Well-loved sports stores worker honoured

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Visitors to the Naden Athletic Centre (NAC) Sports Stores kiosk have remarked how it seems different since Personnel Support Programs (PSP) worker Bruce Hannam is no longer there handing out sports equipment or uniforms to anyone who needs them.

Hannam’s coworkers, friends and family members gathered at the Sports Stores kiosk on Apr. 8 for a memorial service including a moment of silence and a dedication ceremony to name the kiosk in Bruce’s memory following his passing on Mar. 9 after a long health battle. His biggest supporters organized the ceremony, Petty Officer 2nd Class (PO2) John Helpard of Naval Fleet School (Pacific) and Tom Campbell, former NAC manager.

“When I learned about Bruce, I quickly decided we needed to dedicate this kiosk and officially name it Bruce’s Corner,” said PO2 Helpard. “He was the type of guy who was always happy to see his coworkers and visitors, so I know he would like the idea of this dedication.”

PO2 Helpard recalls that after moving to Esquimalt from the East Coast in 2007, he quickly learned Hannam was the man at the Base for loaning out sports equipment.

“I was bugging him weekly for sports equipment for me and my friends, usually hockey jerseys or shoulder pads, and I quickly developed a relationship with Bruce along the way as he was a key part of the NAC for so many others,” said PO2 Helpard. “He genuinely enjoyed giving us the gear we needed so we could stay healthy and fit.”

For nearly 30 years, Hannam handed out sports equipment and uniforms to anyone in need at the Base. He diligently tracked the whereabouts of every ball, net or piece of equipment in his giant binder. He always did his work with persistence, proficiency and a smile.

But what many people didn’t know about Bruce is that behind the scenes, he had been fighting a life-long health battle against Type 1 Diabetes, and later dementia. 

PO2 Helpard presented a wooden commemorative plaque to Hannam’s family during the memorial service. It will soon be affixed to the wall of Sports Stores in memory of the dedication.

Hannam’s son Mike and daughter Shannon Burnham also attended. Burnham commented that seeing everyone honour her father and say goodbye was heartwarming.

“He was a genuine guy, and people really liked that about him,” added Mike. “He loved his job and looked forward to being here and seeing the people, as it was a huge part of his life.”

Bruce Hannam was born in Spiritwood, Sask., on Feb. 21, 1949, and moved to Victoria with his parents as a baby. After graduating from Esquimalt High School, he spent much of his adult life working as a Storesman for the Government of Canada at the NAC and its Physical Education Recreation Instructor (PERI) branch. PERI employees and military members ran the NAC in the 1990s before PSP started running it. Hannam resided in Sooke, where he was a member of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #54 and an avid sportsman, coaching soccer and baseball teams.