Recreation and Sports Take on New Significance 

In 1952 the Wetaskiwin City Council set up the Wetaskiwin Recreation Commission.  After three different Recreation Directors, Bill Bell-Bathgate was hired in 1956.  He was thirty-two years-old and held the position for eleven years, resigning in 1968.  Although he had no formal training he had been involved in sports in Wetaskiwin (coached hockey, refereed hockey, started a football team), knew there was a lot of sport talent in the city and had the leadership qualities necessary for the job. 

When Bill became the Recreation Director, the Kinsmen outdoor swimming pool had just opened, the city had approved money for improving the Recreation Hall and the Recreation Commission was in it’s fourth year of existence.  Under Bill’s leadership the Recreation Commission took over minor hockey, minor baseball, swimming, tennis (1958), ski club (1959), and introduced many new programs including soccer in 1957 and fitness classes in 1959.  Also, Bill set up and chaired a Pony League, baseball for younger kids.  Minor hockey and minor baseball before that time were looked after by local businessmen and Bill wanted to have all recreational activities “under one roof”.  Fifty different groups used the old Rec Hall, First Aid  as well as many other courses were offered and Bill himself was involved with the Cubs.

Trained Leadership and Lessons Vital for Result Driven Programs

Trained leadership from top to bottom was important to Bill.  Once he was hired, he himself enrolled in a course for Recreation Directors that involved a six month correspondence course and two weeks of study at the University of Alberta. In his first year he sent three leaders to the Provincial Playground Supervisors Course, two leaders to the Provincial Recreation Leaders School, three leaders to the Alberta Camping Conference and five leaders to a week long course for swimming and water safety instructors.  During Bill’s tenure he always made sure he and his staff were qualified, well trained and continued to upgrade. Bill worked closely with Al Arner and Ralph Pocock, two other Wetaskiwin and County Sports Hall of Fame inductees.  

Hands-On Guy Making a Difference

Bill was really a “hands on” guy. It was with Al Arner and Dr. Stephan Casey that they physically, with a borrowed cat from Street-Robbins-Morrow, made ski runs in readying the ski hill for use in the winter (1959).  Every spring, Bill also did the physical maintenance required with the both the Tennis Courts and the swimming pool .   He taught classes at the swimming pool, often helping the young instructors by “modeling teaching” for them.  He also did much of the examining for Red Cross and Royal Life Saving Society  swimming awards.   At the volleyball league games, he often refereed.   He made sure that the people of Wetaskiwin were informed as to what was going on in Recreation and often wrote columns for the Times.  Water safety demonstrations were held  at the swimming pool for the public at the annual Swimcade and other times.  Bill also attended year end banquets in all of the sports, giving out awards, speaking, etc.  Bill even subsidized the teams, not overtly, but by sliding money under the table when no one was looking.  

Lessons were really important to Bill.  The first year he was the Recreation Director the pool offered FREE lessons for adult beginners.   The first class had sixty-six enrolled, the second class was sold out with 101 participants.  The free lessons continued the next year as well.  When the ski hill opened, on the week-ends in the middle of the afternoon the tow was stopped and everyone on the hill had ski lessons.  Bill also organized tennis lessons, saw that the golf club offered lessons to kids and  organized a baseball school.    School classes were brought to the swimming pool and the swimming pool staff gave lessons.  Bill wanted to make sure that everyone in Wetaskiwin knew how to swim!  In 1961 Bill, along with Dr. Maury Van Vliet from the U of A, talked to the Principal’s Association about Physical Education  in the schools and how that a couple of classes of PE per week were not enough.