The Legends of Lacrosse interview, featuring Jim Burke will be released in video and podcast format on Thursday September 24. The Canadian Lacrosse Foundation’s Video Lacrosse Library and Lacrosse Talks project features video and podcast interviews of some of Canada’s most dynamic lacrosse builders, coaches and players. The purpose of the project is to capture the personal stories of those who have shaped the game over the last 80 years.

Jim Burke Biography:

In 1968 Jim Burke started playing lacrosse at the age of 18 for the North Glenora Blues Junior B team in Edmonton. The team went on to become provincial champions in 1969 and he was a member of Alberta Representative Team at the first Canada Summer Games in Halifax. In 1970, Burke played with the Rexdale Warriors Junior B team in Toronto. He moved back to Edmonton in 1971 and went on to coach the North Glenora Blues Junior B team. Burke then moved to the west coast and played with the Burnaby Colombians and the Kirby Klippers of the British Columbia Lacrosse Association’s Senior B league with Sohen Gill as his coach for five seasons. 

In 1980, Burke was active in the St. Albert Lacrosse club and spent two years as president of the club. He served as the Greater Edmonton Lacrosse Association director for two years and coached almost all age groups while in St. Albert. He also started playing senior field lacrosse in Edmonton during this time. 

Burke won the Jim McFall Award in 1985 for dedication and leadership to the game of lacrosse in Alberta. Burke started field lacrosse in Calgary and co-coached the 1989 U19 National Champions for field lacrosse. He was the winner of the 1991 Joe Nieuwendyk Award for dedication to the growth and development to the sport of lacrosse in Calgary. Burke then became the president of the Alberta Lacrosse Association for four years.

Burke served as the Alberta representative to the Board of Directors of the Canadian Lacrosse Association for two years. This grew to becoming a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Lacrosse Association for three years and Men’s Field Sector Chair of the Canadian Lacrosse Association for one year. Burke served as the Prairie Director of the Canadian Senior Men’s National team for two years and was a founding member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Lacrosse Foundation in 1996.

Jim Burke became Canadian Lacrosse Association President from 1999 – 2003, and from 2003 to 2019 he served as past-president of the Canadian Lacrosse Association. Burke attended many national championships, including the Mann Cup, Minto Cup and field lacrosse championships, as the CLA representative and convener of the events.

In 2006, Burke was presented with the Lester B Pearson Award and in 2009 was inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame as a builder. In 2007, Jim Burke was elected as the chairman of the Canadian Lacrosse Foundation where he currently serves.

Click here for a full list of the interviewees featured in the Legends of Lacrosse and Lacrosse Talks interviews.

Watch all the video stories here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCBvOxZi_Bu2toDatSBvvZA

Listen to all the audio podcast stories here: https://www.spreaker.com/show/lacrosse-legends

(The Podcast show and all episodes will also be made available on iTunes, Google Play, iHeartRadio and Spotify as soon as the episodes start getting released).

Partner Websites

Canadian Lacrosse Association

Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame and Museum

Manitoba Lacrosse Hall of Fame

Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame and Museum

About the Canadian Lacrosse Association          

Founded in 1867, the Canadian Lacrosse Association (CLA) is the governing body responsible for all aspects of lacrosse in Canada. Our organization is comprised of 10 Member Associations representing nearly 85,000 individual participants, including coaches, officials, and athletes of all ages and abilities. The CLA's mission is to honour the sport of lacrosse and its unique nation-building heritage, by engaging our members, leading our partners, and providing opportunities for all Canadians to participate. The CLA oversees the delivery of numerous national championships and the participation of Team Canada at all international events sanctioned by World Lacrosse. The CLA is proud to be affiliated with partners that share the same vision and values, including our corporate partners - NormaTec Recovery Systems, Canadian Red Cross, Westjet, RockTape, OPRO and Baron Rings - as well as our funding partners the Government of Canada, the Coaching Association of Canada, and the Canadian Lacrosse Foundation. For more information on Canadian Lacrosse Association and the sport of lacrosse, visit our website at www.lacrosse.ca and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

For more information, please contact:

Jim Calder

Director
Canadian Lacrosse Foundation
Email: james.calder2@sympatico.ca

Victoria Klassen

Communications and Marketing Coordinator
Canadian Lacrosse Association
Phone: 613-260-2028 ext. 302
Email: victoria@lacrosse.ca