Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame -Diane Imrie

June 2010 

A Proud Baseball History
Each year when baseball players take to our local diamonds they are continuing on with a tradition of excellence that began many years ago.  Such names as the Maridays, the Red Sox, the Giants, Club 17, Great Lakes, the PASCO’s and the East Ends, to name but a few, will surely conjure up many happy memories for local baseball fans and players who participated on and off the field. Our success and involvement in baseball has occurred in professional, amateur, and various divisions of Little League over many years.
In the earlier days of professional baseball, Thunder Bay sent two individuals of note to the professional ranks, both of whom are Honoured Members of the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame.  Jeff Heath was born in Fort William in 1915 and went on to enjoy an outstanding 14 year career in the major leagues and Albert ‘Ab’ Onuliak, signed a contract with the Washington Senators in 1950 and spent two years with their AAA farm team before illness forced him to retire.  Amazingly, Ab made it to this level of baseball as a pitcher, having the use of only one eye.
Professional baseball made its first appearance in the Thunder Bay area close to a century ago when the Fort William Canucks played in the Northern League ‘C’ Division from 1914 –16.  This early league included teams from Duluth, Fargo-Moorhead, Grand Forks, St. Boniface, Superior, Virginia and Winnipeg.  In 1993 the Thunder Bay Whiskey Jacks rejoined the Northern League, fielding a club until 1998.  In 2003 the Thunder Bay Border Cats revived professional baseball playing in the Northwoods League.
In terms of amateur baseball history the Senior Baseball League is one of the city’s oldest organizations, with reports of games going back to the early part of the 20th century.  One of the more popular sites for games was the Lakehead Exhibition Grounds. Although shutting down operations during the war years, the league started up again in 1945 with great support from local players, fans and sponsors.  During the 50’s teams competed from communities as far away as Red Rock and Terrace Bay.  It was not uncommon for large crowds to be on hand at either the Queen Street Park or McKellar Park to cheer on their favorite teams.  With the opening of the Port Arthur Stadium in 1951, complete with artificial lights, fans had a new venue in which to watch the many exciting match-ups. 
It was also during the 1950s that another form of the sport developed in our area, with the introduction of Little League Baseball.  This was to prove to be a great training ground for many young athletes and to say that our local teams would go on to excel in the sport would be an understatement.   In Little League baseball history, teams from Fort William and Port Arthur and the City of Thunder Bay can lay claim to an amazing 12 Canadian titles, covering three decades. Our local women have also contributed to our baseball history with baseball (softball) teams dating back to the 1920s, and growing in popularity throughout the 40s and 50s and up to the present day.
With the Thunder Bay Border Cats continuing to provide some great moments on the diamond and local baseball products continuing to be scouted by the professional leagues, and our local Little League teams and the Thunder Bay Senior Baseball League hosting and participating in games all throughout the city, it is obvious that the sport of baseball continues to be an important part of our community. When Thunder Bay welcomes the world to our local baseball diamonds as hosts of the 2010 World Junior Baseball Championships from July 23rd to August 1st, it will be yet another milestone in our rich and proud baseball history.  
 

.

May 2010 
The Silverware of Sports
Whether it is in the shape of a cup, tray or plate, whenever an athlete is holding, kissing or lifting a piece of silverware above their head, it most often means that they have reached a pinnacle of success in their sports career. It is truly amazing to consider the impact a piece of metal can have on so many people.  One need only witness the lineups of people, and the reactions of grown men and women, whenever they are in the presence of the Stanley Cup, to realize the effect a sports trophy can have. The ‘keepers of these cups’ are most often halls of fame and sports museums. Over the years our facility has collected and housed a number of interesting and significant trophies from our region’s sporting past, some of which are over a century old.
Two such pieces of silverware are celebrating special milestones this month.  It was on May 24th, 1910, that the first ever running of the Fort William Times Journal 10 Mile Road Race took place.  Promotions for the 1910 race noted that the top three finishers would receive ‘handsome trophies’ which would become the property of the winner following the race. Prior to the race the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place trophies were placed on display in the window of McGimsie & Martin’s store on Simpson Street.  The public was encouraged to venture downtown to view them in advance of what was being billed as the biggest sporting event of the year.
The first person to cross the finish line in front of the Times Journal building on May Street, was John Edwards of Port Arthur, who completed the race in 57 minutes flat.  The third place finisher was Eric Smeaton, also from Port Arthur.  The trophies that were awarded to both of these athletes a century ago, are part of our permanent collection and are currently on display. Everytime I look at them, I can hear the sounds of the thousands of people that cheered on the 21 runners of that inaugural race as they made their way along the streets of Fort William and Port Arthur 100 years ago.
Many of the silver trophies designed in the early days of sport were truly pieces of art featuring quite intricate detail work.  One such trophy was the Cooper Charity Cup. In 1909 Alf Cooper of Cooper and Company Real Estate donated this trophy to be competed for in a series of soccer-football matches.  The introduction of this trophy into the local sports scene was so anticipated that reports of its arrival were announced in the local paper noting that ‘the handsome Charity Cup arrived in the city Saturday and has been placed on exhibition….the trophy stands about two feet high and is a most beautiful one, the engraving being especially fine.  It is in the form of a cup, with the handles and rim prettily trimmed with maple leafs.  A beaver stands guard on each handle and rim overlooking the bowl…’ 
The cup was named the Charity Cup given that a percentage of the gate receipts of each game were to be given to McKellar Hospital.  The winners of the cup were proclaimed the champions of New Ontario. The first game of the series was held on July 8th, 1909 with over $30 being collected for the hospital.  The cup was presented on and off throughout the years, with teams competing for it in the early 1900s, from1922-27, and fairly consistently from 1947 onwards.  Teams such as the C.P.R., Fort William Great War Vets, Brent Park, Royal Canadian Legion, Polonia, Italia and Juventus have all been multiple winners of this century old trophy.  It has since been retired and, just as it was when it first arrived in our city over a century ago, is currently on display for the community to enjoy.  

Palace of Ice 

 

 

 

One of the things that never changes is the smell and ambience of an arena. Regardless of its size or location, I always get a great feeling whenever I step through the doors and get that initial blast of cool air, knowing that I am going to enjoy my time there. Throughout the years the rinks and arenas of Thunder Bay have undergone many transformations and provided great memories for people of all ages.

Port Arthur’s first rink was active in the 1880s and was located on Wilson Street, between Court and Algoma. Eventually outdoor rinks would be covered over with large canvas sheeting which would often sag under the weight of heavy snow making it difficult to see one end of the structure from the other.

The canvas was soon replaced by wood, and Port Arthur’s first indoor rink was known as the Lake City Rink, which was constructed in the early part of the last century on Cumberland Street near McVicar’s Creek. In 1923 the Arena Rink was built on Court Street. This facility was built at a cost of $65,000 and financed and operated by a group of citizens from Port Arthur and Fort William, known as the Arena Rink Company. It served as the home of three Allan Cup championship teams, before it burnt down in a spectacular fire in 1931. In 1932 a new 4000 capacity arena was constructed on N. Court Street, where Safeway now sits. This arena remained active until 1959 when it was demolished, much to the dismay of the citizens of Port Arthur. It was not until 1964 that a new arena was built, with the opening of the current Port Arthur Arena.

John McKellar constructed one of the first rinks in Fort William on the Kaminstiquia River. Constructed with paper sides and a board roof, the rink was known as the Princess Rink. In 1891 the Fort William Curling Club was officially established and plans were made for the construction of a rink on Syndicate Avenue. The Fort William Curling Company operated facilities for curlers, with skaters and hockey teams renting the ice from time to time. In 1892 a facility with two sheets of ice for curling, and a large oval for skating was constructed. After this facility burnt, a new one was built and operated from 1895 to 1908, until it too was destroyed by fire. A new curling rink was built on the site shortly thereafter, and remained active until it was torn down and incorporated into the Fort William Gardens.

In 1905 a local sports group called the Young Men’s Association erected an indoor arena for skating and hockey. Called the Arena Rink it was built adjacent to Arena Park, on Archibald Street, and burnt to the ground in 1912. It would be 7 years before Fort William would have an indoor rink. In 1919 the Fort William Arena Company constructed the Prince of Wales Arena adjacent o McKellar Park. This arena remained active until 1942, when it was turned into armories and eventually torn down to build the Archibald Post Office.

It was not until 1947 that plans began for the construction of a new arena for Fort William. In 1951 the Fort William Gardens officially opened and it has served as the site of local, national and international sporting competitions and many cultural events for close to 60 years. Over the years a number of smaller rinks have been built throughout the city. With a study currently underway to investigate the feasibility of building a new facility, it would appear that yet another chapter will soon be written in the history of arenas in Thunder Bay.

With Glowing Hearts 

 

.

As I write this column we are one week into the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and I don’t think I have stopped crying since the singing of the national anthem at the opening ceremonies. My heightened emotional state could be due to the lack of sleep I am experiencing staying up to watch figure skaters spin and jump, and curlers deliver rocks in an extra end, or a hockey team with the weight of a nation on its shoulders earn a victory in a shoot-out. I could blame it on the sleep factor, but I think it is much more than that. The fact of the matter is that I, like millions of others, are experiencing a sense of pride that has truly touched our hearts. Not only is our pride and emotion ignited with each athlete that leaves a starting gate or takes to the ice with the goal of representing their country with pride, but we are equally as proud of the thousands of organizers and volunteers from all across our great nation that have worked so hard to bring this event to life. Sporting events truly bring family and friends, a community, a nation and the world together, and they require a great deal of commitment on the part of many people.

I was just talking with some people who were visiting the Hall of Fame who were so pleased to see Chimik, the mascot from the 1995 Nordic World Ski Championships, on display and happily enjoying his retirement by welcoming visitors to our sports museum as part of our mascot gallery. As it turned out these people were volunteers at the Nordics and we were commenting on how hard it was to imagine that it was 15 years ago this March that Thunder Bay, just like Vancouver and Whistler, had welcomed athletes and visitors from around the world to our community.

We were reminiscing about the fact that, just like Vancouver, the weather created some challenges for our local organizers. Over the course of the eleven day event the weather went from incredibly freezing cold temperatures for the opening ceremonies to above average temperatures. Just as innovation was called upon by the Vancouver organizers to use bales of hay and helicopter loads of snow to deal with their temperature challenges, our local organizers dealt with their weather woes by using materials that were readily at hand, trucking in loads of woodchips to place along the melting and muddy trails.

Just as the Olympic volunteers can be spotted amongst the crowd in their light blue uniforms, I still do a double take whenever I see someone walking through the streets of Thunder Bay in their navy, red and yellow Nordic jackets, knowing that they were a part of the Nordic volunteer family. Just like in Vancouver our local organizers and volunteers put on a cultural festival as part of the Nordics, providing a spotlight for local performers, artists and multicultural groups, and our youth were involved in the event in a number of capacities such as flag bearers and volunteers.

Of course, just like Vancouver, the Nordics were not without their share of critics and they also faced financial and organizational challenges. Such is the nature of hosting events, sporting or otherwise, which are full of a number of unknown factors that are often out of the organizers control. Thank goodness for the citizens from communities such as Vancouver and Thunder Bay who do not question the ‘what ifs’ of hosting sporting events. Without their vision and their ability to believe that they can make it happen, we would never have the opportunity to cheer on athletes as they strive to do their best, just as we did at Big Thunder 15 years ago and just as we are doing in Vancouver and Whistler today. So to all of those people of Thunder Bay who have ever taken on the challenge of hosting a sporting event, whether it be at the local or the world level, thank you believing that anything is possible.

 

The Olympic Tradition Continues

Steve Collins

When I left you last we were awaiting the arrival of the Olympic Torch in Thunder Bay. What a fantastic sight it was to see Katie Weatherston light the cauldron on the stage at the Auditorium. As that very same flame lights the official cauldron at the opening ceremonies in Vancouver, our region will once again be well represented by a number of athletes, officials and volunteers who will be carrying on a rich tradition of Olympic involvement dating back close to 80 years.

As my last column highlighted, our early Olympic involvement was in hockey, but by the 1960s and 70s it was skiing that was becoming a sport in which a number of our athletes and officials would participate. In 1964 Frank Gartrell became our first ski-jumper to be named to an Olympic team and Mike Guzzell served as our region’s first ski-jumping judge. The 1976 Innsbruk Games saw Crazy Canuck Dave Irwin compete in his first of two Olympics, Lyndon McIntosh coach the Canadian Women’s downhill team and Dr. George Gwozdecky serve as the Chief Medical Official for the Canadian Ski-jumping team.

The 1980 Winter Games provided the opportunity for a young ski-jumper by the name of Steve Collins to begin an Olympic journey which would include 3 trips to the Games and some of the best finishes ever by a Canadian in Olympic ski-jumping competition. Also in Lake Placid was John Ritchie, the coach of the Canadian Men’s Ski Team which included Dave Irwin. At the 1984 Games in Sarajevo, local ski-jumper David Brown was joined by the regions first Olympic figure skater, Kelly Johnson who competed in Ice-Dance.

When the 1988 Olympics were held in Calgary, a number of individuals from Thunder Bay’s ski-jumping community were involved including athletes Steve Collins, Todd Gilman and Ron Rautio. Bringing their extensive ski-jumping knowledge to the Games were Ernie Marchiori who served as a judge and Rob McCormack who oversaw the event as the Chief of Competition. In cross country skiing Al Maddox served as Chief of Start/Finish at what would be his first of four Olympics. It was also at the Calgary Games that a number of athletes became the first from the region to compete in their sport including Dave Walker in ski-ballet and Peter Robertson-Stovel in bobsled, both of whom competed again in Lillehammer.

The 1990s saw history repeat itself as our hockey players again brought home Olympic silver medals. In 1992 it was Kevin Dahl of Thunder Bay and Chris Lindberg of Fort Frances and in 1994 it was Greg Johnson who contributed to our regions Olympic medal haul. The 1990s also saw the Wirtz family of Marathon send a skater and coach to three Olympic Games, with Kris Wirtz skating in the Pairs event at the 1992, 1994 and 1998 Olympics under the guidance of his brother and coach Paul.

Chris Pronger of Dryden brought home Olympic gold from Salt Lake City in 2002 as a member of Canada’s men’s hockey team. The 2006 Games in Torino featured first time Olympians Sean Crooks in Cross-country skiing; Eric Staal in hockey; Jason Myslicki in Nordic-combined; Amber Peterson in Free-style skiing and an outstanding gold medal performance from Katie Weatherston as a member of Canada’s Women’s hockey Team.

As we head into the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games, we will once again be well represented by athletes, officials and volunteers from our region. Congratulations to all of you for carrying on our regions tradition of Olympic involvement and adding to the pages of our nation’s proud Olympic story. To learn more about our Olympic history and to see artifacts from a number of Olympic Games, drop by the Sports Hall of Fame or book a tour for your class or community group by calling 622-2852.

A Proud Olympic

Winter Games History

As I write this article we are awaiting the arrival of a very special year in the history of sport in our country, the hosting of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. Thunder Bay and northwestern Ontario have an incredibly rich and proud history of involvement in the Winter Olympic Games. To kick off the new year, and get us in the Olympic spirit, I thought I would take a look back at some of the highlights and names from our Olympic past, starting with the early days and the sport of hockey.

Our first Olympian was Victor Lindquist of Kenora who represented Canada in hockey at the 1932 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid. Winning all of their games in round-robin play, it was his brilliant overtime goal, scored against the U.S. in an earlier game, that would see Canada declared gold medal winners after a 2-2 deadlocked 3-period overtime final game. In 1936 Vic returned to the Olympics, this time as a coach of the Swedish National team.

It was at those 1936 Olympic Winter Games that more Olympic medals made their way back to our region. A total of eight players from Port Arthur served as members of the 1936 Canadian Olympic hockey team including, Norman ‘Nummy’ Friday, Alex Sinclair, Bill Thomson, Jakie Nash, Arnold Deacon, Gus Saxberg, Ray Milton and Jimmy Haggerty. Port Arthur was also represented behind the bench with Albert Pudas serving as Coach, Malcolm Cochran as Manager and Wally ‘Scotty’ Stewart as the team Trainer. The Great Britain team included Gerald Davey of Port Arthur and Johnny Coward of Fort Frances and their coach Percy Nicklin who learned the game of hockey in Fort William. When the dust had finally settled on one of the most controversial Olympic hockey match ups every held, Canada was awarded the silver (the only medal won by Canada at those Games) and Great Britain the gold, with a large majority of those Olympic medals won by individuals with a connection to northwestern Ontario.

Four years later it was to be another group of hockey players from Port Arthur who set their sites on Olympic gold for Canada. The members of the Port Arthur Senior team, known as the Bearcats, defeated the Montreal Royals to claim the 1939 Allan Cup and the chance to attend the 1940 Olympics. The members of this team included John Crompton, Don Gordon, Walter Harbluk, Stan King, Burt Laprade, Edgar Laprade, Joe MacArthur, Bob Manahan, T.B ‘Bones’ McCormack, Mike Moriarty, Jakie Nash, Hugh O’Leary, Gus Saxberg, Norm Wright, Ed ‘Jazzy’ Manahan (Coach) and Jack Leake (Trainer). The 1940 Games were originally scheduled to take place in Sapporo, Japan but due to unrest in that part of the world, were eventually changed back to the site of the 1936 Games in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. The members of the Bearcats had been issued their uniforms (the crest of which is featured with this article) and were looking forward to their Olympic experience. Unfortunately the outbreak of WWII forced the cancellation of the 1940 Olympic Games and ended their Olympic dream.

Our involvement in Olympic hockey continued in 1960 with Bill McKenzie being named as one of two Canadian referees to oversee the Games in Squaw Valley. Local resident Joe Wirkkunen served as the coach of the Finnish Olympic hockey team in 1960 and 1964, the same Olympics that saw Henry ‘Hank’ Akervall captaining the Canadian hockey team in Innsbruck. In 1968 in Grenoble it was John Kubinec behind the whistle as a hockey referee and Fred Page serving as the Directorale of Hockey, a duty he carried out again in 1972 in Sapporo. By the mid 1960s our athletes and officials moved off the ice and onto the snow, with skiing becoming the sport in which we would see a great deal of Olympic involvement, which has continued to the present day. Watch for more Winter Olympic memories in the next issue of Thunder Bay Seniors.

To learn more about our Olympic history and to see artifacts from a number of Olympic Games, drop by the Sports Hall of Fame on Sunday, January 31st from 1:00 until 4:00 for our Olympic Open House.

John Kubinec

John Kubinec

I was sitting in the stands the other day at one of our local arenas cheering on my two favourite 11 year old hockey players to yet another victory. Their team has yet to lose a game and they are both racking up the points, but I digress. The reason for my reflection of that moment, as it relates to this column, is that as impressed as I was by my favourite young stars, I was equally impressed by the work of the three young officials who oversaw the game. Never an easy task, these young referees and linesmen kept the play of game moving and handed out what I thought were quite fair, and at times difficult, calls. It reminded me of the fact that for as long as there have been athletes playing the game, there have been people willing to take on the challenge of making sure that they do so according to the rules.

Throughout our local history there have been many long-serving and well respected officials, many of whom are in the Hall of Fame. In previous columns I have highlighted the likes of Bill McKenzie, Lou Salatino and Albert Pudas, all of whom were well known for their contributions behind the whistle. For this column I thought I would highlight another outstanding Hall of Fame official.

From the time he took to the ice in the 1940s, until his passing in 1995, John Kubinec truly had a passion for the game of hockey. Like most successful officials, he began as a player. Starting with the East End Athletic Bantam Club he went on to serve on the forward line of the Fort William Canadiens Junior Club from 1949-53. Participating in a Montreal Canadiens training camp in the 1950s, he turned semi-professional in 1954 with the Sydney Millionaires of the Maritime Major Hockey League (MMHL), returning to join the Port Arthur Bearcats Intermediate Club in 1956.

With his love of the game shifting to officiating, he signed on as a referee with the Thunder Bay Amateur Hockey Association (TBAHA) in 1956 which was the start of his close to 40 year officiating career. Calm and intuitive, he was an expert at exerting authority without provoking players, which were values and skills he instilled at referee clinics and hockey schools across northwestern Ontario. Not surprisingly, he was rated the top employee of the TBAHA in 1969. Manning the whistle at hundreds of local and regional games each year, he also oversaw games in Western Canada, Central Canada and USHL playoffs and in exhibition games.

His talents earned him the right to officiate at such national and international events as the 1971 Hockey Canada Nationals Invitational College Tournament, the 1971 International Hockey Tournament in St. Louis, the 1969 Memorial Cup and 1964, 1967, 1973 and 1975 Allan Cup championships. Rated amongst the best referees in Canada, he was one of only two officials selected by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to represent Canada at the 1968 Winter Olympic Games in Grenoble, France. Asked to cover more games than any other referee there, he was unanimously voted the Best Hockey Official at those Games.

Rounding out his involvement in hockey, he served as the Referee-in-Chief with the Thunder Bay No-Body Contact League from 1985-94, and as a player with the Thunder Bay Oldtimers. The John Kubinec Memorial Sportsmanship Award was presented by the NBC League as a testament to his contribution to the game of hockey. This exceptional hockey official was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame on September 30th, 2000.

George Wala

This past summer the Hall of Fame began a partnership with the Thunder Bay Finnish Canadian Historical Society to resurrect a project to research and document the history of Finnish sports organizations and athletes that were active in Thunder Bay throughout the past century. This exciting project is still underway with the ultimate goal being a publication.As the research was being undertaken, I was reminded of the fact that one of the dominant sports from that time period amongst the local Finnish population was track and field, and one of the dominant athletes from the 1930s was Hall of Famer George Wala. As luck would have it, George’s daughter, Doris, who is currently living in Sudbury, dropped in to the Hall of Fame for a visit on a recent trip through town. I thought I would take this opportunity to highlight her Dad’s successful sports career. Bursting onto the track and field scene in Port Arthur, and competing under his Finnish name Yrjö Väätäjä, this exceptional athlete would soon be dominating shot putt, discus and javelin events from the local to the national level.Making headlines in his first district competition in 1931, he broke the 16 pound shot putt and discus records, even though he was not fully recovered from an injury to his arm. Dominating the field events at the 1932 district championships, and competing under the name of George Wala, he set his sights on the national stage, making his way to the 1932 Dominion Championships and Olympic Trials in Hamilton. Garnering his first of what would be many national titles, he claimed gold in the javelin and a bronze in the shot putt.Preparing for the 1933 Dominion Championships set for McKellar Park in Fort William, he shattered district records for shot putt and javelin and his discus record of 128 feet, 4 inches was recorded as still holding strong in 1972, close to 40 years later. To say that George was the star of the 1933 Dominion Championships would be an understatement. As the papers of the day reported he ‘stole the thunder from track and field headliners from east and west’ claiming three national titles in the discus, 16lb shot and javelin and a bronze in the hammer throw. Earning a total of 16 points he won individual honours at the national meet.Competing in the Canadian Championships and British Empire Games Trials in Hamilton in 1934, George’s first place showing in the 16 lb. shot put and a bronze medal performance in the javelin earned him a spot on the Canadian Team for the 1934 British Empire Games (the forerunner to the Commonwealth Games) held in London, England. Representing Canada with distinction, and serving as the team trainer, he competed against some of the finest athletes in the world. Placing 4th in the shot putt and discus and 6th in the javelin he earned the most points of any of the Canadian team members. Moving to Sudbury upon his return, he continued to participate, bringing home bronze and silver medals from the 1936 Canadian championships and gaining success later in life as a marksman, participating in pistol competitions, prior to his passing in 1973. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001.

The Inductees of 2009  

 

.

 

Three (3) athletes, two (2) builders and a national championship team will make up this year’s slate of Inductees to enter the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame at the 28th Annual Induction Dinner and Ceremonies to be held on September 26th at the Valhalla Inn.

In the Athlete category two Thunder Bay athletes will be honoured including three-time Canadian ski jumping champion John Lockyer who was a dominant force on the hill during the late ‘80s and ‘90s and represented our region with distinction on the international scene for over a decade. Stock car racing legend Tom Nesbitt, known by his legion of fans as ‘Tom the Bomb’, will enter the Hall with an incredible half century of involvement and success on the racing circuits of Canada and the US. The community of Dryden will be represented by NHL hockey player Sean Pronger who will be honoured for his hockey career, including 11 seasons in the professional ranks.

In the Builder category long time curling coach and volunteer Don Main of Thunder Bay will be recognized for his over 40 years as a coach and volunteer during which time he dedicated a great deal of time to the development of junior curling. Fort Frances hockey product Dave Allison, enjoyed a decade long career on the ice as a professional player before turning his talents to a career behind the bench. He will be honoured for his more than two decades as a hockey coach in the amateur and professional ranks.

The Team category will welcome the members of the 1994-95 Thunder Bay Kings AAA Midget Hockey Team who claimed the Air Canada Cup as Canadian Midget Champions. The championship team roster includes: Steve Bailot, Marty Bannon, Jesse Black, Jim Buie, Peter Cava, Bryan Duce, Jesse Heerema, Chris Heino, Jamie Kelso, Corey LaFrenière, Joe Lombardo, Jeff Pradal, Joe Ritson, Kevin Schutte, Ian Sgambelluri, Mike Simeoni, Scott Sutton, John Vaillant, Colin Zulianello, Dave Bragnalo (Coach), Kelly Sundell (Ass’t Coach), Paul Mackett (Ass’t Coach), Cliff O’Brien (Manager), Richard Bosch (Trainer)

Hall of Fame President John Garland notes that “the individuals being inducted this year are another fine example of the outstanding athletes and coaches that have been produced in our region over the years. By inducting these individuals into the Hall of Fame we are able to ensure that their contributions in sport will not be forgotten and that they will continue to serve as a source of community pride for generations to come.”

The 2009 slate of Inductees will be officially inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame on September 26th at the Valhalla Inn. The evening will be a memorable one for the inductees, their families, and our community.

Tickets for the event are available at a cost of $75.00 each and can be ordered by calling 622-2852 or dropping by the Hall of Fame at 219 May Street South.

The Roar of Engines at the CLE 

One of the photographs that is currently on display in our sports museum that elicits a comment every museum worker loves to hear, ‘I remember those days’, shows a car racing around a dirt track with barns in the background. The ‘days’ were the 1950s and the place was the Canadian Lakehead Exhibition.

The history of racing dates back to 1922 when the then named West Algoma Agriculture Society built a track. This was one of two tracks in use at that time, with races also being held at the Murillo fairgrounds. By 1929 the newly named Canadian Lakehead Exhibition was the scene of many an exciting car race. One of the most popular drivers of the day was Frank Colosimo and his “King’s Ford Special”, a car which was built by Art and Arnold King in the chicken coup behind their house at a cost of $2200. Thousands of fans would flock to see Colosimo take on the likes of Ernie Boffa and his ‘Dreadnought’ and Eddie Cusson and his ‘Essex Special’.

Reports of those early days indicated that Colosimo dominated the local circuit, losing only two races between 1925 and 1932. He was renowned for his antics including waving a fistful of cash at the crowd each time he would pass the grandstand, roaring across the finish line ahead of his competitors to claim his $20 prize.

By the time the 1950s and 60s rolled around, the stock car circuit was in full swing with the Lakehead Stock Car Club hosting Canadian and international events. Such drivers as Barry Kettering, Albert and Tony Massaro, Ross ‘Pappy’ Fowler, Tom Dow, Louie Tocheri, Don Marsh, Mervin Dove and Tom Nesbitt would thrill their many fans with races full of speed and spills. The women of the time were not to be left out of the mix, with ladies taking to the track in the powder-puff races.

The popularity of racing at the CLE was evident in a newspaper account of opening day May 24, 1954. A total of 4,627 fans overflowed both the grandstand and bleacher sections at the Exhibition grounds, with several hundred lining the rail. With rain pouring down upon the freshly oiled track a total of 32 entries challenged for the first title of the season. The big winner of the meet was Martin Autio, referred to in the press as The Flying Finn, who drove his number 21 to victory.

Stock car racing did not just get headlines in the sports pages it hit the political pages as well. Unlike today when sporting activities take place on any day of the week, such was not always the case. Since the passing of The Lord’s Day Act in1906, the only way sport, entertainment and commerce could take place on a Sunday was through the granting of special permission by the province or a municipality. Over the years certain sports had been added to the list of approved Sunday activities. In Port Arthur stock car racing had made the list. In Fort William, however, it had not. The fact that two thirds of the track was in Port Arthur and one third was in Fort William created problems for race organizers. In 1961 a plebiscite was held to allow stock car racing on Sundays but it was lost in a tie vote of 5,995 for each side, forcing a second plebiscite two years later.

Eventually stock car racing left the CLE grounds with Murillo Speedway becoming active again and Riverview Raceways starting up in 1967 and going on to entertain stock car racing fans for over 20 years, many of whom got their first taste of this exciting sport at the CLE track years before.

So the next time you are hitting golf balls in the Sports Dome, playing bingo at Thunder Bay Community Bingo or taking in a movie on the big screen, close your eyes for a minute and imagine the roar of the crowds and the engines of yesteryear.

May 2009

  

 

Golf Courses Through the Years

The snow is melting and I am starting to get excited about the possibility of finally liberating my golf clubs from the basement. No doubt many readers of this paper, including our illustrious editor, are, like me, looking forward to a wonderful season ahead. In honour of that fact, I thought I would delve into the history of some of the courses that will soon be welcoming our local golfers.

Our area’s introduction to organized golf took place in the early 1900s with the formation of the Thunder Bay Country Club. Purchasing land one mile west of Memorial Avenue off Oliver Road in 1910, the original shareholders set out to develop an 18 hole course to serve both Fort William and Port Arthur. With the construction of a two story clubhouse in 1913 at the south end of the course, the club developed into a nine hole course and by the 1920s the annual entrance fee was set at $100, and visiting players were charged $1 in green fees. Facing some financial challenges during the 1930s the club was renamed the Port Arthur Golf and Country Club and worked its way out of debt. The clubhouse was destroyed in a fire in 1945 and rebuilt on its present site, with the addition of a curling rink in 1959. With the amalgamation of the two cities, the club returned to its original name in the 1970s.

The Fort William Country Club received its charter in 1923 with the founders purchasing the 100 acre farm of John Garrity for $7500 and engaging the services of the famous golf architect Stanley Thompson to design a nine hole course. Developed at a cost of $17,000, close to 200 shares were sold at a cost of $100 each and the members enjoyed their first round of golf in the spring of 1926. In the 1960s an additional nine holes were added and the original nine were redesigned and a new clubhouse was built.

The 1920s also saw the formation of two municipally run courses. Municipal Golf Links was built in 1924 on the site of the former King George’s Park. Although the land was owned by the City of Fort William the course was leased to the Retail Merchants Association of Fort William which operated it until 1964 when it was taken over by the Board of Parks Management.

When the City of Port Arthur purchased the 1400 acre lot known as the Strathcona Property in 1906, its original purpose was for the provision of land grants for industrial development. By 1913 a portion of the land was being used as a nursery by the Board of Parks Management and other portions for leased gardens and free cutting of firewood. In 1923 a plebiscite was passed that saw the conversion of approximately 300 acres into a golf course. The Strathcona Links opened to the public on September 7, 1925, with nine holes costing local golfers 25 cents. By the following season 18 holes were ready for local golfers to enjoy. By 1955 season passes cost $25 for men and $20 for women and a round of 18 could be yours for 90 cents.

The year 1949 saw the official opening of Thunder Bay’s third municipal course, Chapples, named after Clem Chapple, who donated $25,000 for the development of facilities in the recreational area named in his honour. In 1973 nine more holes were added and in the 1980s the Neebing McIntyre floodway brought some water into play and a new clubhouse and parking lot were developed.

In addition to the courses mentioned above, a number of other golf courses have been developed in our city since the 1970s, all of which have added to the wonderful choice available to our local golf community. As you are enjoying your favourite course this season, don’t forget to remember the debt of gratitude we owe to the men and women of yesteryear who began and developed the courses and clubs that we enjoy today. See you on the links!

.

  

 

Dr. Henry (Hank) Akervall 

As I write this article a number of hockey players are descending on Thunder Bay vying for the Cavendish University Cup. Hopefully by the time you read this, the Thunderwolves will have their name engraved on the Stanley Cup of university hockey. When I think about university hockey I am reminded of one of the Honoured Members in our Hall of Fame who was involved in the early days of university athletics in Thunder Bay and who had an exceptional and multifaceted sports career.

Henry (Hank) Akervall first exhibited his outstanding athletic abilities while attending high school in Port Arthur where he competed in football, basketball and track and field, setting a district record in the Junior Boys’ pole vault in 1952. At the same time he was also active with local hockey and baseball teams, earning the 1950 Port Arthur Minor Bantam Defenceman Award and contributing to the Port Arthur Giants’ 1955 Senior Baseball League title.

In 1956 his outstanding talents led him to the OHA and the Hamilton Tiger Cubs where he was voted a 1958 Junior ‘A’ All-Star defenceman. Choosing to follow the academic path, he made his way to Michigan Tech in 1959 and enjoyed an impressive college sports career with the Huskies. A three time WCHA All-Star, he was a two-time member of the U.S. National All-Star Team, Assistant Captain of the 1962 NCAA Division I Championship team and lettered in javelin and discus.

At the conclusion of his university career, Hank went briefly to Finland where he became the first foreign born player to take to the ice for the Finnish Tappara hockey club. His talents attracted the attention of Father David Bauer, who was overseeing the Canadian national team. Recruited to the national squad, he went on to serve as the Captain of the 1964 Canadian Olympic Hockey Team. Following the Games in Innsbruck, he played a season of senior hockey in Minnesota, before returning to Thunder Bay where he continued his hockey career with the Port Arthur Bearcats and the Thunder Bay Twins.

In 1966 Hank joined the faculty of Lakehead University and served as their Director of Athletics, setting the ground work for the development of the school’s Physical Education Program. The first coach of the Lakehead Norwester hockey team, he held the position from 1966-69 and 1971-75. Under his direction the team claimed the 1966-67 International Collegiate Hockey Association (ICHA) title and the 1972-73 Great Plains Athletics Conference crown. He rounded out his 30 year university career retiring from Lakehead in 1997 as the Director of the School of Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism.

To say that sports were a part of Dr. Henry Akervall’s life would be an understatement. In addition to the sports mentioned previously, he also participated and excelled in fastball, golf, skiing, curling, bowling, squash, fishing and flat and white water canoeing. I was fortunate enough to have Henry play as a member of my team during the annual Hall of Fame golf tournament for many years and I have yet to play with anybody who could hit the ball with as much strength as he could. In an ironic twist of fate, it was while playing in a pick up game of hockey in February of 2000 that this exceptional athlete passed away. His legacy will live on, however, as a member of three Hall’s of Fame including Michigan Tech, Lakehead University and Northwestern Ontario, fitting tributes to his extraordinary involvement in the field of athletics.

 

 

 

A Hundred Years Young  

A few years back I wrote an article about a very special individual who has truly left his mark in our sports community. Now, as a rule I don’t like to repeat articles but in this case I think it is warranted because on March 13th the subject of this article is celebrating his 100th birthday. For many of his century of life, this Hall of Famer has served the sports community from the local to the national level, most noteably in the game of curling.

Anyone who has ever been involved in curling in northwestern Ontario has a story about Neil Duncan and his involvement at a curling rink, around a volunteer board table or at a curling event. You might have benefited from his technical knowledge or his organizational skills or you may have been one of those fortunate people who has had the opportunity to hear his most distinctive and delightful laugh fill a room.

Born in Winnipeg, Neil first became involved with curling as a teenager. Moving to northwestern Ontario in the 1930s, he went on to dedicate himself to helping with the development of clubs and programs. Serving as a Director with the Port Arthur Curling Club from 1951-60, he held the position of President from 1955-60, and served on the Executive of the Northwestern Ontario Curling Association for many years.

When the cities of Port Arthur and Fort William hosted the Macdonald Brier in 1960, Neil served as a Co-Vice Chairman for the prestigious event. In 1968 he earned a spot on the steering committee for another national event, the School Boy National playdowns.

A strong supporter of youth curling, Neil served two terms as the Northwestern Ontario representative to the Canadian Junior Curling Commission and as Chairman of junior and schoolboys curling in the region for many years. As a technical expert in the sport, he served as the Northwestern Ontario Coordinator for Curl Canada instructional clinics and was a founding member of the Ontario Curling Development Council.

Known as a stickler for the rules young curlers who benefited from his expertise developed a solid foundation and knowledge for the game that served them well throughout their careers. Neil continued to serve the sport of curling as a volunteer and as the Commissioner of Ladies Major League in Thunder Bay, remaining active well into his 90s.

Neil did not just lend his organizational skills to curling as he also served as President of the Thunder Bay Youth Soccer Association in 1979, President of the Northwestern Ontario Track & Field Association from 1975-81 and as an official at the 1980 Pan Am Junior Track & Field Championships. Neil’s talents were also evident in the garden. A multiple Canadian Gladiolus champion and accredited national judge, he claimed the 1973 International Gladiolus Championship Award.

Included amongst the numerous awards granted this outstanding individual are a 1980 Special Achievement Award from the Province of Ontario and a 1988 Canadian Curling Association Award of Merit. For his outstanding efforts and contributions Neil was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame on September 25th, 1993. Happy birthday Neil and congratulations on 100 years!

 

Figure Skating Connections 

 

.

In January I had the wonderful opportunity of attending the 2009 Canadian Figure Skating Championships in Saskatoon.  My involvement with figure skating started as a youngster with dreams of becoming the next Karen Magnusson.  Needless to say, I never did get my name in the history books as one of Canada’s great skaters, but as life would turn out I did end up doing my part to help to preserve and honour the history of the sport that I enjoyed so much as a child.  I am honoured to serve as a founding board member of the Skate Canada Hall of Fame Committee which started back in 1991. Having witnessed the incredible level of skating put forward by our junior and senior skaters at the national championships last month, I can say with some certainty that the tradition of excellence established by our Canadian skaters in the past will no doubt continue for many more years to come.   I predict one, if not two, Olympic figure skating medals will be claimed by Canada in 2010. 

My trip to Saskatoon also reminded me of the fact that wherever you travel there always seems to be a connection to Thunder Bay or northwestern Ontario. While at the championships I was pleased to see two former local skaters earning success off the ice.  Standing at the boards leading our nation’s finest skaters through their routines was Kelly Johnson who got her start in ice dance in Thunder Bay going on to claim four senior national silver medals and represent Canada at the 1984 Olympics.  Kelly is now one of Canada’s finest choreographers. Two-time Canadian champion, 5-time national silver medalist and three-time Olympic pairs skater Kris Wirtz from Marathon watched proudly as his pair team were crowned 2009 Canadian junior champions.

Throughout their history our local skating clubs have held annual skating carnivals which would often feature some of Canada’s finest stars as guest skaters. Another connection to Thunder Bay was made in Saskatoon with fellow Hall of Fame Committee member Francis Dafoe who, along with her pairs partner Norris Bowden, captured four Canadian titles, two world titles and the 1956 Olympic silver medal.  When I mentioned to Francis that I was from Thunder Bay she recalled with great fondness coming here to skate and to judge and skiing on our local hills.  A small world indeed.

In 1979 Thunder Bay hosted the Canadian Figure Skating Championships and amongst the winners was junior champion Brian Orser.  In 1988 Skate Canada International welcomed some of the finest skaters in the world to the Fort William Gardens with a young Kurt Browning climbing atop the podium to claim one of his first of many senior international skating titles.  Brian Orser was in Saskatoon coaching a number of young skaters and Kurt Browning was calling the action from the CBC booth.  More connections.

Another thing that one is reminded of when they attend a national championship is the amount of work that goes in to developing our young athletes. None of our young skaters would be out there on the ice without the incredible efforts of volunteers, coaches and parents. Congratulations to you all on a job well done in keeping the sport of skating alive from the local to the national level.

January 09

A Year Full of Anniversaries

 

.

As I read through the list of teams that have been inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame I am reminded of a number of anniversaries that will occur in 2009. I thought I would take this opportunity to extend anniversary wishes to these men and women who, over the years, have brought great pride to our city.

First on the list is an anniversary that occurred 80 years ago with the bringing home of the Allan Cup by the 1928-29 Port Arthur Seniors hockey club. This marked the third time that the Canadian Senior hockey title was claimed by Port Arthur, the most by any team at that time. This historic victory was claimed in a match up in Winnipeg with the Port Arthur squad facing off against St. Francis Xavier of Montreal. With a 1-1 first game draw, the Port Arthur squad put in a decisive 7-2 second game victory before shutting out their opponents 3-0 to claim the national crown.

Ten years later another Allan Cup was brought home to the head of the lakes. The Port Arthur Seniors, or Bearcats as they were known at the time, earned the 1939 crown by defeating the Montreal Royals in a series played at the Montreal Forum, with close to 40,000 fans taking in the action. The first game went into overtime, with the Bearcats emerging victorious by a score of 6-5. Port Arthur won the second game 3-1 and Montreal stayed in the hunt with a 6-4 third game showing. The fourth and deciding game saw Port Arthur claim the national crown in a 6-5 final. Happy 70th anniversary to Don Gordon, Burt Laprade and Edgar Laprade, the remaining members of this team.

Celebrating a 40th anniversary this year are the members of the 1969 Fort William Moose-Internationals Senior Little League Team. During the 1960s and 70s teams from our community dominated senior little league action in this country, claiming an incredible 7 national titles between 1964 and 1975. The 1969 squad claimed the national crown by defeating Edmonton 6-4 in a game that required 5 extra innings, with 3 runs being batted in by Fort William at the top of the 12th , going on to represent Canada with distinction at the Little League World Series.

Twenty years ago the Thunder Bay Flyers claimed our first of two Centennial Cups competing at the national Junior A finals held in Summerside, P.E.I. where they defeated the hometown favourites in a 4 -1 final. In senior hockey action 1989 was a special season for the Thunder Bay Twins. Becoming the first team in CASH League history to put in a perfect regular season with a 23-0-0 record, they embarked upon their memorable ‘Drive for Five’ and became the first team ever to win the Allan Cup title five times.

It was also 20 years ago that another historic event took place on the ice. This time it involved a curling rink and a group of talented women. The Heather Houston Rink were the 1988 national women’s curling champions and returned to the Scott Tournament of Hearts in 1989 as Team Canada. Defeating the Chris More Rink 11-5 in the final game they repeated as Canadian champions and advanced to the World Championships in Milwaukee. Finishing round robin play with a record of 7 wins and 2 losses their defeat of 1988 World Champion Andrea Schopp in the semi-final earned them a spot in the final where their 8-5 victory over Trine Trulsen of Norway saw them crowned as world champions.

As we celebrate these special anniversaries throughout 2009, no doubt our present day athletes will be doing their part to create some more memorable moments that future generations can celebrate. Happy Anniversary and thanks for the memories. To kick off the new year the Sports Hall of Fame is holding an Open House on Sunday, January 11th from 1:00 to 4:00. Drop by for a trip down memory lane. Don’t forget that the deadline for the submission of nominations to the Sports Hall of Fame for the 2009 Induction year is January 31st.

 

 

Three Decades of Making a Difference

As we are about to say goodbye to one year and welcome in a new one, I thought I would take this opportunity to provide some reflection on the life of the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. The reason for my sense of nostalgia is that on March 20th of this year the Sports Hall of Fame officially turned 30 years of age. Over the past three decades, through the hard work of a number of volunteers and a dedicated staff, the Hall of Fame has met its mandate of preserving and honouring the incredibly rich and proud sports heritage of our region in a number of different ways.

For thirty years we have collected and preserved artifacts, honoured human accomplishment, provided educational programs, undertaken historical research and operated a sports museum. Along the way we have packed up and moved to a new facility and renovated an entire building. The journey has not always been a smooth ride, but the rewards have been worth the trip.

We have come a long way in a relatively short time with each year bringing new opportunities and new challenges. During those challenging times I have sometimes asked myself why we do what we do. What role does the Sports Hall of Fame and the preservation of our sports heritage play in the overall scheme of things? It does not take me too long to remember that what we do is important and that it matters to the citizens of our region.

The Sports Hall of Fame exists to remind us of the fact that sports has always been, and continues to be, an integral part of our social fabric. Imagine how many words would not be spoken between people if we did not have sports to talk about. Imagine how many gatherings of friends, families and strangers would not take place if there were no sports to participate in or watch. Sport gives people the opportunity to be proud of a member of their family or their city or their country. It serves as a way to form friendships, some of which last a lifetime. It provides the opportunity to create role models for the youth of our community. It allows people, who may not otherwise do so, to come together to share a common bond as they cheer on ‘their team’. The Sports Hall of Fame’s role in the world of sport is to ensure that our citizens are provided with the opportunity to relive those great moments in time, reflect back upon friendships formed and honour those role models for present and future generations to learn from and take pride in.

The smiles on the faces of the people who tour our exhibit gallery, the tears of joy shed and the pride shown by the family and friends of the people we induct each year and the happiness expressed by the youth taking part in our educational programs serves to remind us that what we do does make a difference. Hopefully we will have the resources available to be able to continue to do so for many more years to come. Drop by for a visit or check out our new website at nwosportshalloffame.com. The memories await.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hall of Fame Inductee - Charlie Sands

As a die in the wool Toronto Maple Leaf’s fan it pains me to admit that there is another hockey team in our great nation that has a pretty impressive history behind it. In fact the 2008-09 season marks the 100th anniversary of this particular team. Yes hockey fans, I am speaking of the arch rival of the blue and white, the Montreal Canadiens. As difficult as it is for me to type those words, I must admit that as much as I like to pick on the red, white and blue, they have had an amazing history and a number of our local residents (including some of my own friends) are true Hab fans.

In fact one particular 10 year old I know recently took to the ice with his new team sporting the number 9, his homage to Maurice Richard, one of the Canadians’ finest. Interestingly enough, the number 9 and the Canadiens actually have a connection to northwestern Ontario. It was one of the members of our Hall of Fame who wore the famous #9 prior to passing it along to ‘The Rocket’ in 1943.

Charlie Sands got his start in hockey playing goal with the Fort William Beavers during the 1920s. Moving up to right wing he enjoyed success with the Fort William and Port Arthur junior and senior teams before being called up to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1932, marking the beginning of his12 year NHL career. Charlie was not just an outstanding hockey player during this time, he was also a successful baseball player and golfer, scoring a hole in one at the Fort William Municipal links in 1935.

In 1934-35 Charlie was sold to the Boston Bruins where he remained until 1939. In his first season with the club the Bruins won the American Division title and in1938-39 they claimed the coveted Stanley Cup. Demonstrating superior hockey skills by contributing to most of Boston’s victories, Charlie’s former boss, Conn Smythe, rated him the best right winger in the league in 1938. Not one to let injury get in his way, Charlie donned a full face mask during the 1937 season following a bad nose injury, one of the first of its kind to be used in the professional ranks. Just as he warmed up #9 for Maurice Richard, he did the same thing for Bobby Orr, wearing #4 for part of his time in Boston.

In 1939 Charlie, along with Ray Getliffe, was traded to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Herb Cain. Known as a solid checker and good playmaker, he made it to the playoffs in three of his four seasons with the club. While in Montreal he also earned a chance to resume his early goalie career. During that time in the NHL when a goalie served his own penalties or got injured, a player was assigned to replace him in the net. In February of 1940, in a game against Chicago, Charlie replaced the injured Wilf Crude. Letting in 5 goals during his 25 minutes guarding the pipes, his team was no doubt glad to see him back out on the forward line, and hockey fans are glad that the replacement goalie rules have since been changed.

Loaned to the New York Rangers along with some other Montreal players in exchange for Phil Watson, he finished up his NHL career with the Rangers in 1944, with a record of 432 games played, 99 goals and 109 assists.

Following his time in the NHL, Charlie made his way to California where he did his part to introduce hockey to that area starting with the formation of the Southern California League and as a player-coach in the Pacific Coast Hockey League. Hanging up his skates in 1947, he remained in California, working at the Hollywood Bowl, until his untimely death in the early 1950s. For his outstanding contributions to our sports heritage, Charlie Sands was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall on September 28, 1991.

Hall of Famer, Rudy Migay 

At our recently held 27th Annual Induction Ceremonies a number of Honoured Members were on hand to welcome in the Class of 2008. As we read the names of the former Inductees who were in the audience, and as the images of the 143 Athletes, 69 Builders and 44 teams that have been honoured over the past 27 years were shown around the room throughout the night, we were all reminded of the incredible things that our fellow citizens have done in the field of sport.

One of the individuals that returns year after year is in fact a three time Inductee, having being honoured as a member of the team that helped to bring home our second Canadian junior hockey title, a team that won international honours for Canada and as an individual athlete for his success in the professional ranks. A very impressive career!

Born in Fort William in 1928, Rudy Migay learned the game moving up through the minor league program. With great speed and puck handling abilities he was a smaller player who could put the puck in the net. All throughout his junior playing days he was consistently racking up the points. In 1945-46 his 28 points led the junior league in scoring, which was an extra special feat, given that he only skated in six games. Making the move to Toronto he and fellow Lakeheader Benny Woit helped lead St. Michael’s to the 1946-47 Memorial Cup title. When Port Arthur was in the hunt for the Cup the next season they picked up Rudy to help them in their quest, and he did not disappoint, netting 13 goals and accumulating 37 points in the 17 games leading up to their Cup victory against the Barrie Flyers.

Not surprisingly, Rudy made his way into the professional ranks, spending the majority of his first season in the AHL in 1948-49 with the Pittsburgh Hornets, and being called up to the NHL to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs for 18 games the following season. His 10 year NHL career would see him on the ice with the Leafs for a total of 418 games between 1949-60 where he netted 59 goals and assisted on 92 others. His time in the AHL saw him as a member of the 1951-52 Calder Cup winning Pittsburgh Hornets and in 1958-59, while with the Rochester Americans, he was an All-Star centre, co-winner of the AHL MVP Award and set a team scoring record.

Finishing up his professional career in the AHL in 1965, he went on to coach in the AHL and CHL until 1971 and continued to remain active in the game as a long time scout for the NHL during the 1970s and 80s and as the Chief Scout for the Buffalo Sabres during the 1990s. One of the many players that he scouted throughout his incredible career was Dominik Hasek.

Added to his outstanding hockey career was his involvement with the 1961-62 Port Arthur Senior Bearcats, winners of the illustrious Ahearne Cup. An outstanding all-round athlete, Rudy is also well remembered for his success on the baseball diamonds of Thunder Bay, where he spent the off-season playing and coaching with senior ball teams in Port Arthur and Fort William. For his outstanding contributions, Rudy was inducted as an individual athlete into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame on September 29, 1990. An outstanding honour for an outstanding man!

This past spring Rudy got to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the winning of the Memorial Cup by the Port Arthur Bruins and next month (on November 18th to be exact) he will be celebrating his 80th birthday. If you see him around, be sure to wish him well and thank him for providing us with some great moments in our sports history.

 

 

Northwestern Ontario Sports

Hall of Fame 2008 Inductees

Gary “Cookie” Cook

Two (2) athletes, three (3) builders and a national championship team will make up this years slate of Inductees to enter the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame with the Class of 2008 representing a number of sports, eras and communities from across our region.

The City of Dryden will be represented through the induction of Paralympic bronze medalist Terry Robinson, who will enter the Hall in the Athlete category for his outstanding career in track and field.

The Town of Marathon will be honoured with the induction of two brothers who earned success in figure skating. National pairs skating champion and three-time Olympian, Kris Wirtz will enter the Hall along with his late brother Paul Wirtz, who coached Kris, and many other skaters, to national and international success as one of Canada’s top coaches.

The sport of hockey and the City of Thunder Bay rounds out the Builder category with the late Gary ‘Cookie’ Cook being recognized for his five decades of dedication and success in the sport of hockey and the late Joe Wirkkunen is being acknowledged for the role he played in introducing this region’s style of hockey to Finland, serving as that countries hockey coordinator and head coach at Olympic and World Championships.

The Team category will welcome the members of the 1991-92 Thunder Bay Flyers Junior ‘A’ Hockey Team, who claimed the Centennial Cup as Canadian Champions. The championship team roster included players from all across northwestern Ontario including: Andrew Backen, Darren Balcombe, Clint Bates, Mike Bois, Chris Burns, Greg Campagna, Neil Cooper, Mike Figliomeni, Jason Garatti, Pat Hanley, Kevin Hoogsteen, Corey Johnson, Mike Koiranen, Brad Kukko, Darcy Mitani, Derek Nicolson, Mike O’Leary, David Olenik Kyle Peterson, Mike Power, Adam Rodak, Barry Schutte, Ryan Sharpe, Mark Siciliano, Jason Wright. Dave Siciliano (Head Coach/General Manager), Rick Adduono (Asst. Coach), Doug Colbon (Asst. Coach), Sean Donohue (Assistant Manager), Dino Martin (Trainer).

The 27th Annual Induction Dinner and Ceremonies of the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame will be held on Saturday, September 27th in the Valhalla Inn Ballroom. The evening will be a memorable one for the inductees, their families, and our community. Ticket information can be obtained by calling the Hall of Fame at 622-2852..

 

 

 

 

A National Championship for the Ages
The sport that holds a special place in the history books of Thunder Bay as being the first to garner our community a national team title close to 100 years ago, is one that continues to be extremely popular today. Soccer, or football as it was referred to locally at that time, has a rich and proud history in our community. 
The first newspaper reports of matches being played in the city can be traced back to The Weekly Sentinel in 1886 with a football match was reported as being held between members of the Port Arthur Rifles and local residents. By the 1890s both Fort William and Port Arthur boasted their own Football Clubs and matches were played on fields located on Simpson Street and at the corner of Court and Tupper Streets.   Early event hosting of our neighbours to the south, can be traced back to 1897 when the Fort William Football Club invited the members of the West Superior Football Club to travel here from Superior, Wisconsin to participate in a match on Jubilee Day.  The Fort William team raised the $55 needed for their guest’s expenses and treated them to a wonderful weekend of hospitality off the field, while defeating them on the field by a score of 2-1. 
By the turn of the last century organized football games were becoming more and more popular with teams from our city joining the Western Canada Football Association in 1899.   The growth of the sport was strengthened even more with the formation of the New Ontario Football Association.  By 1907 a seven team league was established which included teams such as the Sons of England, Celtics, Thistles, The United Britannias, and the Young Men’s Association. 
As the years progressed, more and more teams were becoming active, and more teams were traveling to other competitions to represent our community.  Each year local champions would travel to Winnipeg to compete for the Western Canadian Championship.  From there it was on to the Canadian championships and competing for the much coveted ‘‘People’s Shield”.  
In July of 1912, the Fort William CPR Soccer-Football team traveled to Winnipeg to compete in the Canadian finals, where there were a total of 13 teams vying for the title.  The CPR eleven made it into the finals, where they faced off against Lethbridge, blanking their competitors 3-0 to claim the national crown.
Upon their return to Fort Wiliam, the team was greeted by thousands of cheering fans, and honoured with a parade and a civic banquet.  The Times-Journal noted that “the old town never saw anything like it before…every automobile in town was lined up waiting to convey the team to the banquet hall at the West Hotel.”
The members of this championship team, who were inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame in 1989 included Peter Cassidy, David Cassidy, Dave Cavin, Charles Entwhistle, Albert Gibbon, Harry Hough, Charles Murray, Harry Nightingale, Fred Pyatt, Fred Raby, Joe Raby, Harry Read, Tommy Russell, Frank Sinclair, Harry Victor, Albert Walker, W.H. Hutton (Manager), Fred Chandler (Trainer) and W. Stobbs (Assistant Trainer).
Since that illustrious victory, soccer has grown tremendously in popularity, with a number of teams and leagues participating all throughout northwestern Ontario, providing excellent opportunities for our athletes of all ages to enjoy this grand old game. 

June 2008 issue 

75 th Running of the Victoria Day 10 Mile Road Race 

On May 24th, 1910, twenty-one runners lined up along May Street to participate in what would become a very significant event in the sports history of Thunder Bay. At the sound of the starter’s gun, the first ever Fort William Times-Journal 10 Mile Road Race officially began. On May 19th, 2008 when the starter’s pistol sounds, it will mark the 75th time that runners will participate in this historic event.

That first race wound its way through the streets of Fort William and Port Arthur over a course measuring 10 miles and 53 yards, finishing up in front of the Times Journal building. Thousands cheered on the runners as they made their way along the course. The newspaper accounts of the day stated that neither city had ever seen anything like it. The winner of that inaugural race was John Estyn Edwards of Port Arthur’s Maple Leaf A.A.A. who completed the journey in 57 minutes flat. With Edwards well in the lead as he was running through Port Arthur, it was reported that many in that city ‘requisitioned automobiles, street cars, and rigs and hastened to Fort William to witness the finish’.

Given the success of the inaugural race it was no wonder that the Times-Journal decided to hold the event the following year. This time the race drew participants from outside of the region, including the famous Cree runner from Manitoba, Joe Keeper, who finished the race in a record time of 54:50, which remained unbeaten until 1936. By 1913 the race grew even more in popularity, with reports of up to 20,000 spectators cheering on the runners. Unfortunately, like so many things during that time, the race was cancelled from 1915 to 1919 due to World War I. Starting up again in 1920 the popularity of the race was restored and continued throughout the 1930s, until world affairs once again intervened. The last race sponsored by the Times-Journal occurred in 1939 before they were forced to cancel the event due to World War II.

In 1949 efforts were made to revive the race by Branch 6 of the Royal Canadian Legion. Although somewhat unsuccessful in their first attempt, they were able to bring it back to life in the 1960s, going on to sponsor it until 1989. Since that time other sponsors have taken over the race including Lakehead University, Bell Canada, Shopper’s Drug Mart and most recently the Thunder Bay Professional Fire Fighters Association.

With the passing of the years have also come many changes to the Annual Victoria Day Road Race. Women have run in the race since 1968 and in the 1970s a shift took place from the event being a race for elite runners. Today the event still features those elite runners, but they now share the road with school relay teams and people of all ages and running abilities. From those 21 runners who paid their 50 cent entry fee in 1910, to the over 700 who are expected to run in the 75th race, thousands of runners from around the world have competed in this historic event. Congratulations to the dedicated group of volunteers, participants and cheering fans who have kept this Victoria Day tradition alive.

 

Jack Chambers

Rowing Inductee - Jack Chambers

A friendly visit to the Sports Hall of Fame from Dorothy Chambers evoked memories of her husband and inductee, Jack Chambers. As Dorothy beamed at the sight of her husband in a photograph and spoke of him with pride, memories were sparked of this rower who was inducted into the Hall of Fame 20 years ago.

In the early 1930s, Jack took on the elements of water and weather in a racing shell. As a member of the Fort William Rowing Club, he began competing in a workboat crew, attending the 1932 Northwestern International Rowing Association Regatta (NWIRA). In 1933 he joined a bantam eight crew, which took first place at the NWIRA Regatta. He would continue to be on winning teams for the next two years. In 1935 Fort William won the Lipton Cup after accumulating the most points in the NWIRA competition.

In 1935 he competed in his first big meet as a member of the junior 150 lb eights, at the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta in St. Catharines, Ontario. This regatta presented some of the best rowing talent in North America. Throughout the next few years, Jack began rowing in the junior singles category and success led him to the Royal Canadian Henley once more, where he competed in the junior 140 lb sculls in 1938. This race was significant in Fort William’s history, as Jack became the first rower from northwestern Ontario to win an individual Henley title.

The course was set, on this historic day, on the Welland Canal in Port Dalhousie. The previous day Frank Van Derkar of Detroit had come out ahead of Jack in their heat. But on the day that mattered, Jack took control in the finals, in front of thousands of spectators, as he won the race by stroking eight boat lengths ahead of Van Derkar who finished second, defeating his competitors in a time of 8 minutes and 40 seconds.

From 1940-45 rowing in the Lakehead was put on hold as a result of World War II. Jack served with the Royal Canadian Air Force as a Wireless Air Gunner. When the boats started launching in the water once again, Jack was in top form taking first place in the junior eights, junior fours, and senior eights divisions at the 1946 NWIRA Regatta held in Winnipeg. For his role as bowman on the junior fours, he was praised for his clever and experienced work as he set an accurate course for his crew during the race.

Jack continued his success at the NWIRA Regatta over the next few years contributing to the Fort William Rowing Club’s 8 Lipton Cups in only 9 seasons. Following his 15 year athletic career, Jack continued his involvement at the Fort William Rowing Club as a coach and skipper.

This outstanding athlete’s contributions to the sport of rowing put him in the record books as one of Fort William’s premier rowers of the 1930s & 1940s. Passing away in 1993, his memory lives on as a 1988 Inductee to the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame.

 

Junior Curling… A Proud Tradition 

With the 2008 Canadian Juniors wrapping up last month, Northern Ontario had the opportunity to cheer on two teams from Thunder Bay.  The Kory Carr rink and the Ashley Miharija rink represented the region with distinction while competing for the men’s and women’s junior curling titles.
Looking back it has been 50 years since northwestern Ontario won its first national curling title.  Fort William’s Tom Tod Schoolboys Curling Rink won the memorable honour in 1958.  Tom Tod (skip), Neil McLeod (third), Patrick Moran (second) and David Allin (lead), inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1984, made history with their skillful performance as they outplayed their competition. 
Sweeping the ice sheets at the Fort William Curling Club, the Tom Tod rink won the city playoffs with a 4-0 record before capturing the Northwestern Ontario title after winning 7 games with no losses at their home rink.  Traveling to Nornada, Quebec, the boys overtook their opponents and secured the Northern Ontario title.  This victory ensured their place at the Canadian Schoolboy Championships to be held in Charlottetown, PEI.
After setting a 15-0 record in their pursuit of the schoolboy title, the Tod rink went 9-1 at the Nationals, winning the championship game 8-5 over British Columbia and bringing northwestern Ontario their first national curling crown.
The Tom Tod rink’s road to success was paved by fellow Hall of Famer, Cam McEwen, who spent over 50 years building the sport of curling.  He was instrumental in forming the Schoolboys Curling Association, which focused on the ability of junior participants like the Tom Tod rink.
Cam thrived to give youth more opportunity to participate in the sport he loved.  As an athlete, he won many trophies at numerous bonspiels and was named to the 65 member Canadian curling team that toured Scotland and Europe in 1950.  
His athletic past paved the way for his unfailing dedication to building as he served as chairman for the 1956 Canadian Schoolboys Championship, held in Fort William.  This was the first national curling event hosted in northwestern Ontario.  Highlighting Fort William’s outstanding curling community, Cam was a dedicated member of many curling committees and for his accomplishments, he was elected to the Curling Hall of Fame and Museum of Canada in 1977 and the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1999.
Together, both the 1958 Tom Tod rink and Cam McEwen set the groundwork for others to follow as successful junior curlers and a builder in the sport. Congratulations to the newest generation of junior curlers for their fine performances at this year’s national championships and for keeping the spirit of youth curling alive in our community.

The NWO Sports Hall of Fame is located at 219 South May Street and is open from 12 noon until 5 p.m. Monday to Friday.