Note to reader: We hope you enjoy this short history. It's a work in progress. We welcome contributions and corrections. Email us.
Thank you to the Deschutes County Historical Society for providing these 2 images below. One is in Bend and the other is outside of Bend. Can you guess when and where these were captured? Click on the image to launch a larger version. Let us know your best guess!
Roland "Wally" Wallace , 1930 - 2013
Pioneer of Ice Hockey in Bend
Roland "Wally" Wallace was born in Calgary, Alberta and grew up during the great depression in the small, southern Alberta ranching community of Brooks. This is where he began his life-long passion and affiliation with Canada's national pastime, ice hockey.
On the ice Wally had blazing speed, was an outstanding goal scorer, and traveled extensively throughout western Canada and Alaska chasing his NHL dream and playing the game he loved.
In the mid-1960's, Wally and his wife Judy immigrated to the U.S. and lived in Medford, Oregon where he worked in equipment sales and called on lumber mills throughout central and eastern Oregon.
To be closer to his clients, Wally, Judy and their two sons (Scott & Lindsay) moved to Bend in 1969. Wally passed along his love for ice hockey and took it upon himself, to promote and teach skating and hockey to generations of central Oregonians. This started in 1970 at the old Juniper Park concrete slab when Wally and Vince Genna, Bend Park & Recreation District's first Director, would turn on the fire hoses and flood the slab where the community gathered to skate each winter.
When a resort rink was built at the Inn of the 7th Mountain in 1971, Wally established kids hockey and adult broomball programs that he lead at the 7th Mountain rink, and later at the Sunriver Village rink. For 35 years Wally coached generations of central Oregon ice and roller hockey players until health issues required him to hang up his skates. Wally passed away in 2013, however, the skating and hockey programs he pioneered in Bend continue to this day.
Local hockey players compete each year for the "Wally Wallace Cup" which recognizes and celebrates his life-long contributions to the ice sports culture of central Oregon.
The Bend Park & Recreation Foundation's Simpson Pavilion and Program Fund helps honor the life and work of Wally Wallace, and his dream of ice-based recreation for our community.