Four Orillians were inducted into the city’s Hall of Fame Monday for achieving widespread success and recognition in their fields over the course of their lives.
Kenneth “Ken” Woodhouse, Gordon E. “Gord” Smith, Robert “Bob” Bowles, and William “Bill” Swinimer were brought into the city’s honoured hall at Monday’s city council meeting, following a reception at Orillia City Centre.
Members of the city’s commemorative awards committee, along with Mayor Don McIsaac, officially welcomed the new inductees to the Orillia Hall of Fame before Monday's city council meeting at the Orillia Opera House.
“It is an honour for me to present this year’s inductees in the Hall of Fame. They are most deserving of the award,” said the mayor.
Ken Woodhouse
Born and raised in Orillia, Woodhouse was a commercial artist and cartoonist whose work was published in a variety of high-profile newspapers and magazines across Canada and the United States.
“He created a successful cartoon series called Familiar Faces for the Orillia Packet & Times newspaper,” said committee member Liz Dunn. “In the 1950s, Ken began selling his cartoons in Canada and the United States.”
Woodhouse also designed various signs and logos for area businesses, and saw his work featured in Best Cartoons of the Year through the 1960s, an American publication.
Woodhouse’s daughter, Kendal Alison, accepted the award on behalf of her late father.
Gord Smith
Smith was a radio broadcaster, businessman, and successful politician at the local and provincial level, serving on Orillia Town Council, as an MPP, and as deputy speaker in the Ontario Legislature.
“Smith started his career in radio as a teenage musician. In 1942, he became the youngest owner of a radio station in Canada,” said committee member Gilles Depratto.
“Smith was elected as a Member of the Provincial Parliament, serving constituents with great devotion. He led international trade missions and was responsible for the introduction of historic vehicle licence plates to Ontario.”
Following his political career, Smith became a justice of the peace and returned to music.
“After 15 years in office, Smith left politics and became a justice of the peace. He reluctantly retired at the age of 75,” Depratto said. “He returned to music and performed his last gig just weeks before his passing.”
Smith’s son, John Smith, accepted the award on behalf of his late father.
Bob Bowles
As an award-winning writer, artist, nature photographer, educator, and naturalist, Bowles is well known for his dedication to conserving the environment.
He has previously been awarded the Order of Orillia and Citizen of the Year, among other achievements.
Over the years, he has worked to educate the public through local programs, television shows, writing, and more.
“Bowles is founder and coordinator of the Lakehead University Ontario Master Naturalist certificate program, and has founded numerous environmental groups in the region,” Depratto said.
“The Robert L. Bowles Nature Centre hosts educational programs related to nature and wellbeing. Bowles has led ecotours in North, Central, and South America, including through the Amazon River and Florida Everglades," he said.
“I think it’s quite an honour,” he told OrilliaMatters earlier this month. “It's very gratifying. I didn’t do it for the gratification but I did it because I want the very best city, and I think we could have a wonderful city in Orillia.”
Since retiring from his career at Hydro One in 2000, Bowles has dedicated much of his time to promoting and protecting the environment in and around Orillia.
“I've organized cleanups, and I've done a lot out in Scout Valley,” he said. “I bring groups in from around the world – Colorado, we had this fall, in the spring we had Victoria, BC. We've had people from Japan and Europe come and visit, and I show them the various (natural) features.
“I like to promote Orillia, and I've done a lot in the protection of natural areas, so it's quite an honour for Orillia to recognize some of the work I've done over the years.”
Bill Swinimer
Swinimer was inducted for his efforts in the business community, and for his strong support as a major donor to Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital.
“Swinimer arrived in Orillia in the early 1970s to become the manager of the Bank of Nova Scotia. He left the bank to work for Campbell Films … and later he would serve on the board of directors of the Canadian Plastic Industry Association,” said Dunn.
“Swinimer served on the board of the Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Foundation, and Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital board. He and his family were and continue to be strong supporters of Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial.”
Swinimer’s efforts in the business community are recognized annually through the Bill Swinimer Business Award, presented to outstanding business owners, managers, and entrepreneurs.
Swinimer’s daughter, Jennifer Silvester, accepted the award on behalf of her father, who was unable to attend Monday's ceremony.
Established in 1964, the Orillia Hall of Fame Award is presented to individuals who have received national or international recognition in their field of excellence. Past Hall of Fame inductees include Gordon Lightfoot, Stephen Leacock, Jeff Hutchings and Rick Ley.
Due to challenges experienced through the COVID-19 pandemic, city council authorized the commemorative awards committee to induct four nominees to the Orillia Hall of Fame for 2023, as opposed to the usual three.
