Edmund Samuel (Ed) Dearden earned his nickname “Steady Eddie” during a span of 50 years of reporting on the golf scene in Manitoba.
Born in Winnipeg September 8, 1927, Dearden grew up in the West Kildonan area and began his career as a freelance writer at the Winnipeg Tribune in the early 1950s. He joined the Tribune sports staff in 1959 and became the official golf writer, golf columnist and assistant sports editor in 1965.
That same year, he started covering golf on a freelance basis on CJOB radio. Following the demise of the Tribune in 1980, he continued doing golf reports on CJOB until 1989. For 10 years, he was media co-ordinator for the sports branch of the provincial government, retiring in December, 1990.
In addition to local golf coverage, he reported on many national and international competitions. In the mid 1970s, Dearden also covered the Winnipeg Jets for the Tribune and served as a colour man for Jets games on CJOB. He travelled extensively throughout North America and also was on trips to Japan and Russia with the Jets.
He served for many years on the selection committee for the Manitoba Golfer of the Year and has been on the Grey Owl Golf Tournament board of directors for more than 40 years. He is a past president of the Manitoba Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association and was elected to that group’s Media Roll of Honour in 1990. He has also been honoured with election into the Media sections of the Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame and the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame.
In 1992, Dearden received the commemorative medal for the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada in recognition of significant contributions to the community.
Ed is an inductee into the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame and Museum Inc., September 24, 2007.