Vivian Berkeley

People in Waterloo Region and abroad need to know about and appreciate the legacy and enduring values that Vivian Berkeley will be leaving behind. Vivian has always been an advocate for accessibility, both in her community and in her sport. Her hard-work and dedication has improved the safety, mobility and well-being of the blind and visually impaired, and our community is getting closer to becoming fully accessible. Two ideas that were implemented during and after her time on the City of Kitchener Barrier-Free Advisory Committee include modifying sidewalk curbs to be sloped instead of a step, and updating the sidewalk shovelling by-laws.

Vivian is credited with helping build the sport of lawn bowls for the blind and visually impaired in Waterloo Region, throughout Canada, and abroad. In 2007, she established the Blind Bowls Association of Canada (BBAC) whose mission was to represent and promote the interests of blind and visually impaired lawn bowlers. In 2011, Vivian received an honorary award from Heritage Greens Lawn Bowling Club, “in recognition for the work she has done for the visually impaired in lawn bowling in the Kitchener community”.

Vivian, always active in sports, tried lawn bowling for the first time in 1989, initially playing at the Rockway Golf and Country Club, and then later at the Heritage Greens Lawn Bowling Club. Throughout her competitive career, she accumulated a total of 60 medals: 22 Provincial Gold medals, 21 National Gold medals, along with an impressive 17 International medals from eight countries (two Gold, ten Silver, five Bronze). Vivian’s greatest achievements include being a two-time World Blind Lawn Bowling Champion, 1996 Paralympic Games Silver Medalist, and 2002 Commonwealth Games Bronze Medalist. Berkeley credits her coaches for helping her achieve her goals – Don Mayne, his wife Betty and Jean McCron.

Vivian has been recognized with a number of prominent honours and awards. Her most notable distinctions include carrying the 1996 Paralympic Games Torch; being recognized in Canada’s House of Commons with other members of the 1996 Olympic and Paralympic team; featured in Chatelaine Presents Who’s Who of Canadian Women of 1999-2000; inducted into the Kitchener Sports Association (KSA) Wall of Fame; honoured as a Fire Prevention Ambassador of North America with Boxing Champion Fitz Vanderpool and Olympian Karen Snelgrove; receiving an honorary award from Heritage Greens Lawn Bowling Club in 2011, and in 2021, inducted into the Canadian Disability Hall of Fame. Vivian retired from competitive play in 2015 and is unquestionably the greatest Canadian blind lawn bowler of all-time (B1 category completely blind), and arguably the most successful international lawn bowler in Canadian history.

Vivian has been very involved within the community, contributing to many committees and service groups. Her main objective has been to improve the safety, mobility, and well-being of the blind and visually impaired in the Waterloo Region. From 1969 until 1973, Vivian was the Director of Public Relations for the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB). She also volunteered for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) in Waterloo from 1992 until 1997. Vivian served on the City of Kitchener Fire and Safety Committee in 1997; and from 1994 until 2012, she was a key member of the City of Kitchener Barrier-Free Advisory Committee.

Along with contributing to her community, Vivian has also greatly impacted her sport. She was President of the Ontario Lawn Bowls Association of the Blind (OLBAB), serving from 1997 until 2001. In 2007, she was elected President of Blind Bowls Association of Canada (BBAC), and the same year, was elected as an interim member of the AthletesCAN Paralympic Athlete Council, acting as part of a collective voice representing Canadian national team athletes.