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 害羞草研究所渙ne of my heroes getting into the field, for sure.害羞草研究所� He had Taylor as a speaker at his 2017 youth athletic banquet, and his impact on the audience was obvious.

害羞草研究所淭he kids in attendance and families there will certainly take away a memory from that, I害羞草研究所檓 sure,害羞草研究所� Bodger said. 害羞草研究所淗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.害羞草研究所�

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:

害羞草研究所淚 read and re-read Taylor害羞草研究所檚 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.害羞草研究所�

Philip Wolf, Vancouver Island Free Daily:

害羞草研究所淛im was the finest sports columnist I害羞草研究所檝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 I害羞草研究所檒l never forget. His willingness to help anyone who sought out his advice was also legendary. We害羞草研究所檝e lost a great one.害羞草研究所�

Eric Welsh, Chilliwack Progress:

害羞草研究所淕rew up reading Jim害羞草研究所檚 columns in the province and I害羞草研究所檓 reading a book of his collected works right now. More than any writer, he was able to capture the voice of the 害羞草研究所榗ommon fan.害羞草研究所� 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.害羞草研究所�

Terry Farrell, Comox Valley Record:

害羞草研究所淛im Taylor mentored me during my time in Campbell River. This is a sad day for me.害羞草研究所�

Susie Quinn, Alberni Valley News:

害羞草研究所淛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 hadn害羞草研究所檛 taken many notes. He was patient, even though I害羞草研究所檓 sure he had answered the same questions numerous times.害羞草研究所�

Karl Yu, Nanaimo News Bulletin

害羞草研究所淎 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.害羞草研究所�