The Vigars & Salter Western Invitational

Running Around in London

  One fine day last week I was playing golf badly up at the Thames Valley Golf Course when I spotted Bob Vigars who I have spotted many times over the last fifty years, mainly up at UWO and Western. While we played, Bob worked, dutifully spray painting arrows to indicate the directions the runners were to follow in the University cross-country meet which bears his name, and the name of Bill Salter, a teacher and coach who has helped organize the meet over the years. Although Bob retired from Western about a decade ago, he continues to be actively involved with the Invitational and his dedication spurred me to attend. I am glad I did.

  Given that our 'local' newspaper is 'local' in name only and that it provides no news on Monday, many local activities are overlooked or undereported. The few remaining reporters are dedicated, but they can only do so much. For that reason, I will offer a few words here about The Vigars & Salter Western Invitational and then a few more about Vigars from reporters like Dalla Costa, back when the regional coverage was more robust. It also saves me the work of having to tally up all of Vigar's accomplishments. 

    The day of the Invitational was a fine one as well and the Thames Valley is a scenic place in which to run. For those of us who are older and out of shape, it is perhaps more depressing than inspiring to see so many fit men and women effortlessly gamboling all around the course, prior to running a grueling eight-kilometres. 

     There were over fifteen teams from all across the country and the spectacle was a colourful one with all the Varsity Blues and McGill Redbirds and Carabins and Martlets gathered on the green fairways. The female Thunderbirds are fleet footed and five of them were among the top ten with Kyla Becker way out in front. I see that she is from Portland, Oregon. Queens from closer by, was first among the men's teams and again the UBC Thunderbirds were near the top, in second place.

The Mustang women finished in second and the men in sixth. 

The 2023 U Sports Cross Country Championship

   Londoners will again have the opportunity to see athletes from across the country compete in a cross country national event to be held on the Thames Valley Golf Course. Save this date: Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023. For more details, click here. 

The Bonus: 

  It was not that long ago that women were not allowed to compete in long distance running events. See, "Women Running Around."

  For an actual golf event at Thames Valley, which was described by Gene Sarazen as one of the finest public courses in North America, read about the Canadian Open held there 90 years ago: "Joy in Mudville." 

  The bonus for me, riding my bike home after the Invitational, was seeing this large buck crossing the Thames.

Additional Sources:

  Here are some samples from the old days, back before London and other communities became "news deserts."

"From 'Nothing'To Hall-Worthy; Bob Vigars Honoured for Decades of Dominance as Western Running Coach," Ryan Pyette, The Londoner, Oct. 24, 2019.

  "Fifty years ago, Bob Vigars was in the J.W. Little Stadium stands at a regional track meet and overheard a couple of high schoolers talking about which university they were going to run at the following year.

  "One says Central Michigan, another says Toronto and another guy says, 'Hey, I thought you were going to Western,'" the longtime former Mustangs cross-country coach said, "and the kid says, 'That place is s--. They've got nothing.'I was listening to them and thought, 'Man, I've got some work to do here.'" Last week, Vigars and Peter Fowler, the orthopedic surgeon who was medical director of Fowler Kennedy Sport Medicine Clinic, received lifetime achievement awards at the Mustangs Sports Hall of Fame induction dinner, a signature event at Western Homecoming.

   Since the Canadian university structure started officially recognizing national championships in team sports in 1961-62, the London school has won 34 of them. Vigars accounted for 14 of those - 11 in cross-country and three in track and field - in his 46-year coaching career.

  His women's cross-country teams own seven national crowns (tied with football for most in school annals) and his superb 1981-84 squads remain the only Mustangs program to win four consecutive Canadian titles."

"Western International Cross Country: Race Renamed for Longtime Organizer Bill Salter: 'Amazing' Long Time Meet Organizer Immortalized," Morris Dalla Costa, London Free Press, Sept. 21, 2017.

   "Before the runners go off though they'll find out they won't be running in the Western International Cross-Country Invitational, but will be in the newly named Bill Salter Western International.

   Salter was a teacher, multisport coach and helped organize this meet as race manager from it's inception until 2013. He was still involved until last year.

   Salter, 85, was recently diagnosed with multiple myeloma cancer.

   Bob Vigars, long-time track and cross-country coach at Western, and several others including current track and field coach Vickie Croley, weren't about to let Salter's contributions go unnoticed. Vigars is retired but still scores the Western International.

   "Bill has done so very much good for me personally over decades and he has done a ton of good for Western," Vigars said. "He's done so much not just for cross-country but for the W-Club and so much more. He's just amazing...

   The meet started in 1975 and was moved to Thames Valley in 1986."

"Simpson, Vigars Heading to London Hall of Fame," Jacob Robinson, Londoner, May 16, 2013.

   "They say "timing is everything," and the London Sports Hall of Fame's 2013 inductee announcement couldn't have come at better juncture for Bob Vigars.

   The St. Thomas native was notified of his induction just a few months before he'll put the bow on his 46-year career as Western Mustangs cross country head coach.

   "I've been very, very fortunate to have been blessed to have so many good teams over the years," Vigars said. "You don't win championships without good athletes -- it's the athletes that won it, I just happened to be the coach."

   The man who led the Mustangs to 16 Ontario and 11 Canadian titles (most ever for Mustang coaches) and won CIS coach of the year 14 times in the process, Vigars will also retire from teaching next winter. His legacy with both the cross country and track and field scene in southwestern Ontario is undeniable, but Vigars is also well versed in London's entire sports history."

"Vigars Will Finally Put His Feet Up," Morris Dalla Costa, London Free Press, Sept. 5, 2013.

   "Bob Vigars, one of the best and best-known coaches in North American university track and field and cross-country running, will retire from coaching in December after 46 years of developing runners at Western University.

   Vigars is a man with a big personality and has been tireless in his pursuit of making runners better, promoting Western teams and building the sport.

   He won a remarkable 42 championships, including 14 national and 28 Ontario titles.

   He has the most wins of any coach in Western history...."

   "Vigars has coached six teams at Western....

"The first women's championship for Vigars was the 1971 OUA title in gymnastics."

"End of An Era: Induction Caps Vigars' 45-year Career," Steve Green, London Free Press, Nov. 7, 2023.

   "Sports have been played at Western for a century. It only seems like Bob Vigars has been around from the start.

   He's been there for almost half of it, though, and the longest-serving head coach in the university's history is retiring at the end of the year. The legacy the 69-year-old leaves behind in university cross-country and track and field in unparallelled -- 14 CIS crowns, 28 OUA titles and a similar number of Canadian and Ontario coach of the year honours.

   The St. Thomas native has coached Olympians such as Jeff Glass and he even guided the women's gymnastics team for three years. And it was mostly because of him that women's cross-country became an official CIS sport in 1980 -- he started a women's team in 1974, one year before women were allowed to run university cross-country.

   All of which makes him a more than suitable addition to the London Sports Hall of Fame, which he'll enter Thursday night at the induction ceremony at the Western Fair District's Carousel Room."

Also:
http://metrasmuseum.ca/words-from-bob-vigars/

https://athleticsontario.ca/hof-2017-bob-vigars/

https://westernmustangs.ca/sports/2010/8/19/CROSS_0819103321.aspx?id=560 

Joy in Mudville

Golfing in London

    It was announced in the London Free Press today that the municipal golf courses will be opening on April 4. That is good news since the assumption is that spring is near, although most of us will likely watch more golf than play it until well after the magnolias have bloomed at the Masters. It is good news, as well, that the courses still exist since about a half-dozen years ago the city considered selling them. One of them, Thames Valley, is particularly pretty and as advertised, is actually in a valley along a river. Even the game of golf does not spoil a walk around it.

Thames Valley in the 1930s

    I mention all of this because I ran across an article from almost 80 years ago which indicates that the City Fathers (and they probably all were), were no wiser back then, although the need for cash for the city was probably greater given that this was the during the ‘Dirty Thirties’. Here is what a columnist had to say about the proposed sale:

Let’s hope that golfers in London, Ontario, will rally round to keep the civic fathers from doing any more than just considering the closing of that city’s famous municipal course at Thames Valley and selling the land. The 27 hole Thames layout is probably the finest municipal links in Canada, and no less an authority than Gene Sarazen a few years ago described it as one of the finest public courses in North America.

  Thames Valley’s case is the old story of a low-fee public club being the developing ground and feeder for private clubs. Business at Thames Valley has been slumping ever since the new Sunningdale course was opened, and, although the municipal course has never cost the ratepayers a cent in taxes, storm signals have been sent up by the Public Utilities Commission, which operates the links. Thousands of golfers throughout Ontario who have enjoyed the Thames test of golf, as well as its scenic beauty, will doubtless join the writer in hoping that this fine course can be saved.

(“Diggin' Divots At the 19th,” Roche, Bill. The Globe and Mail, Sept. 30, 1937, p.19.)

   I found the Sarazen description interesting and wondered why and when he might have visited Thames Valley. I learned that he was here in 1933 as the photograph below indicates and it was probably because he played in the Canadian Open that year, which was won by the Aussie in the photo - Joe Kirkwood. Apparently Sarazen won the match at Thames.

From left to right, Joe Kirkwood, Sandy Sommerville, Gene Sarazen and Jack Nash pose for a photo on the first tee Of Thames Valley prior to their opening day match. July 29, 1933.

    All of this information is provided by John Cowie and can be found in his book: From Rough to Fairway: The First 85 Years of the City of London Golf Courses. An excerpt of the book (along with the photo above) is found on this website: History of London and Area Golf Courses, with which Mr. Cowie is associated. [c 2024 - this link still works, but may be compromised. The information is still viewable, but use with caution since there appears to be an attempt to redirect to India.]

    Anyone interested in golf in this area should have a look at History of London and Area Golf Courses. [ see above.] It answered for me this question which I have often asked: “Wasn’t there a golf course on Gainsborough Road, on the north side before you get to Hyde Park?” The answer is “Yes”.

Additional sources:

    Information about the proposed sale of some or all of the courses back in 2011:

“City May Sell off One Golf Course ; London Assets: Revenues are Declining and a Report Says the Market is Overbuilt”, Patrick Maloney, The London Free Press, Sat. Jan. 15, 2011.Page: A3.

“Give Links Away, City Told ; Public Golf Courses: A Realtor Says Unloading Courses Would Be More Profitable For the City, But Others Say That’s Not the Answer to a Saturated Market,” Jennifer O’Brien, The London Free Press, Jan. 17, 2011, p.A1.

A response to the above: Letters to the Editor Column, The London Free Press

Sat Jan 22 2011 Page: E3. This good letter by Mr. Phil Gingrich offers strong reasons for keeping the municipal courses.

    The 1933 article by Mr. Roche was found in The Globe and Mail, as indicated. I am not sure what was written at that time in the London newspaper about the proposed sale since it is only available on microform.

    Mr. Roche, by the way, was born in Forest and worked for a time at the London Advertiser. He later joined the staff of The Globe and Mail and worked there until his retirement in 1958. He covered hockey as well as golf and wrote: The Hockey Book: The Great Hockey Stories of all Time, Told by the Men Who Knew the Game the Best. For an obituary see: “W.V. (Bill) Roche: Book Told Anecdotes About NHL Players, The Globe and Mail, June 26, 1962, p.30

    He is buried just up the river from Thames Valley in the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery.