Two residents were inducted into the Okotoks Hall of Fame Sunday, June 12.

The Okotoks Hall of Fame program was created to recognize those community members with outstanding accomplishments in the areas of sports, arts and culture, and community service, through their community-building efforts, or their national achievements.

Those inducted were Lyle Seitz and Verg Reidlinger both for their contribution to the sports community in Okotoks.

Okotoks Mayor Tanya Thorn spoke during the ceremony about the impact they have made.

"Verg and Lyle have both taken on a leadership role in the world of athletics, and both perfectly embody the type of outstanding community leaders that belong in our Hall of Fame. Shaping a community requires leadership at multiple levels and we are grateful for the time and effort they have dedicated to this community.”

Verg Reidlinger was nominated because of the work he has put into the success of multiple organizations and sporting events in Okotoks including the Okotoks Recreation Board the Okotoks 85ers (now Bisons), and the Okotoks Pro Rodeo.

Lyle Seitz served as an official with the National Hockey League, he was also an Assistant Coach with the Okotoks Oilers, Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations for the Erste Bank Hockey League in Europe, and in 2011, Baseball Alberta honoured Lyle as the Minor League Baseball Coach of the Year. 

In his acceptance speech, Seitz was emotional about sharing the night with someone he looked up to and respected. Honouring Reidlinger and recognizing the effect he had on his career and the town. 

"Everybody in this room has learned everything from Verg I’m telling you. The community part of it, the giving back, the volunteering. A community can't do what it does without people like Verg. What we are doing, and many people in this room, is simply following [his] footsteps, and I think that's a bigger honour to me than anything."

Lyle and Verg also served as local business owners who contributed to the community through sponsorship, donations and support of countless events and organizations.

The two were nominated in 2019, but the ceremony was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Each inductee was honoured with a plaque on the Okotoks Hall of Fame wall, which is located at the Okotoks Recreation Centre outside of the Gymnasium.