JBAA Celebrates 125th Anniversary

By Peter Simmonds
The James Bay Athletic Association (JBAA) located at MacDonald Park in Victoria, B.C. stands today as the longest lived Canadian Amateur athletic organization west of Montreal. Founded in 1886 as a baseball team operating out of a vacant fire hall, JBAA has sponsored teams in rowing, boxing, rugby, soccer and track and field. Several club members have represented Canada at the Olympic Games and the club's reputation has grown in prominence in Victoria and beyond.

Two world wars saw most of JBAA's athletes away fighting for their country with the club at home just managing to hang on during those years. During WWII it is estimated that 70% of the membership were in service.

In post WWII JBAA regrouped with rugby as the main focus, winning six Island Championships through the 1950's. In the 1960's JBAA won five more Island crowns and in 1962-63 their first BC Championship since 1946.

Between 1973 and 1982, coached by B.C. Hall-of-Famer Tillman Briggs, JBAA won eight provincial championships (seven of them in a row) and ten Island Bernard Cups. In 1976 they won the prestigious Club tournament in Windsor Ontario. In 1980 they won the unofficial North American Championship at the Monterey Tournament in California. By the turn of the 21st century JBAA, the Bays, had added another six BC Championships bringing the total to 20!

Under present coach Peter Rushton, JBAA has won three more provincial crowns (2006 -2008) and six Vancouver Island Barnard Cups. In 2007 the Bays also won the Canadian Club Championship, a competition held only in that year.

As the new season Begins JBAA has recorded 23 BC Championships. The JBAA second team have also been a success making it to the Division One final for the last three seasons winning twice. It is this competition to make the Premiership team which keeps the JBAA standard high. This year Andrew Moffatt will coach the Division one team replacing the retiring John Buxey.

Over the years forty-six JBAA players have represented Canada in Rugby Internationals. Hans DeGoede, Mark Cardinal, Winston Stanley, Patrick Dunkley and Bob Ross are the most capped players. Hans DeGoede captained Canada at the first Rugby World Cup in New Zealand in 1987. Present Canada players include, DTH Van de Merwe Sean White and Jason Marshall. Tillman Briggs and Gary Johnston have coached the Canadian National team and Morgan Williams coached the 7-a-side team in 2010-2011.

As in all non-profit organizations the club relies on the membership heavily to keep club activities going. Membership covers ages 15 - 90. Lew Madley, a past president of the club, was recently honoured by 40 members of the Victoria rugby community on the occasion of his 90th birthday. Lew is the author of a book on JBAA's history written for the 1986 Centenary.

Besides the active playing contingent the club boasts 76 social members, most of whom are former players. This group rallies when needed to set up fences around the park on game days. They also sell and recycle Christmas trees and help when needed on various other projects.

The current club house situation on Simcoe Street is the last in a series of JBAA locations in Victoria. In 1961 the membership built the foundations for the current building. When finished they moved a building from Royal Oak and placed it on the prepared section. Since then the building has undergone several renovations with club members providing the bulk of the labour. The DeGoede family who have contributed 9 players to the club have been most prominent along with Sonny Vickery, a past president, and owner of Vickery Construction.

President Tom Woods and coaches Peter Rushton and Andrew Moffatt welcome one and all to come to MacDonald Park on Saturday afternoons to cheer on the "Bays".