players, Len
recruited team members that he felt would “fit in” and
help the team. During his tenure as manager the
Colonels won two league and two provincial
championships. During that time he also coached the
Wetaskiwin Legion Midgets (1964-65) and the Legion
Juveniles (1965-66). Len retired from sport in 1971 and
the Colonels honoured him for his contributions to the
team at a home game the following season. In 1989 he
was presented the “Community Spirit Award” by the Wetaskiwin Chamber of Commerce. In 2004, when
Wetaskiwin hosted the Alberta Senior Summer Games, Len
was selected as a torch bearer.
As well as his participation in sport, Len further
contributed to the community by serving on the
Wetaskiwin City Council for fourteen years. We
acknowledge the extensive involvement and contributions
of Len Roberts in our sports community and his many
hours of volunteer time by inducting him into the
Wetaskiwin and County Sports Hall of Fame as a Builder.
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