Normie Kwong's legacy lives on in Olds through the Community Learning Campus football field despite the recent passing of the iconic CFL running back, businessman and former lieutenant governor of Alberta.
Normie Kwong Park received its name in 2010 as Olds High School moved to its new location. Teacher Neil Skaluba remembers sitting in an office with colleague George Grant, brainstorming ideas on what to call the field.
Skaluba says Grant thought of Normie Kwong, who had played for both the Calgary Stampeders and Edmonton Eskimos during a 13-year CFL career that saw him win four Grey Cups. Also factoring into the choice was Olds' location between the two cities.
They went to Jordan Cleland, then working in Olds College's advancement department.
Cleland says naming the field after Kwong was a creative way to raise money for capital improvements on campus while honouring the legacy of a notable figure.
He contacted both the Stampeders and Eskimos, who together paid $40,000 for the naming rights.
Cleland and the school division's Kurt Sacher also visited Kwong to pitch the idea directly. Sipping tea, talking football and swapping stories about government with him is a memory he will never forget.
"When people describe him as somebody who doesn't take themselves overly seriously, they're quite accurate. He's a very affable fellow who makes you feel comfortable," he says.
"At the time he had just finished being lieutenant governor. They have that title for life and at no time did he insist we call him His Honour because he was the Queen's representative in Alberta. He was just a warm and friendly guy who was just happy to spend some time with us and share some of his experiences."
"To me, this was a great Albertan that didn't belong to just Calgary or Edmonton. He kind of belonged to all of Alberta."
Kwong was the first Chinese-Canadian to play in the CFL. Among the many records Kwong set, he was the youngest to ever win the Grey Cup at age 18. His 9,022 rushing yards is the third-highest in league history.
After his playing career, Kwong was also a part owner of the Calgary Flames and served as president and GM of the Stampeders. He was inducted to the Canada Sports Hall of Fame. In recognition of his CFL career, he was made a member of the Order of Canada in 1998. His term as lieutenant governor spanned from 2005-10.
Kwong, his family, and officials from the Stampeders and Eskimos came to Olds for a ceremony commemorating the naming of the field in October 2010.
Back then, Skaluba was the coach of Olds Amateur Football's bantam Bulldogs and taught players about the person their home turf was named after.
"We had a number of discussions about what Normie Kwong stood for and how his impact on the football field took him to places," he says.
Olds Amateur Football's current president Doug Rieberger called Kwong a "trailblazer" and "tremendous ambassador" for sports in this province.
Kwong died in his sleep at the age of 86. A state funeral was announced for today (Sept. 13) in Calgary.
"To me, this was a great Albertan that didn't belong to just Calgary or Edmonton. He kind of belonged to all of Alberta."JORDAN CLELANDFORMER VICE-PRESIDENT OF ADVANCMENT, OLDS COLLEGE
