Bill McBain, a Fergus native, long-time lacrosse enthusiast and member of Centre Wellington’s Sports hall of fame, has died.
A passionate and respected lacrosse builder, coach and mentor, McBain passed away a couple of weeks ago in Kelowna, B.C. at the age of 73.
He was born in Fergus in 1937, and was involved in lacrosse his entire life, first as player, then as a coach, administrator, and builder.
After retiring to Kelowna in 1989, McBain had a profound effect on the growth and development of lacrosse on the west coast.
McBain, a former president of the Canadian Lacrosse Association, was largely responsible for starting 22 local lacrosse teams in B.C. and helped establish the Thompson Okanagan Junior Lacrosse League.
He was inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2008 and is also a member of the Canadian Armed Forces Sports Hall of Fame (he was once a technician in the Canadian Navy).
McBain is also a past winner of the Lester B. Pearson award for his contributions to lacrosse in Canada.
He is survived by his wife, Mary, and children Billy, Cindy, Susan, Brian, and Kelly, as well as 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
