Ariana Van Der Starre had a front row seat on how speed skaters learn. She couldn’t help but absorb the knowledge. After all, she witnessed Burnaby Sports Hall of Fame honoured member Agatha Van Der Starre, Ariana’s mother, set four masters (over-75) speed skating world records.

Although her mom was president of the Burnaby Speed Skating Club, Van Der Starre didn’t turn to speed skating until she was in her early 20s. Despite the late entry she was able to race nationally and was nationally ranked.

“Very early on in my involvement in the sport, I could see ways that my mother could improve as a skater and I found it very gratifying to witness her successes and know that I contributed to that success,” Van Der Starre tells the Burnaby Sports Hall of Fame. “This made me realize that coaching interested me and from that point, as an athlete I was dually motivated, one to achieve what I could as an athlete and two, to use those experiences towards becoming a good coach.”

Van Der Starre turned to coaching in 1994 becoming a national level coach. Her skill has led to countless medals for not only club skaters but also ones from around the province.

“When I first became the head coach of the Burnaby Club, I certainly had no idea that I would still be going strong 30 years later,” says Van Der Starre. “As I grew and gained experience as a coach, more and more very cool and challenging opportunities came my way. One of my early goals was to coach at the Canada Winter Games, a goal I achieved within my first five years of coaching. I did not anticipate that I would coach at five Canada Winter Games with a probable sixth next season. It has been a truly fun and exciting experience!”

Van Der Starre says some of her long-time skaters describe her coaching style as “professional, ethical, inspiring, creative.” She says her approach is athlete-centred treating them as individuals.

“I always try to figure out what each athlete needs in order to be at their best, reach their next level and even get to a level they had not seen for themselves. I am very good at helping athletes achieve their best performances at big competitions,” says Van Der Starre. “It is one of the reasons I have been selected by (Speed Skating BC) to represent Team BC at so many national competitions, more than any other coach in BC by a very large margin. When faced with a difficult and/or ethical decision, I always ask myself, “what’s best for the athlete” and that never leads me wrong. I try to keep things fresh and interesting, both for my skaters and for myself.”

In the 2024-25 season alone, Vanderstarre accompanied skaters from various age classes to more than 20 meets in BC and Canada. The club has won the points title at four short track provincial championships as well as the 2011 provincial long track championship. She has been appointed by the Speed Skating BC almost 50 times to work with Team BC skaters at competitions such as the Canadian Youth Championships and the Canada Winter Games. Her Masters skaters have, at various times, held Canadian and world records in their age categories in both long track and short track.

A highlight year for Van Der Starre was 2015. She’d been tabbed to coach the province’s long track team at the Canada Winter Games. The team was projected to win three medals. They won nine! It’s a record that’s been unbroken for BC Speed Skating. Three Burnaby skaters were on the short track team and the alternates for both short and long track were from Burnaby. It earned her coach of the year honours from BCSS and she was a finalist for Sport BC’s Female Coach of the Year and Speed Skate Canada’s Coach of the Year. What was impressive was she was up against paid coaches while she was a volunteer who juggled trying to achieve and maintain excellence in coaching while raising a family, working full time and being a caregiver.

Van Der Starre’s ability to connect with her athletes have left a lasting impression on them. Recently one of her former skaters asked her to be a reference for her application to medical school.

“In her words, ‘you have seen me grow over many years, and your coaching has had a lasting impact on my determination and discipline. I would be honoured if you felt comfortable supporting me in this way.’ Well, it has been my honour to have been part of so many young people and adults’ lives as they grow and learn all that they are capable of,” says Van Der Starre.

The office of Jack Crosby, Burnaby’s Mr. Lacrosse, was a classroom with fond memories for Susan Kirkby. It was where Kirkby, Burnaby Minor Lacrosse’s super organizer, got to talk lacrosse, a sport her family had embraced wholeheartedly, and learn “from a true mentor.”

Kirkby became the organization’s registrar in 2004, something she continues to do although she’s also became its president in 2022. But when Crosby, who became an honoured member of the Burnaby Sports Hall of Fame with its first group that was chosen for induction in 2001, died in January 2008, he left behind a huge void.

“One of the biggest challenges I faced as a volunteer with Burnaby Minor Lacrosse was the loss of Jack Crosby,” Kirkby tells the Burnaby Sports Hall of Fame. “Jack was not only a mentor, but also the guiding force behind much of the club’s success, and maintaining stability without his guidance was a significant challenge.

“Another hurdle was encouraging others to step up and volunteer, building a strong, committed team doesn’t happen automatically. I also had to learn the art of delegation, trusting others to take on responsibilities so I wouldn’t become overwhelmed. Each of these challenges taught me resilience, patience, and the importance of teamwork in keeping the club thriving.”

Rise to the challenges she certainly did.

The organization had an annual all-star tournament for under-11 players named after Crosby that had started in 2004. She took it over and it continues to thrive. 

Kirkby’s tireless efforts have been recognized with awards both by Burnaby Minor Lacrosse and the BC Lacrosse Association, which gave her the Ruth Seward Award for volunteerism in 2011. She also served as second vice-president and first vice-president of the BMLA between 2009 and 2022.

It all started for her with a what she says was a simple desire to support kids and families in the community.

“I started as a volunteer because I saw how much joy and confidence lacrosse brought to young players,” say says. “Over the years, I saw how much happens behind the scenes, organizing, scheduling, communicating, fundraising, and all the invisible things that hold a club together.”

Dealing with dedicated volunteers, passionate coaches, supportive parents and amazing kids meant a lot to her. Equally meaningful, she says, was the moments she spent outfitting children with donated lacrosse gear and providing them with scholarships because without that support many of the organization’s young players would not have had the opportunity to play.

“What prompted me to get involved was a desire to help. What has kept me involved are the relationships, the memories, and the belief that Burnaby Minor Lacrosse isn’t just a sports club, it’s a family.”

Her own family played “a huge role” in Kirkby being able to shine as an organizational leader. Kirkby credits her husband and two sons for the patience allowing her to dedicate her time needed to run the organization, whether it be time spent on the computer, on the phone, in meetings or at the arena.

“My son Tyler’s love of the game was the spark that introduced me to the lacrosse community in the first place. Their support and encouragement have made it possible for me to give back and help foster the same love of the sport in others,” says Kirkby.

In addition to Crosby, Kirkby relied on the support and guidance of many other individuals such as Deb Heard, Tom Kellett, Bev Gilliam, Lee Loftus, Omar Dhanani, and the Lego and McKinnon families to name a few.

When Josephine Lee came to Canada with her husband, Freeman Watt, in 1994 to escape continued unrest from the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre in China they landed in Burnaby where his parents were already living. Watt decided to take up lawn bowling because it was a sport he had been fascinated with since he was a boy walking by lawn bowling greens in Hong Kong.

Although Watt, who met Lee when they were travelling on the Trans-Siberian Railway, was a supportive husband he played so much Lee, a cardiac nurse at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, realized she had to join him on the grass to avoid becoming “a lawn bowl widow.” So in 1998, she took up the sport spending a lot of time practising. “(Watt) is my bowling partner, my secretary and manager too,” Lee tells the Burnaby Sports Hall of Fame.

Lee got so good she won the women’s club singles at the New Westminster Lawn Bowling Club the following year. Then the district singles in 2000. Lee had gotten so good so fast she was asked to play in other formats (pairs, triples and fours) as a lead for the provincial games. That opportunity a chance to bowl with elite, experienced bowlers and soak in their guidance and encouragement which did a lot to improve her skills.

A good example of that was the 2005 Canadian mixed pairs held in Parksville. It was her first national tournament and she was very nervous.

“I didn’t bowl well. It was only halfway and we lost a few games already. The chance of getting to the playoffs was slim but my skip didn’t give me any (harsh) words. Instead he bowled exceptionally well with his skills and tactics to save the match. He guided and showed empathetic encouragement throughout all the games. I came around and started to bowl better. We pulled through and I won my first national gold medal,” says Lee.

Since 2001, Lee has won 37 provincial medals (24 gold) and 19 national medals (10 gold).

A particularly fruitful year, she says, was 2009. She won national titles in the women’s singles and the mixed pairs to go along with winning the US Open women’s singles and finishing second at the Hong Kong Open.

Her play was so impressive Lee, who had represented Canada at the 2008 Asia Pacific Games, was selected to play for Canada at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India. Lee also has a second US Open gold medal in her trophy case 

There isn’t a football fan in Canada — whether they be aficionados of the CFL, NFL, Canadian college or U.S. university variety — that doesn’t know who Farhan Lalji is.

Lalji has become one of Canada’s foremost football experts, if not THE foremost — on all those levels as a reporter, analyst and occasional play-by-play voice for TSN. He’s also been a community builder for the sport in British Columbia.

Lalji’s family moved to Burnaby when he was six. Lalji played football for Burnaby Central and after graduating in1986 he helped coach the team from 1987 to 2000. He did a stint as Simon Fraser University’s sports information director in the early 1990s before becoming a sports reporter for CBC Vancouver from 1995 to 1997. 

He joined TSN as a regional reporter in 1997 and while he covers all the regional sports for the network he as become one of TSN’s football experts. Lalji has covered 22 Grey Cups, 16 Super Bowls and 12 NCAA championships. He is frequently seen on the sidelines of CFL games as a reporter for TSN and occasionally is in the booth as a play-by-play announcer as well as anchoring TSN’s coverage of the annual CFL Canadian college draft. His in-depth knowledge of football at all levels — professional, collegiate and even high school — is not only on display on TSN throughout the year but he’s also a frequent expert commentator for many broadcast and podcast outlets on both sides of the border.

He’s not all football though. He reports extensively on the Vancouver Canucks including covering Stanley Cup finals as well as reporting from NBA finals, MLB and NBA all-star games, the U.S. Open and PGA golf championships and three Olympic Games.

“The best athletes I’ve ever covered were (former Vancouver Canucks stars and Hockey Hall of Fame members) Daniel and Henrik Sedin. Just class individuals who understood we all had a two-way relationships. They conducted themselves with pure class and professionalism and were interested in who we were beyond the mic also,” Lalji tells the Burnaby Sports Hall of Fame about those he admired.

“In terms of broadcasters (CBC news anchor and reporter) Ian Hanomansingh was a trailblazer for Canadian broadcasters of South Asian descent and (national play-by-play announcer) Chris Cuthbert, Rod Smith (TSN), Barry Macdonald (CBC, Sports Page, TSN1040) and Burnaby’s Don Taylor (inducted by the hall two years ago) are men that I’ve learned a tremendous amount from and I appreciated their mentorship early in my career.”

His work has allowed Lalji to be almost Forrest Gump-like in his ability to be in the right place when something momentous occurred.

“From watching Usain Bolt win gold medals in London (2012), to Shaq (Shaquille O’Neal) and Kobe (Bryant) win their first NBA title, to (Sydney) Crosby’s Golden Goal in 2010, Jordan’s last shot with the (Chicago) Bulls and countless Super Bowl and Grey Cup signature finishes, it’s been quite the experience,” he says.

“But mostly my memories come from the people I work with. I’ve had some outstanding teammates along the way that have pushed me to be better and I was excited to share these moments with them.”

His community contributions have also earned him a place in the BC Football Hall of Fame. In 2003, Lalji revived the dormant football program at New Westminster Secondary School, not only serving as its head coach but also cultivating sponsorships for the program to make it thrive and helping many of its players obtain post-secondary scholarships.

The football hall said “there are few individuals who have had as profound an impact on the growth of high school football in BC than Farhan Lalji.” His efforts in growing sponsorship for the organization included obtaining sponsorship from Subway for the provincial championship games to be held in BC Place and to appear on television from 2002 to 2012. Lalji pioneered the provincial high school football all-star awards dinner and annual all-star games and went on to serve as BC High School Football president from 2010 to 2012. During that sting one of his major accomplishments was developing a safety policy around concussion prevention for the BCHSF.

Lalji admits his biggest challenge was making the decision to pursue broadcasting instead of one as a coach. “I do often wonder what life would have looked like if I’d chosen my other passion.”

He got involved with coaching so he could continue to be around his mentor, former Burnaby Central head coach Alex Reid. Sports served as his first connection as a young immigrant boy and eventually the field became his happy place.

“When you start as young as I did you feel you have a connection to kids that are only four to five years younger, but then when you realize you can make a difference it becomes addictive and I feel my communications skills also allowed me to learn what players needed.”

Lalji says his parents were always there to support him when he was younger, but the real game changer for him was his wife Mary. “She got involved in everything behind the scenes and made her own sacrifices so that I could make mine as a volunteer coach and builder.”

He also praises a bunch of people at NWSS and with the provincial organization who helped him in all those endeavours. The memories he cherishes the most in his community work are the relationships he had with students, coaches and parents.

“The wins and losses will come and go, but those relationships last so much longer. Seeing kids who struggled through their teenage years grow up to be strong leaders, fathers and successful in the work force is the most rewarding aspect of my time as a builder.”

While Lalji has worked in many corners of the sporting world he also has worked to help grow communities close to home.

Sean Fleming, born and raised in Burnaby, spent 16 seasons in the CFL kicking for the Edmonton Eskimos. He set club records for points (2,571), field goals (553), converts (713), punts (1,264), punt yardage (52,957) and kickoff yardage (69,973).

Fleming, who attended Parkcrest Elementary and played soccer for Cliff Avenue United and baseball for the Burnaby Baseball Association, played in five Grey Cups, winning three, and was named the 1983 Grey Cup’s Most Valuable Canadian. He kicked the game-winning field goal in overtime in the 1995 Grey Cup.

He’s a four-time West Division all-star and two-time CFL all-star.
After graduating highs school from Vancouver College, Fleming went to the University of Wyoming where he still holds almost every Cowboys place-kicking record including scoring 324 points in his four years there.

As a pro, he had brief stints in the NFL with Washington and Kansas City before joining Edmonton, who selected him sixth overall in the 1992 CFL draft. He was inducted into the team’s Wall of Honour in 2011.