Barry Schrader (pink shirt) was joined by members of his family in donating to the new rinks in the Leisure Centre and the Schrader name will be on the dressing room door just behind the family. Picture, is the presentation to Mayor Bill Powalinsky. (Susan McNeil/paNOW)

By Susan McNeil

Donation

Dressing room in new arena named for long-time P.A. hockey referee

Oct 16, 2025 | 2:56 PM

A dedicated passion to refereeing hockey games in Prince Albert didn’t stop with Barry Schrader; it has continued with his children and grandchildren.

On Oct. 15, the City of Prince Albert accepted a $25,000 donation from the Schrader family and said the official’s dressing room in the new Lake Country Co-op Leisure Centre will be named after the family for the next decade.

“Barry’s lifelong dedication to the sport and his mentorship of others has made an extraordinary impact,” said Prince Albert city councillor Dawn Kilmer.

“The Schrader family donation and naming of the officials’ room is a perfect fit for this family’s legacy.”

As Schrader handed over the cheque to city representatives, he noted that he has spent a lot of hours on the ice in Prince Albert hockey arenas after his decades as Referee-in-Chief of Prince Albert Minor Hockey.

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“I’ve been involved with the association here in Prince Albert for the last four decades,” he said of why he felt the need to make a large donation.

“As I’ve said, I’ve done numbers, thousands of games, supervised thousands of hockey games and I guess the biggest thing is to leave a legacy for my family.”

He has nine grandchildren and five are refereeing right now. Both his son and his son-in-law are referees.

“It’s been a family tradition for years and without them…you know, this is for them, the legacy I want to leave for them.”

In his tenure, Schrader was recognized in 1993 and 2012 as the most deserving official through Hockey Saskatchewan and he was inducted into the Prince Albert Sports Hall of Fame in 2020.

Kilmer noted and thanked Schrader for his commitment to inclusivity, especially for his work in promoting female officials.

Under Schraders’ mentorship, several women have had national and international success, including an appearance at the Olympics.

When it comes to how to pass on a love of the role to others, including his family, Schrader said it’s about the mental approach of the official.

“The biggest thing is as a referee, you learn to treat disrespect with respect. You try and defuse the situation. My career in corrections has led me to work with people, work with tough situations and I’ve learned a lot over the years. I take that as a part where I’ve always been able to defuse the situation.”

Schrader’s donation is part of the Play it Forward Campaign, which is fundraising for a part of the new leisure centre that opened this year.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com