Salt Spring Squash Club

Paul Binding (Treasurer): I am a former Math professor at the University of Calgary (UC).I am also a former English County squash player and Alberta #2. To put that into perspective, when I arrived in Alberta in 1971, there were several hundred men playing N. American “hard” ball squash, mostly at the established Glencoe and Glenora clubs in Calgary and Edmonton. There were also about 20 unattached players using the International “soft” ball, so I founded the UC squash club and within a few years we had wrested the provincial club challenge cup from the stranglehold of the Glencoe and Glenora clubs, which had largely converted to the soft ball. During this period some of us also persuaded various contractors in Calgary to put squash courts in new office towers and community centres they were building. New squash clubs soon followed, so I founded an interclub squash league and when I handed over the reins in 1977, there were thousands of men and women playing recreational and competitive squash in Calgary. The current squash situation on SSI in some ways resembles what I first encountered at UC. Actually, there seem to be more players on SSI than there were originally at UC, but unfortunately fewer courts (zero versus two). If we can build even one court, I am convinced that the game will follow, and indeed flourish, on SSI.

Reuben Kaufman (Secretary): was born and raised in Montreal; I was introduced to squash on entering university (McGill), at the suggestion of my uncle. I’ve played regularly since then (at a very modest level) until I retired from the University of Alberta (Biological Sciences) in 2012, when I moved to Salt Spring. Although initially disappointed that there were no opportunities to play on the island, I was delighted to learn in due course that Markus Wenzel was spearheading a group of squash enthusiasts to realize the dream, and I was even more delighted to be asked to join the group. In the meantime, I maintain some racquet sense by playing pickleball with some other great folks on Salt Spring!

Herb Otto: Born in Germany and at age 5 immigrating to Toronto with his parents, Herb attended university of Toronto where he obtained his Bachelor of Architecture in 1971. The first job opportunity came in Ottawa where he started his own practice in 1979. The firm grew into one of the largest practices in Ottawa undertaking many project types but eventually specializing in health care. On retiring in 2006, Herb moved to Vancouver and then to Salt Spring Island in 2009 where he pursues his art and sports.