Hall of Fame Induction and Awards ceremony features athletes, coaches, builders and more

Four athletes, one coach, one game official, and one exceptional team are being inducted into the Huntsville Sports Hall of Fame on October 14.

Plus, four people who continue to contribute to the sporting community are getting annual awards at the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony being held at the Active Living Centre (7 Camp Kitchen Road).

Being part of the evening to honour and celebrate sport in Huntsville is as easy as buying a $25 ticket to the event. Proceeds help with the hard costs of operating the volunteer-run Hall of Fame.

“We want the community to come out and show their support for this year’s inductees and award winners,” says Hall of Famer Wendy McConnell. “It’s a really good group we’re honouring.”

McConnell is both an inducted member of the Hall of Fame in the builder category and a current committee member.

Tickets to the event are going fast and can be purchased in person at Reflections of Muskoka or online at Hall of Fame Tickets.

The evening is always enjoyable as it’s as much a celebration of the inductees and award winners as it is a social event for those in attendance.

“It looks like we’re going to have a good crowd this year,” says McConnell about the interest so far. “I would suggest getting your tickets sooner than later.”

As McConnell notes, it’s not easy choosing the handful of inductees each year from all the fantastic athletes, coaches and other community sports contributors.

The process for induction starts with an individual or team being nominated – there are hundreds of names on the nomination list already – and the committee each year vets the list. Once a person is nominated, they remain on the list every year (unless they are selected for induction).

“We’ve got some really, really good people going in this year that are very deserving,” she says.

2023 Inductees and Award Winners

This year’s inductees are Linda Rosbottom (ladies’ baseball); Colin Boucher (lacrosse); Rick Boucher (lacrosse); Joanne Bennett (women’s hockey); Rocky Clarke (Junior C hockey coach); the late Alex Robertson (baseball umpire and hockey referee); and the 1997 Senior Master’s Huntsville Hawks Lacrosse team.

The ceremony will take place at the Active Living Centre (7 Camp Kitchen Road) with tickets available (but going quickly) for the celebration of sport in the community.

Not only are those being inducted into the hall getting honoured, but there are three annual awards being presented to dedicated sports people as well.

Nicole Dutkiewicz (Huntsville Curling Club) is the 2023 recipient of the Jan Glenn Award for the female sports personality of the year in the community.

“Nicole works tirelessly behind the scenes and organizes everything,” says McConnell.

The Mike Greaves Award for male sports personality of the year in the community is going to Mike Hill and Glen Duffield for their efforts in organizing, coaching and refereeing in general, but specifically regarding the inaugural Huntsville Women’s Soccer League this year.

The Peter Jacob Memorial Award will be awarded to Sharon Stahls. This award is presented to an individual who has made a significant, long-term and recognizable contribution to a sport organization or organizations in the community.

“Sharon is being recognized for her commitment to the Terry Fox Run primarily, she’s been spearheading that for quite a while,” says McConnell. “Her face and name pop up in a lot of sports events in this town and she continues to volunteer just about everywhere.”

Volunteer-led Community Entity

The Huntsville Sports Hall of Fame is a completely volunteer-run entity with the current committee members consisting of Wendy McConnell, Jane Wolf, George Young, Kenneth Donald, Erin Jacob, John Cowan, and Brian Thompson.

The Hall of Fame doesn’t have a physical location, but there is a traditional member sign and interactive touch-screen kiosk that has information on all the members as part of the Canada Summit Centre’s sports displays.

The sports area at the Summit Centre (20 Park Drive) features memorabilia, photography, and information about athletes, sporting achievements, and significant events in this area.

For a full list of all the athletes, coaches, managers, builders, and teams in the Huntsville Sports Hall of Fame, visit their website: https://hshf.ca/ and follow their Facebook page and Instagram account.