The Edmonton Elks have announced the deaths of former board presidents Don Carlson and Gary Campbell.
“Both men were important figures in the long history of the Double E franchise and they were valued leaders within the Edmonton community,” wrote the team in a statement. “The Elks organization extends its condolences to their friends and loved ones.”
Carlson was a member of the citizen’s committee that helped establish the team in 1949. He later joined the team’s board in 1972 and was named president in 1978. According to a published obituary, he passed away on December 8 at the age of 94.
“Don played a major role with the team at a time when we were making the move from Clarke to Commonwealth and he continued to assist throughout the years as an alumnus of the board,” said longtime head coach and general manager Hugh Campbell in a statement.
Gary Campbell joined the board in 1986 and became president in 1992.
The Edmonton Elks finished fifth in the West Division standings in 2025 with a 7-11 record, missing the playoffs for the fifth straight season. Cody Fajardo started the team’s final 13 regular-season games and went 6-7, throwing for 3,408 yards, 14 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Tre Ford started the first five, going 1-4, and threw for 984 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions.
The Elks ranked ninth in net offence, ninth in net defence, and fifth with a turnover differential of plus-four. The club’s leading rusher was Justin Rankin with 1,013 yards, leading receiver was Kaion Julien-Grant with 820 yards, and leading tackler was Joel Dublanko with 80 tackles. Edmonton finished seventh in attendance with average crowds of 19,050, which was a 7.1 percent decrease from the previous year.
