Taber Inducts Two Sports Stalwarts to Wall of Fame as Rink Reopens

Two familiar names in Taber's minor sports scene have earned a permanent spot on the town's Wall of Fame, honoured last week during the reopening of the community's ice rink.

Dr. Gerry Beckie and Joe Orban were inducted during Friday's ribbon-cutting ceremony, dubbed "Return of the Rink," which marked the reopening of Taber's large ice surface.

Beckie, the former president of Taber Minor Baseball, received the Alberta Baseball Association's Award of Merit in 1990 and was named the town's Citizen of the Year two years later. His decades of volunteer work helped shape minor baseball in the community.

Orban made his mark across two sports: minor baseball and minor hockey. Hockey fans in particular have him to thank for keeping their skates sharp — he opened a skate-sharpening shop inside the arena back in 1972, a fixture that has served generations of local players.

Both men were on hand to see their plaques unveiled, a fitting tribute on a day that was as much about the town's sporting future as its past.