DAN CEARNS, The Standard
KAWARTHA LAKES: After a couple of lost years, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lindsay and District Sports Hall of Fame is bringing back their induction ceremony this year.
At a press conference at Boston Pizza in Lindsay, on Wednesday, August 10th, local officials announced there would be four new additions to the Sports Hall of Fame this year.
“This year, we have four inductees, and might I add, they are all exceptional candidates,” nomination chair Pat O’Reilly said at the announcement.
For the first time in the Hall’s history, a rugby team will be inducted into the hall of fame, the 1992 L.C.V.I. (Lindsay Collegiate and Vocational Institute) Senior Men’s Rugby Team.
Director Mike O’Reilly stated, they are “truly honoured” to grow this sports hall with this team.
“It’s important to recognize all of these athletes and their accomplishments, and the teams [for] what they do. They come up to us afterwards and sometimes say, ‘it’s been the most important day of their life,'” he explained.
Rev. William Griffin will be inducted posthumously. He passed away earlier this year. Rev. Griffin was known as an elite hockey player in the community, as the Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins scouted him, but instead he decided to devote his life to the Ministry.
The Little Britain Women’s Hockey Team (from 1969 until 1974), part of the Ontario Minor Hockey Association (O.M.H.A.) will also be inducted. This team was also known as the “Jet-Sets.” The last team being inducted this year is the 1963 to 1965 Lindsay Junior’ C’ Lions-Merchants hockey team.
The ceremony will be held at the Victoria Park Armoury, on Sunday, October 23rd. Doors will open at 1 p.m., with the ceremony being held at 2 p.m. Food and refreshments will be offered to attendees.
“It’s wonderful. The last couple of years has been just lost in the sporting world. So we’re very, very happy to be able to put it on again this year. People have been calling, wondering if we’re going to have it. We said, ‘yes, it’s back on.’ We had to apologize because we couldn’t hold it [the last couple of years] due to COVID-19. This year we’re allowed full capacity,” Mike O’Reilly stated.