Les Magnusson will be honoured on Thursday, October 15, 2009, for his service to the City of Steinbach as both a member of City Council for 26 years and an active member of community recreation teams and programs. A ceremony officially naming “Les Magnusson Park” is planned in recognition of these services.
When asked how he felt about receiving this honour, Magnusson said,
“It’s not something that you work for when you’re elected mayor for council. You work for the community and do the best you can and, for me, this is a form of appreciation for that work and I appreciate it.”
“Les Magnusson played an influential role in the growth of our city for over three decades,” said Mayor Chris Goertzen. “He over saw the transformation of Steinbach as a small bustling town to a young and vibrant city. His many years of dedication deserve to be recognized.”
Members of the public are welcome to attend the ceremony officially naming “Les Magnusson Park.” The ceremony will be held at the park, located behind the Steinbach Family Medical Centre at 333 Loewen Boulevard, and will begin at 11:00am on Thursday.
Magnusson served as City Mayor from 1995 to 2006 and as City Councillor from 1977 to 1995. He has also been active on many community boards including Steinbach Recreation Commission, Bethesda Hospital Board, Public Library Board, Board of Directors of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities, and the Professional Photographers of Manitoba/Canada.
Magnusson is also widely known and appreciated for his contribution to the game of softball. He was a board member of the Hanover Fastball League for over 20 years; sat on the Board of Directors of Softball Manitoba for 13 years and on the Board of Directors of Softball Canada for 12 years; served as the President of Softball Manitoba for two years; and Chair of Steinbach and District Umpires Association for ten years. Magnusson also served as liaison for Softball Canada at the 1994 Womens World Softball championship in St. John’s, Newfoundland and at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg.
Magnusson first became involved in softball in 1965 as an umpire in Selkirk, where he owned and operated a photo studio. For the next 25 years, he umpired in the communities where he lived.
