JACK DIAMOND AWARD

ABOUT JACK DIAMOND

JACK DIAMOND was a leader in business, a devoted family man, an inspiring community citizen, and the father of modern-day horse racing in British Columbia. Inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame in 1989, Jack was a devoted and passionate philanthropist, both on and off the race track.

His numerous achievements in sport and fundraising include:

privately raising $360,000 to pay for the roof of Empire Stadium in 1954 during the British Empire Games in BC
creating a “Day at the Races,” a program that has raised more than $1 million for charity
helping raise $1 million to build Swangard Stadium, an amateur sports stadium in Burnaby’s Central Park
securing funds forSimon Fraser University’s athletics program, often from his own pocket, while he was chancellor from 1975–78
receiving the Order of Canada in 1982
co-founding the BC Heart Foundation

Today, we honour Jack Diamond’s legacy as a man of great integrity, leadership, and strength.

Angus Reid 2024 Jack Diamond Award Recipient

2024 JDA RECIPIENT
ANGUS REID

The Jack Diamond Sports Personality of the Year Award recognizes an individual who has consistently demonstrated a competitive and cooperative spirit, who has excelled in the field of sport, and who has made a positive contribution to our community.

Angus Reid is someone who found a way to make his childhood dream a reality. The former first round draft pick played 13 seasons and over 200 games for the Canadian Football League’s BC Lions. Angus was a three-time all-star, six-time team captain and two-time Grey Cup champion.

Born in Richmond, BC, he attended Vancouver College before heading to Simon Fraser University on a football scholarship, where he eventually became one of the few All-Americans in that program’s history.

During his career, Angus spent most of his free time travelling with the Esteem Team, speaking in schools and encouraging youth to believe in themselves and their dreams. He has written a weekly column for The Province newspaper and hosted a radio show on Team 1040 as well as Global TV’s Crime Stoppers and Monday morning Blitz.

Since retirement, Angus has presented two successful TEDx talks, including Why We Need High School Football, and released his first book, Thank You Coach, which immediately became an Amazon bestseller. He travels North America speaking with companies and teams about what it really takes to make it and how to build an elite culture. He is the head facilitator for the groundbreaking Be More Than a Bystander program that helps companies teach employees how best to combat bullying and abusive behavior in the workplace.

However, his true passion is coaching youth to help them become their very best. He has coached high school football full time for the past three seasons and just finished helping guide the Vernon Panthers to a BC high school football championship. Angus and his wife Jennifer now live in Coldstream, BC with their two young boys, Brooks and Taylor.

We look forward to celebrating Angus on Wednesday, February 28 at the 2024 RBC JCC Sports Dinner.