New Sports Wall inductees named
Three teams and five builders will be honoured for their contributions
Eight new members will be added to the Trent Hills Sports Wall of Honour as the Class of 2025, the organizing committee has announced.
The group includes three teams and five builders who will be officially inducted at the annual Trent Hills Sports Wall of Honour gala in May. They also will have a plaque added to the Sports Wall of Honour, located in the lounge area of the main lobby of the Sunny Life Recreation and Wellness Centre. Information about them will be included in the digital kiosks located in the Sunny Life Centre, the Warkworth Arena and the Hastings Field House.
The new inductees representing Hastings are:
-- The 1982 and 1983 Hastings Men’s Intermediate ‘D’ Fastball teams, in the Team Category, for winning back-to-back Ontario Amateur Softball Association championships.
The team had players from Hastings, Keene, Campbellford and Warkworth. The first championship win in 1982 was extra special for the team and the community of Hastings. It was the first Ontario Amateur Softball Association (OASA) provincial title for a Hastings men’s fastball team and it was also done in front of the hometown fans as Hastings hosted the 60th anniversary of the prestigious OASA tournament for the first time. Hastings went undefeated in the two-day tournament, which featured the top seven zone teams from across Ontario.
The following year, with the core of the team returning, including pitching ace Randy Fife, Hastings successfully defended its title in Wellington. Once again, Hastings won all four games it played in the tournament, finishing with a 3-1 win over Wellington in the championship final.
Representing the communities of Hastings and Warkworth:
-- Bill White, in the Builder Category, for his extraordinary dedication and contributions in various roles in both Hastings and Warkworth minor sports for over 40 years. In the 1970s and early 1980s, Bill served as coach, manager and executive member with many Hastings minor sports teams, including, hockey, softball and ringette.
During this time, some credit Bill for singlehandedly keeping Hastings minor sports operating for as long as it could, the committee said. Bill was equally active in the community of Warkworth, where he was a member of the Percy Township Recreation Committee from 1973-76.
When Warkworth’s new arena opened in 1977, Bill was named Chairman of the Percy Township Arena Board, which oversaw the day-to-day operations of the arena from 1977-89.
During this time, Bill also organized several power skating and referee clinics in Warkworth, was an executive member of Warkworth Minor Hockey and Ringette Association and served as President during the 1988-89 season. For the next three years, Bill was District Convener for the Ontario Minor Hockey Association.
His outstanding contributions to local sports earned Bill many accolades and honours, including Appreciation Awards from both Hastings and Warkworth minor hockey associations and a Life Member Award from Percy Minor Hockey.
Despite all his volunteer work, Bill still managed to find time to umpire local softball games for 40 years, and referee in local minor hockey leagues for 25 years.
Representing the community of Warkworth:
-- Bill Kelly, in the Builder Category, for over 30 years of volunteer work with local minor hockey.
Although he spent time as coach, manager and trainer for various local minor hockey teams, Bill is best remembered for his role as President of Warkworth Minor Hockey and Ringette Association during its most successful years in the 1980s. Under Bill’s watch, the association experienced rapid growth in its hockey and ringette programs and saw several of those teams win provincial and regional championships.
Considered by many as a calming influence, Bill served two terms as President of WMH&RA in the 1980s and because of his valuable experience, was persuaded out of retirement in 2009 to become a director and provide guidance for the local minor hockey executive, which had undergone major changes.
Bill also served as President of the Hastings and District Hockey League and the Trent Valley League, and Convenor of the Ontario Minor Hockey Association’s Trent Valley League. Bill’s longtime dedication and contributions to the local sporting community earned him a Life Member Award from the Percy Minor Hockey Association.
-- Doug Peters, Ralph and Ann-Marie Switzer, in the Builder Category, for their significant contributions to local minor sports in helping to grow and develop girls’ ringette in Warkworth during the late 1970s and 1980s.
Doug, who was the manager of Warkworth’s new arena, is credited for introducing and promoting the sport in the community.. Along with Bill White and Ralph Switzer, Doug helped to organize and teach the game of ringette to girls of various ages.
Thanks to their many years of coaching, Ralph and Ann-Marie provided a much-needed opportunity for girls of all ages to learn and participate in a new sport. The most memorable moment for Ralph and Ann-Marie occurred at the 1984 Regional ‘C’ Ringette Championship in Oshawa when they guided the Warkworth Belle team to its first ringette title with a thrilling 5-4 win over Mariposa. Despite playing against much larger communities, Warkworth went undefeated in the championship tournament, including a 6-5 win over Oshawa in the semi-final.
Representing the community of Campbellford:
-- The 1951-52 Campbellford Midget ‘C’ hockey team, in the Team Category, for its memorable and historic all-Ontario championship-winning season. In only the fourth year of organized hockey in Campbellford, the local Midget team raised the level of excitement in town by advancing to the Ontario Minor Hockey Association championship final against Kincardine.
An estimated hometown crowd of 1,500 cheering fans filled the Community Arena (located on the present site of Sharpe’ Food Market) as Campbellford defeated Kincardine 7-3 to become the first Midget ‘C’ team to capture an OMHA provincial championship.
The playoff format was a two-game, total-goals series for each round. Campbellford defeated Norwood, Wellington, Stirling, Bobcaygeon and Richmond Hill to earn a spot in the championship final. The Campbellford team, which was sponsored by the Rotary Club, lost only three games in the 12-game playoffs, each by just one goal.
-- George Bibby, in the Builder Category, for his long and distinguished service to minor hockey in Campbellford. George earned the nickname Campbellford’s Mr. Hockey for his dedication and contributions for nearly four decades.
He was one of the founding members of Campbellford Minor Hockey Association, which was formed in 1954. George served as President of CMHA four times, coached, managed, refereed and, for many years, was the convenor of house leagues, the Trent Valley Juvenile League and minor hockey tournaments hosted by Campbellford.
George’s outstanding contributions to local minor hockey was acknowledged in 1983 when he received the Ontario Minor Hockey Association’s highest acclaim, its Honour Award, at the association’s 50th annual meeting in Toronto.
George was the award’s 36th recipient, and the first from Campbellford. A few years later, George received the CMHA Lifetime Membership Award for his years of guidance, dedication and leadership.
In addition to his longtime involvement in minor hockey, George also played an instrumental role in organizing, coaching and managing local boys’ and men’s softball teams.
-- Carole Dunk, in the Builder Category, for being a volunteer for Campbellford Minor Hockey Association for over 50 years. Carole started volunteering with the CMHA auxiliary in 1969 and served in various positions, including treasurer.
But most of her time was spent managing, stocking and staffing the canteen at the Campbellford-Seymour Arena and Community Centre, and organizing meals for numerous teams on tournament days. The CMHA auxiliary generated much-needed funds for the local minor hockey program. The importance of helping to reduce costs was one of the reasons Carole dedicated so much of her time working in the canteen. The other reason was the kids she met over the years, who would come up and talk to her at the canteen. For her many years of service, CMHA honoured Carole with a special Recognition Volunteer Award.
-- The 1973-74 and 1974-75 Campbellford Clippers Intermediate ‘D’ hockey teams, in the Team Category, for ushering in an exciting new era of intermediate hockey in Campbellford by winning back-to-back Ontario Hockey Association championships.
The Clipper teams, which had a perfect mix of youth, experience, and depth at all positions, did it in impressive fashion as they dominated the championship final in both years. In 1974, Campbellford swept Tamworth, winning the best-of-seven final in four games.
The following year, the Clippers successfully defended their OHA title by defeating an overmatched Picton team in four straight games, including an 11-1 drubbing in Game 1 of the final. The Clippers’ winning ways generated plenty of excitement and fan support in the community, which resulted in crowds of over 1,000 people packing the local arena for playoffs games, and a large following of faithful fans showing up for away games.
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