This award is presented to the top first year pilot returning for the second year.
Dal Sweeney was born May 28, 1955 at Three Rivers Quebec, coming to Castlegar in 1960. Here he attended Woodland Part School and Kinnaird Junior Secondary School, graduating from Stanley Humphries Secondary School in 1973. During his graduating year he was prime minister of his class.
Dal's interests included skiing, canoeing, hockey, hunting, fishing and camping. During his school years he was player and Manager of SHSS Rocker basketball team and in summer months was employed at CanCel, working in the woodroom and the pulping group.
As a cadet with the Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron No. 581 he worked through the ranks graduating with the highest rank of WO1. During this time he was the recipient of the most improved cadet award during 1970-71 and again in 1971-72. In 1972-72 he received the Outstanding Citizen Award and the Senior Rifle Shot Award. He also took part in many Air Cadet sponsored field awards including scuba diving and Outward Bound, and earned his wings while taking his flying scholarship.
Dal enrolled in the Selkirk College Aviation Technology course in 1973 graduating in 1975 with his commercial pilot's rating. In the summer of 1975 he was employed by his uncle Ken Race of Tetu Lodge in Northwestern Ontario where he flew float planes.
In August of 1975 he was employed by Aero Trades (Western) Ltd. of Winnipeg, flying charters and regular routes and latterly flying with the RCMP Aircraft Patrol at the time of his accident.
In tribute to Dal the officers and cadets of Squadron No. 581 formed an hour guard with Piper Jimmy Watt playing "Amazing Grace" while a flypast in the broken diamond formation was performed in the aircraft provided by Adastra Aviation.
Dal's time at Selkirk College was a very happy time. He met his fiancee, Diane Smith from Kelowna, who was enrolled in Nursing Program and he was on his way fulfilling another great love B flying. Eleven of Dal's classmates came from as far away as Whitehorse and Winnipeg to pay their last respects to a friend.
This award is given by family and friends in memory of Dal's years at Selkirk College.