Sports stars honoured on wall and kiosks
Touchscreens add modern touch to recognizing our top athletes
After more than five years of dreaming, planning, meetings, phone calls, more meetings, and fundraising, the Trent Hills Sports Wall of Honour was unveiled today at the new Sunny Life Recreation and Wellness Centre.
Many of the athletes and sports builders who are recognized on the wall were on hand as Jim Peeling, chair of the committee that pulled everything together, slipped the curtains off the wall in the lounge area of the hockey rink.
But really, the name is a bit of a misnomer. The centrepiece of the wall of honour is not the wall, but a touchscreen kiosk that offers the sports history, photos, and much, much more.
Peeling gave credit to former councillor Cathy Redden for the sports wall idea. When Cathy left council, she met with Peeling, vice-president of the Campbellford-Seymour Heritage Society and a long-time hockey activist and encouraged him to take on the project.
Peeling agreed but that meeting was in March 2020, just as COVID-19 was hitting, and the project and most other things got put on hold.
Peeling said the best move he made was organizing a committee of Terry English, Jim Coveney, Eunice Stapley, Pat Sheridan, Scott Newman, and Stewart Richardson,
In January 2024 the committee announced the first 12 inductees in the wall of honour -- eight individuals, three teams, and one service group. Today, those inductees got to see their recognition plaques unveiled and to view the information up close on the kiosk.
A kiosk has also been installed in the Warkworth arena and one will be placed in the Hastings Field House. The three will be connected to the same database so will provide the same information.
Committee member Scott Newman demonstrated the kiosk and invited Randy Fife, inducted for his prowess as a fastball pitcher, to take first crack at showing how easy the system is to use.
Newman says more information will be added about sponsors, local events, and activities.
He encouraged the athletes and their families to bring forward any news clippings, photos, or other elements that could be shared on the kiosk.
“It’s better to share these awards and trophies this way than to have them shut in a room somewhere,” Newman said.
The next group of inductees have been selected and will be announced on March 1.
“I see lots of people I played with and against,” said Mayor Bob Crate. His comments were briefly interrupted by a loud bang as an errant slapshot missed the net and crashed into the glass of the lounge. The aging athletes were unphased by the missed shot.
Newman noted that the kiosks were funded with donations from the Warkworth Community Foundation, the Hastings Hydro Fund, and the Community Foundation of Campbellford/Seymour and Northumberland. “I want to thank the organizations for sharing our vision,” he said.
The committee also thanked companies that helped fund the wall: King Auto, which paid for printing the plaques; Mirmil Products for the wood walls; and Campbellford Chrysler, which paid for the plaques.
You can learn more about the wall of honour on the group’s Facebook page.
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