REGINA (CP) - For curling gold medallist Joan McCusker, getting inducted into the Canadian Olympic hall of fame has proven to be a rather expensive affair.
With the ceremony being held in her team's home town of Regina, she's had to reserve spots for friends and family that have come in from all over Saskatchewan to witness the event.
"I have my inlaws coming, many, many brothers and sisters and their spouses, our children will be attending," McCusker said with a laugh. "This is a nice way to share it with our friends and family."
McCusker won Olympic gold in 1998 - a member of a women's curling team that was considered the dominate force in the world at the time.
And while she and the rest of the team were thrilled to be going into the hall Friday night, the honour was "bitter sweet."
All said their thoughts would be with Sandra Schmirler, the skip of the team, who died of cancer in 2000.
"I think the big thought that always goes through my mind is that Sandra isn't here to share in our experiences and our sense of accomplishment," said lead Marcia Gudereit.
"That is tough to take - to think of all the sad times that have happened since the Olympics."
Atina Ford, the alternate on the gold medal team, said Schmirler would have loved the festivities surrounding the hall of fame inductions.
"She was always the life of the party and she was always looking to take advantage of everything that came our way," Ford said. "She would have been so proud."
Schmirler and her rink were not the only honourees Friday night.
Sprinter Donovan Bailey, cyclist Steve Bauer, diver Anne Montminy, skiing coach Currie Chapman and Dr. Thomas Fried were also inducted into the hall.
For Bailey, the induction is the icing on a career spent earning respect.
Bailey, who struck gold as the world's fastest man in 1996, said he can remember first getting into sprinting after Ben Johnson had been stripped of his 100-metre gold for doping in 1988.
"When I first came into the sport, all people spoke about was steroids and steroid use - Canadians, you can't really win without being clean." Bailey said.
"When I came in I recognized that I had a responsibility to do the right thing and I did that. I became successful. I became the fastest man on the planet without the use of performance enhancing drugs."
Bauer never realized gold, coming second in the 1984 Olympic road race. But he is still held up as a Canadian success story in his sport and he ended up finishing 4th overall in the 1988 Tour de France.
"It's definitely a nice honour to be recognized for what you have done," Bauer said.
"Everybody likes to win gold and be the best at what they do. I think on many days, in my sport, I was the best, I just didn't have some good luck."