A Charleswood road has been renamed in honour of a giant in the city’s minor sport community.
A stretch of Oakdale Drive was honorarily renamed Wayne Deschouwer Way Wednesday, in tribute to the long-time Charleswood Hawks president, who died last October at the age of 63.
Stephen George, who took over as Hawks’ president, called it “a special moment.”
“There was so much that Wayne did behind the scenes,” George said of Deschouwer.
“Wayne wore many hats — he was the president of our club … president of the Tigerhills Senior Hockey League, also the South East Senior Hockey League as well.
“He was involved on so many levels.”
Deschouwer joined the west Winnipeg Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League team, first as general manager and then as president, when he and his family moved to Charleswood in the summer of 1994.
The Hawks won 12 championships during his 24 years with the club.
But his contribution to sport went far beyond his involvement with the Hawks and stretched well beyond the Perimeter Highway.
Originally from Holland, Man., Deschouwer settled in Gladstone, Man. in 1978, where he coached youth softball, fast ball and minor hockey. He was also instrumental in creating the Gladstone Lakers senior hockey team and the Gladstone Whips fastball team and served as president of the community’s arena.
Deschouwer also played for and coached, and eventually became president of the Smitty’s softball organization, and served as an umpire for more than 45 years.
He also served on a number of softball leagues and taught at umpire clinics across the province.
“You can’t even describe it,” said George when asked about Deschouwer’s contributions.
The newly named Wayne Deschouwer Way runs right past Eric Coy Arena, home to the Hawks.
Honorary namings do not change the actual street name and typically last for a few years time.
Several streets in Winnipeg have been given honorary names over the past few years, including Israel Asper Way in front of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
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