Art Chepil
| Art Chepil | |
|---|---|
| Years in Thunder Bay | 1949–at least 1992 |
Art Chepil was a long-time sports builder and community leader in Westfort who coached, managed, and scouted for numerous hockey and baseball organizations. Art Chepil was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2000 as a builder.[1]
Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame
Art Chepil was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame on 30 September 2000 in the builder category for hockey, baseball and fastball.[1]
Career and service
Beginning in the late 1940s, he dedicated himself to youth athletics in the Westfort area of Thunder Bay. He started his coaching career with the Westfort Athletic Association Baseball team from 1949 to 1950 and served as an umpire for the Westfort International Little League from 1950 to 1954. In Hockey, he spent two decades from 1951 to 1971 developing young players in the Elks Pee Wee League, where he guided the Bruins to both league and district championships.[1]
His involvement in Hockey spanned 40 years and included roles with the Westfort Hurricanes, the Westfort Maroons, and the Fort William Canadiens Hockey Club at the Junior A, Juvenile, and Bantam levels. He also worked with the Eagles and Buccaneers Junior A teams. From 1975 to 1988, he moved into the semi-professional ranks as a scout for the Western Hockey League.[1]
Beyond coaching, he held numerous administrative positions. He served as the President of the Fort William Canadiens and the Westfort Maroons. He was a Director for the Fort William Minor Hockey Association and the Thunder Bay Junior Hockey League. Additionally, he acted as a Director and Treasurer for both the Burger King Kings and the Thunder Bay Flyers. In his later years, he led a campaign to preserve outdoor rinks for local youth.[1]
In the sport of Fastball, he managed the Great Lakes Paper Kings Fastball Club in 1970. Between 1971 and 1974, he served as the President, a Director, and an umpire for the Lakehead Major Fastball League. He was also a key figure in the establishment of the West Thunder Community Centre, serving as its President starting in 1987. For his service, he received a City of Thunder Bay Achievement Award in 1992 and the Canada 125 Governor General of Canada Commemorative Medal.[1]
Residence in the Thunder Bay area (1949–at least 1992) rests on the following dated evidence. He was active in Westfort and Thunder Bay sports and community organizations from 1949 until receiving a city achievement award in 1992.[1]
Honours and achievements
- Coached the Bruins to league and district hockey titles
- Served as a scout for the Western Hockey League from 1975-88
- Held the presidency of the Fort William Canadiens and Westfort Maroons
- Served as President of the West Thunder Community Centre starting in 1987
- Received the City of Thunder Bay Achievement Award in 1992
- Awarded the Canada 125 Governor General of Canada Commemorative Medal of Achievement
- Named Coach of the Year[1]
- Possibly the same as Arthur Chepil; the name matches, but too little is shared to merge the pages.
- Possibly the same as Arthur Chepil (of Francis Street West); the name matches, but too little is shared to merge the pages.
- Possibly the same as Art Chepil (fl. 1993); the name is identical, but too little is shared to merge the pages.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 "Art Chepil", builder profile, Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, https://www.nwosportshalloffame.com/builder-profile/506870ee-7586-407e-806d-fee0118034cb (accessed 31 October 2026). Archived copy on datum.locker.