Rabbi Hyman Goldstick (1882-1978), Edmonton’s first rabbi, and his Edmonton-born son, Cecil “Tiger” Goldstick (1915-2006), were prominent members of the religious and sporting communities. Latvian-born Rabbi Goldstick came to Edmonton in 1906 to assume teaching and religious leadership of the city’s small Jewish community. In 1912 he moved to Edson and served as mayor, town councillor and school board member.
One of four children born to Hyman and Bessie Goldstick, “Tiger” served with the Royal Canadian Navy in WWII and held the navy lightweight wrestling championships for three consecutive years. The diminutive athlete acquired his nickname for his tenacity and volatility in the ring. In 1946, after returning from the war, Tiger was named Outstanding Sportsman of the Year by Edmonton sportswriters and sportscasters.
He went on to have a successful career as a trainer for the Edmonton Eskimos, the Eskimos Baseball Club
and the Edmonton Flyers hockey team, and as a radio and television broadcaster for CFRN. He became a
household name through his work as host of “Tiger’s Den,” a featured segment on CFRN-TV’s popular children’s program Popcorn Playhouse that aired in the 1960s and 1970s.
Tiger’s contributions to local sports and his generosity to children’s causes earned him recognition from local and provincial organizations. He was honorary captain of Edmonton’s school patrol for more than four decades. In 1975 he received the Max Bell award for outstanding reporting of amateur sport, and in 1982 he was inducted into the Edmonton Boxing and Wrestling Hall of Fame. He received the Order of Canada in 1990. Goldstick Park is located in the Gold Bar Ravine and has an area of 12.63 ha.