Seaman’s support helped Okotoks baseball find its field of dreams.

MP John Barlow rose in the House of Commons on May 27 to honour the life and legacy of Don Seaman, a prominent figure in Alberta’s energy sector and a key supporter of baseball in Okotoks.

“A visionary pioneer of Alberta’s energy sector, Don helped build Canada’s economy,” Barlow said. He added that Seaman’s influence will be felt for generations by the friends, family members and business leaders he mentored.

Barlow delivered the tribute ahead of the Okotoks Dawgs’ 20th season, which began May 28 in Sylvan Lake.

“In the true spirit of ‘Build It and They Will Come,’ Don helped build a field of dreams in Okotoks, where Seaman Stadium is the crown jewel of Canadian baseball,” Barlow said.

Seaman and his brother Doc were the principal donors behind the stadium. With Seaman’s son-in-law, John Ircandia, the family helped build the facility after recognizing a lack of baseball facilities for young players.

Through the Don and Eleanor Seaman Foundation, Seaman also supported education, health care and community development.

“As we celebrate his beloved Dawgs’ 20th baseball season in Okotoks, I will remember him sitting in the warm summer sun watching baseball, savouring a life well lived, with thousands of friends in what we now call our Field of Dreams,” Barlow said.

Seaman died July 9, 2025, a few weeks before what would have been his 100th birthday. Known for his work ethic and love of life, he retired at age 98.