West Kootenay Advertiser Thursday, June 16, 2016

A3

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Castlegars 2nd annual

peony show huge success

Edgewood teacher receives Environmental

Education Award of Excellence

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On his field, dreams came true

D
Wayne Mallette photo

uring the 1930s, a shy, soft-spoken man with a walrus moustache and a twinkle in his eye
turned a vacant lot in Grand
Forks, BC., into a field of dreams
for a generation of young baseball players.
Unlike Kevin Costners character in the 1989
movie Field of Dreams, James (Jim) Donaldson
never played the game or plowed under a corn
field to build a baseball diamond, but he was
compelled by the same inspiration: Build it,
and they will come, and just like in the movie,
Donaldson responded.
Today, the field of scrub grass on which
Donaldson spent so many seasons gently encouraging his young players is gone. In its place
stands James Donaldson Park, nearly smack
dab on the original diamond Donaldson built.
Now home to youth baseball and the backdrop for the 35th anniversary Grand Forks
International (June 28 July 3), the stadium
is a fitting tribute to one mans foresight and
dreams.
Born in Ontario, Donaldson arrived in
Grand Forks about 1909 with his brothers
Pete and John. While Pete went to work for
the Canadian Pacific Railway, Jim and John
opened the Donaldson Store in Columbia, as
the area around the ballpark was known then.
In 1930, a grass fire destroyed the store located near the CPR Station, now a pub and
restaurant. Although his brother rebuilt the
store, Jim, nearing 50, decided to retire. With
plenty of time to spare, he turned his attention
to a lifelong passion baseball. Realizing that
the neighbourhood boys needed a place to play,
Donaldson volunteered his own property for
a field. With rakes and shovels, he organized
a work party to clear away weeds and rocks to
make the field playable. Old planks supported
by empty wooden apple boxes became benches.
Later, a backstop and simple bleachers three
rows high were built. The outfield fence, parallel to the present highway, consisted of a row of
tall trees a forerunner to todays version of
the monster wall. It was the beginning of the
Columbia ball team.
Donaldson became the teams coach and
manager, and dreams became a reality for
many a young baseball player in the Sunshine
Valley. The Columbia team joined a league

Della Mallette photo

Wayne Mallette photo

Photo courtesy of Boundary Museum

Clockwise: Gerry Foster will once again be a part of a large contingent of volunteers hosting the
35th anniversary of the tournament from June 28 to July 3. Baseball has been a favourite sport
in Grand Forks since the early 1900s drawing teams from all across North America. Pictured on
the field last year were the Kamloops Sun Devils taking on the Seattle Studs.
that included the towns of Grand Forks and
Greenwood, along with American teams just
over the border in Curlew, Orient and Republic.
On trips out of town, the boys would travel
the rutted roads in cars or chip in several dollars
to pay a farmer with a truck to take them all.
In local tournaments, theyd play against other
West Kootenay teams, or the barnstorming
teams like the Sons of David.
Though the West End boys now had a
place to chase down fly balls, many in the depression years could ill-afford the cost of gloves,
wooden bats or even balls. Donaldson again
stepped up to the plate, supplying what was necessary. One former player recalled Donaldson
giving him an official Babe Ruth wooden bat
as a birthday gift.
While it may be easy to dismiss baseball
as just a game of hit and catch, Donaldson
knew it was much more. He saw it as a way to
teach lessons that would last far beyond the
last strike-out. He impressed upon his players

the idea that it was better to have played and

lost, than never to have played at all.
Do unto others, as you would have them
do to you, he would say.
Donaldson never hollered at his players
mistakes. Indeed, with his Irish Water Spaniel
by his side waiting for stray balls, Donaldson did
his best to ensure all who played enjoyed themselves. Donaldsons house, a short outfield hop
from the ballpark, became a second dugout.
A lifelong bachelor, he viewed the team as
the teenage children he never had. The boys
would come to his house to talk, play cards,
read his collection of western books, or just
hang out on the porch and front lawn, listening to Donaldson play the piano. Respected
in the community, Jim kept his players on the
straight and narrow, becoming a father figure
to many of the boys.
Not just the players, however, benefited from
his kindness and generosity. Every Christmas,
Donaldson delighted in playing Santa Claus for

friends and strangers. He gave all the ladies he

knew sweets, Pot O Gold chocolates among
the favourites. In addition, Jim would knock
on doors of newcomers to Grand Forks and
deliver a festive welcome, along with presents
for the struggling families.
The start of the Second World War marked
the passing of a remarkable era for baseball in
Grand Forks. Many of the boys that Jim coached
enlisted and went overseas, some never to return. Others left Grand Forks, seeking work
elsewhere. While Donaldsons involvement
with baseball dimmed over the succeeding
years, his interest in the game continued to
shine brightly.
Upon his death in 1961, Donaldson bequeathed his field to the City of Grand Forks.
It was his dream that the property be kept as
a place for young people to play the game he
held so dear. Donaldson is still recalled warmly.
Just a real nice guy, people say.
With a hearty laugh, he would ask those hed
meet, So, what have you been up to today?
Besides baseball, he loved to fish the local
rivers and lakes and throw the horseshoe.
While he never donned a uniform, imagining
Donaldson taking a turn in the game that was
such a major part of his life isnt so difficult.
In his prime, Donaldson weighed around 185
lbs (84 kg) and stood 5 10 (180 cm). With
his stocky build, he would probably have been
a catcher.
Imaginein the gathering twilight of a late
summer day, the air thick from the dust kicked
up by runners on the base path, Donaldson and
his team strolling across the infield to take up
their positions. Standing behind home plate,
a wad of chewing tobacco lodged in his cheek,
Donaldsons easy-going voice drifts across the
diamond. Then squatting on his stubby legs, he
signals the pitcher to twirl him a fastball
Somewhere, the game continues and Jim
Donaldson still plays.
Post game This article is dedicated to the dreamers that have kept Jim Donaldsons vision alive with
the building of the stadium and ballpark that bear his
name, along with the ongoing success of the Grand
Forks International. The author wishes to thank Jim
Donaldsons family and acquaintances for their assistance, recollections and stories. Their generosity of
time and interest is much appreciated.