25th Annual Barrie Shave Tennis Classic

By Lisa Parent

Annual tennis tournament continues to honour legacy of Barrie Shave

Jun 19, 2023 | 4:14 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The 25th annual Barrie Shave Tennis Classic was held this weekend. While at first glance it may look like a regular tournament, spectators drove in from as far as British Columbia to watch.

Out-of-towners flocked to Medicine Hat for the tournament to honour Barrie Shave. Barrie was a talented athlete and advocate for tennis in Medicine Hat. 25 years ago, Barrie was in the midst of a battle with pancreatic cancer. During his battle, he found the strength to play in one last tournament, the one named in his honour.

“He was very frail, but he managed one set before he put his racket down for the last time. But when he put it down for the last time, they assured him they would hold this tournament annually. So it created a legacy,” says Barb Shave, Barrie’s wife.

The tournament raises funds for the Margery E. Yuill Cancer Center each year. Barb Shave made a trip all the way from Castlegar, B.C to honour her late husband.

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“Well, I came for the first 20 years, every single year. COVID intervened then (we decided) to be here for the 25th. That’s too important. Absolutely too important not to be here. So come hell or high water, we were gonna be here,” Barb explains.

Barrie’s old tennis partner, Brian Patterson, also makes the trip from Calgary every year for the tournament. While Patterson spent ample time with Barrie on the court, it was Barrie’s off-court persona that left a lasting impression on him.

“He was very involved in the community. He was involved in the ski patrol as well as many other areas of the community, and of course he was an educator as well. He left a very big legacy in Medicine Hat, not only in tennis, but in the community,” expresses Patterson.

READ MORE: Barrie Shave Tennis Classic results

Club general manager Ken Clement knew Barrie as a neighbour, but also as an introduction to the tennis scene.

“He was actually my next door neighbour when I was growing up as a kid. And he tried to give me a tennis lesson one time, but I’m afraid I wasn’t a very good student,” says Clement.

When Barrie was active in the tennis community, there were only two courts in the city to play on. Patterson says Barrie would be overjoyed to see what the Tennis community has bloomed into today.

“I’ve played tennis all over Canada and in many clubs, and I’ve never seen a club that has more of an ambiance of community and family spirit than this club. So it’s a pleasure for me to come back here every year,” Patterson says.

So while Barrie put his racket down for the last time 25 years ago, he helped, and continues to help shape the tennis community to this day.

Barb Shave says, “it created a legacy. It created his legacy, and 25 years later, so much money has been donated not only to cancer agencies, but other good causes like the junior program here at the tennis club. The legacy continues and it’s a absolutely wonderful thing.”

Barb says she will continue to attend the tournament in her husband’s honour for as long as possible.