Legendary B.C. sports writer Jim Taylor died on Monday at the age of 82.

A celebrated sports columnist throughout the province and across Canada for more than 60 years, Taylor got his start with the Victoria Times Colonist while still in high school in the mid 1950s and went on to do his best-known work with the Vancouver Sun and Province.

Taylor also wrote 16 books, with topics including Wayne Gretzky, CFL players Matt Dunigan and Jim Young, national soccer player and coach Bob Lenarduzzi, racing driver Greg Moore, and Man in Motion Rick Hansen.

Taylor was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1989, the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame in 2005, and the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame in 2006. He received the Bruce Hutchison Lifetime Achievement Award from the Jack Webster Foundation in 2010.

After his retirement, he moved to Shawnigan Lake in the Cowichan Valley.

Don Bodger of the Chemainus Valley Courier called Taylor sa国际传媒渙ne of my heroes getting into the field, for sure.sa国际传媒� He had Taylor as a speaker at his 2017 youth athletic banquet, and his impact on the audience was obvious.

sa国际传媒淭he kids in attendance and families there will certainly take away a memory from that, Isa国际传媒檓 sure,sa国际传媒� Bodger said. sa国际传媒淗e loved to talk and, like his writing, it was very sharp and his wit, well, was always just unbelievable. He could turn a phrase like no one else. A great man, an icon of the industry and glad we had him around the Cowichan Valley for a while.sa国际传媒�

Fellow reporters from across B.C. paid tribute to Taylor, many indicating that he inspired and influenced their career choices.

Roger Knox, Vernon Morning Star:

sa国际传媒淚 read and re-read Taylorsa国际传媒檚 book, Forgive Me My Press Passes for inspiration. His ode to his dearly departed manual typewriter is a classic; his shots at the Americas Cup and baseball are legendary; he was poignant, hilarious, thought-provoking, truly one of the best sports writers Canada has ever produced. He was also a great, fun interview. He will be sorely missed.sa国际传媒�

Philip Wolf, Vancouver Island Free Daily:

sa国际传媒淛im was the finest sports columnist Isa国际传媒檝e ever read. His acerbic wit and unique turns of phrase definitely influenced my decision to pursue sports writing. Back in the pre-internet days, the rush of eagerly flipping through the pages to find his column is something Isa国际传媒檒l never forget. His willingness to help anyone who sought out his advice was also legendary. Wesa国际传媒檝e lost a great one.sa国际传媒�

Eric Welsh, Chilliwack Progress:

sa国际传媒淕rew up reading Jimsa国际传媒檚 columns in the province and Isa国际传媒檓 reading a book of his collected works right now. More than any writer, he was able to capture the voice of the sa国际传媒榗ommon fan.sa国际传媒� He wrote with a blend of humour and heart and produced work that made the reader think even as it entertained. Never read a boring Taylor column.sa国际传媒�

Terry Farrell, Comox Valley Record:

sa国际传媒淛im Taylor mentored me during my time in Campbell River. This is a sad day for me.sa国际传媒�

Susie Quinn, Alberni Valley News:

sa国际传媒淛im Taylor was my inspiration when I first got into journalism as a sports writer. I read his columns faithfully when I was a kid. I remember scoring an interview with him when I was a J-student at Langara College and was mortified when the ancient recording equipment we had malfunctioned, and I had to re-ask him some questions because I hadnsa国际传媒檛 taken many notes. He was patient, even though Isa国际传媒檓 sure he had answered the same questions numerous times.sa国际传媒�

Karl Yu, Nanaimo News Bulletin

sa国际传媒淎 lifetime ago, when I was writing for a now-defunct sports magazine, I interviewed Jim a number of times about various topics. Always made time for me, always very polite. I particularly enjoyed a story he told me where he said he told Doug Flutie that the Grey Cup had been around longer than the Super Bowl.sa国际传媒�