Ontario Sports Hall of Fame facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ontario Sports Hall of Fame |
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Ontario Sports Hall of Fame logo
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| Established | 1994 |
| Location | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Founder | Bruce Prentice |
| Inductees | 115 total |
The Ontario Sports Hall of Fame is a special group that celebrates amazing athletes and important people in sports from Ontario, Canada. It's like a museum or a special club that honours those who have achieved great things in sports.
This Hall of Fame was started in 1994 by a person named Bruce Prentice. He had also created the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame before this. The very first group of honoured members was added in 1994.
Today, the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame has 115 members. Most of these are players, and some are other important sports personalities. Each year, the 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 idea for the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame came from Bruce Prentice. He noticed that Ontario was the only province in Canada that didn't have its own sports Hall of Fame. He wanted to make sure that the amazing achievements of Ontario's sports legends would be remembered forever.
At first, the Hall of Fame was called the "Ontario Sport Legends Hall of Fame." Many people helped to get it started, including Dr. Al Fruman, Marcia Vandenbosch, and George McConnachie.
As the Hall of Fame grew, it started holding big events to welcome new members. The first induction event was in 1995 in Toronto. These events helped the Hall of Fame become more well-known and respected.
Since 2015, the winner of the Syl Apps Athlete of the Year Award has been chosen by people in Ontario. They vote online for their favourite athletes. To be considered for this award, athletes must be from Ontario or live there. They also need to have done something amazing in Ontario sports during the past year.
Special Awards
The Ontario Sports Hall of Fame gives out several important awards each year. These awards celebrate different kinds of contributions to sports in Ontario.
Brian Williams Media Award
This award is given to a person in sports media who has had a great career. Sports media includes people like sportscasters, writers, and reporters. They help share sports stories with everyone.
Some past winners include Dave Hodge, Ralph Mellanby, and Jerry Howarth.
Ferguson Jenkins Heritage Award
The Ferguson Jenkins Heritage Award was started in 2011. It celebrates special events or moments in Ontario's long sports history. It's named after the famous baseball player Ferguson Jenkins.
The very first person to receive this award was Terry Fox. He was honoured for his amazing Marathon of Hope in 1980, which passed through Ontario. Other moments celebrated include Joe Carter's home run that won the 1993 World Series for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Sandy Hawley Community Service Award
This award honours someone who shows great dedication to their community. It's named after Sandy Hawley, who was a very successful jockey.
This award celebrates people who use their influence to help others. Past winners include athletes like Darryl Sittler and community leaders like Hazel McCallion.
Bruce Prentice Legacy Award
The Bruce Prentice Legacy Award was created in 2015. It honours Bruce Prentice, who founded the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. This award is given to a person or group who has made a huge, long-lasting contribution to sports in Ontario.
The Hall's board members and sports media experts choose the winner. It's not always given out every year. Some notable winners include hockey legend Tim Horton and the Conacher Family, who are famous in hockey.
