Ontario Sports Hall of Fame facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ontario Sports Hall of Fame
Ontario Sports Hall of Fame logo
Established	1994
Location	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Founder	Bruce Prentice
Inductees	115 total

The Ontario Sports Hall of Fame is a special place that celebrates amazing athletes and important people in sports from Ontario, Canada. It's like a museum of heroes! This Hall of Fame was started in 1994 by a person named Bruce Prentice. He had already helped create the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame has honored 115 people so far. Most of them are players, and some are other important sports figures. Each year, the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame also gives out special awards. These include the Brian Williams Media Award, the Sandy Hawley Community Service Award, the Ferguson Jenkins Heritage Award, the Syl Apps Athlete of the Year Award, and the Bruce Prentice Legacy Award.

History of the Hall of Fame

The Ontario Sports Hall of Fame was created thanks to Bruce Prentice. He noticed that Ontario was the only province in Canada without its own sports Hall of Fame. He wanted to make sure that the great achievements of Ontario's sports legends would always be remembered.

When it first started, some people who helped develop the Hall of Fame were Dr. Al Fruman, Marcia Vandenbosch, and George McConnachie. As the Hall of Fame became more well-known, its first induction event was held in 1995 in Toronto. Big events like these continued to be held in different places in Ontario.

Since 2015, the Syl Apps Athlete of the Year Award has been chosen by people in Ontario. They vote online for their favorite athletes. To win this award, an athlete must be from Ontario or live there. They also need to have made a big impact on Ontario sports in the past year.

Honoring New Sports Stars

Each year, the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame welcomes new members. These are athletes and sports personalities who have achieved great things.

2017 Inductees and Awards

The Class of 2017 was honored at a special event in Toronto on October 2, 2017. The new members inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame that year included famous athletes like Paul Coffey, Marnie McBean, and Bob Gainey. Other inductees were John Campbell, Bob Allan, and John Hiller.

Special Awards and Their Winners

The Ontario Sports Hall of Fame gives out several awards to recognize different kinds of contributions to sports.

Brian Williams Media Award

The Brian Williams Media Award is given every year. It honors someone in sports media from Ontario. This person must have done amazing work throughout their career in sports journalism.

Ferguson Jenkins Heritage Award

The Ferguson Jenkins Heritage Award started in 2011. It celebrates special moments or events in Ontario's long sports history. The first person to receive this award was Terry Fox. He was honored for his inspiring Marathon of Hope in 1980, which passed through Ontario.

Sandy Hawley Community Service Award

The Sandy Hawley Community Service Award is given each year to a person who shows great dedication to their community. This award is named after Sandy Hawley, who was a very successful jockey.

Bruce Prentice Legacy Award

The Bruce Prentice Legacy Award was created in 2015. It honors Bruce Prentice, who founded the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. This award is given to a person or group who has made a big, long-lasting contribution to sports in Ontario. The Hall's board members and sports media professionals choose the winner.