A longtime Central Alberta outdoor sports writer has been named to the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum.
Bob Scammell, winner of the 2013 Bell Memorial Award, was one of 10 inductees honoured for 2013 during special ceremonies held in various venues across Alberta on Thursday.
Scammell is being praised for his long career as an outdoor sports writer, photographer, activist and organizer since the 1960s. His weekly columns have been a popular feature in many Alberta newspapers, including the Red Deer Advocate, and his works describing the excellent hunting and angling opportunities in Alberta have appeared in many provincial, national and international magazines.
He also published three successful books. His columns and articles on conservation have won national awards and helped save public lands. Scammell was also recognized for volunteering in various outdoor organizations, including Alberta Fish and Game Association and Canadian Wildlife Federation.
Inside the Hall of Fame on Red Deer’s outskirts, Scammell said he was honoured and somewhat overwhelmed by the recognition. Among those who nominated him was Joe McLaughlin, former managing editor of the Red Deer Advocate.
Scammell, 75, writes about hunting and fishing. These are often called the “blood sports” — a term he gets annoyed at.
“The real blood sports we know are football, baseball and so forth,” said Scammell. “These other sports or activities are followed by just about everybody. So it’s a little unusual for an outdoor sports writer to be honoured.”
He figures this recognition honours those who follow these outdoor sports well into their lives. One of his favourite writers is William Faulkner, who wrote The Bear, a story about an annual hunting expedition.
“If you love the outdoors and the things you do out there, they sort of get you waxing lyrical — once in a while you write about it,” said Scammell. “I also get concerned about the resources — our public land, our water. You get that connection and write about them.”
Scammell’s mother was a journalist and then he began writing at 16. Health issues concerning his legs have caused him to stop enjoying some things in the outdoors, but he can still do something he’s passionate about. And that’s writing.
Another Advocate writer who received the Bell Memorial Award is Danny Rode. The longtime sports writer was inducted in 1999.
ltester@www.reddeeradvocate.com