Inductees

Jack Meda (2003)

Boxing Athlete

Jack Meda was known to chop down opponents in the same fashion he did the tall trees of Northern British Columbia.

As a longtime logger in the forested regions of Canada’s western-most provinces, Meda, notoriously known for his fisticuff battles as a bouncer in a Prince George tavern, acted on a dare from a group of amateur boxers and competed in his first-ever boxing championship tournament in Vancouver. He placed second.

It was there that the six-foot, 220-pound giant had his eyes opened to the sport. While in Vancouver, Meda spoke with legendary Canadian boxing coach Harold Mann, who convinced a young Meda to give some serious thought to boxing fulltime. The rest, as they say, is history.

Meda, a member of Prince George’s Spruce Capital Boxing Club, was crowned heavyweight champion in the B.C. Golden Gloves for three consecutive years, 1969, 1970 and 1971. His first taste of Golden Gloves competition came in 1967, the Centennial year. Meda, representing Prince George, won a gold medal in the 1969 B.C. Winter Games.

Born in New Westminster in 1945, Meda was also well known nationally for his iron fists and boxing toughness. He captured Western Canadian and Canadian amateur titles as a heavyweight in 1969-1970 and 1970-1971. As a member of Team B.C. in 1970, Meda won a gold medal at the Canadian Winter Games in Saskatoon. It was also in 1970 that Meda competed in the IX British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland. He took home a bronze medal from the heavyweight class as a souvenir.

Meda, who now calls Willow River home, toured with the Canadian Boxing Team in 1970 to invitational meets in New York, Montréal, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Holland.

One year later, Meda qualified and attended the Pan American Games in Cali, Colombia in South America. He also boxed in the North American championships in Albany, New York.

In 1971-1972 Meda went undefeated and retired from the sport.