Former New Brigden resident honoured

Shirley McClellan inducted into Prairie Baseball Accademy Hall of Fame

By Joan Janzen
joanjanzen@yahoo.com

A well-known former New Brigden resident has received a prestigious honour. Shirley McClellan was inducted into the Prairie Baseball Academy (PBA) Hall of Fame in the Builder/Community Leader category for the class of 2021. Shirley now resides in Edmonton but previously lived on a farm in the New Brigden area for over 50 years.

Shirley loves baseball, so it wasn’t surprising that she pursued the construction of the Lloyd Nolan Yard baseball facility and complex in Lethbridge. As the Minister of Community Development at the time, she directed government funds towards community centres, parks, hockey rinks and baseball fields.

“I have had a lot of good opportunities,” Shirley said, which is an understatement. Shirley served her constituents in the Alberta legislature from 1989 until she resigned in 2007. During that time, she held numerous posts, including being the first female Minister of Agriculture, a posting which she held twice. She was also the Chancellor of the University of Lethbridge and a member of the Olds College Board of Governors.

“The posting as Minister of Community Development was definitely the most fun,” Shirley said. “Community development doesn’t exist as it did then. It involved all people, programs, sports and art. The only option for our young people was to go to the States for a scholarship, and that was expensive.”

Shirley described how the University of Lethbridge and the Lethbridge College cooperated to make the project possible. “This was a great program, and it has passed its 25th anniversary and is still successful,” Shirley explained.

Shirley wanted to be sure she didn’t forget to acknowledge the enormous contributions of Doug Jones of Oyen, who was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame at its 25th-anniversary celebration. Doug was instrumental in building the game, both on and off the field. Doug has been committed to baseball for the past 25 years and helped start the Prairie Baseball Academy, the Vauxhall Academy of Baseball and the Badlands Baseball Academy. He was also instrumental in the expansion of the Alberta teams to the Western Major Baseball League in 2001.

Shirley continued to say that “Academics are an important part of the baseball program; it concentrates on the development of the whole person. It’s given athletes the opportunity to pursue their dreams, and many have gone on from here to the States and have become semi-pro and pro.”

The program wasn’t confined to Alberta but had young people from all over the country, including the Maritimes. “The MLA at the time was a huge supporter, which was wonderful,” Shirley said. “Lethbridge has a really great baseball community with lots of support from the community. I got to watch the guys build their own ballyard, and I told them very few players got to be involved in building their own baseball yard. We now have baseball academies in Vauxhall and Oyen that bring young people in.”

Even after she no longer held the post of Minister of Community Development, she steadfastly remained involved in community development and is currently a member of various boards. “Every once in a while, someone asks me to help, so I have lots to keep busy. Best of all, I have all my grandkids and one great-grandchild,” Shirley said.

Even though she misses farm life, she can still get her hands dirty, and her yard is keeping her busy.

“I was raised to believe you can do anything you want to do, and you should participate in your community. My mother was on the school board and encouraged us kids to be involved,” Shirley said. Regarding her accomplishments, Shirley noted, “A lot of people help you do it; you don’t do it yourself. I represented a great area where people helped you out.”’

Shirley McClellan was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in the Builder/Community Leader category for the class of 2021.