For over five decades, Doreen “Dodie” Wardle was active at the forefront of figure skating at both the provincial and national level.

Wardle’s involvement with the sport began when she started to design costumes for the Flin Flon Figure Skating Club in 1941. From 1941 to 1947, Wardle worked with renowned coach Rupert Whitehead and produced skating carnivals for the Winnipeg Figure Skating Club. In 1947, she became a qualified Canadian Figure Skating Association (CFSA) judge who volunteered countless hours to create greater opportunities for figure skaters across the country. Wardle first entered the national sphere in 1964 when she chaired the Prairie Figure Skating Sectional Competition, a first for the town of Flin Flon. She was appointed Northern Manitoba’s representative to the Judges Committee of the Prairie (Western) Section in 1966. In 1968, she was elected Vice-Chair of the Manitoba Section of the Canadian Figure Skating Association when Manitoba was first organized as a provincial sports governing body. She later became a Team Manitoba coach at the Canadian Winter Games in 1971 and the provincial director for the National Skating Test Committee for the CFSA (1976-80). Wardle’s contributions have been acknowledged through her honourary life membership in the Flin Flon Figure Skating Club, induction into the honour society of the CFSA (Manitoba Section), and the annual Dodie Wardle Youth on Ice Championship created by the Manitoba Figure Skating Association in 1981.

“Dodie” Wardle possessed the ability to bring a necessary human element to figure skating. Her encouraging and positive demeanour has inspired many figure skaters the knowledge and devotion she shared for the development of skaters was reflective of her love of sport and life.