Last year, the 1973 Orillia Terriers skated into the history books — again. They were the first team to be enshrined into the Orillia Sports Hall of Fame.
What local team of renown should be inducted this year? That's up to you!
It's time to nominate potential inductees into the local sports shrine that welcomes Orillia's finest athletes, builders and, as of last year, teams.
“One of our primary mandates is to recognize those from our past who have helped put this city on the map,” said Roy Micks, chair of Sport Orillia, the local organization that oversees Orillia’s Sports Hall of Fame.
Since the first class of inductees in 2015, some of Orillia’s finest citizens have joined the hall. Adding a team category last year was "an important and exciting" evolution of the hall of fame, said Micks.
He said Sport Orillia volunteers worked hard to develop criteria that would allow the Hall of Fame selection committee to judge teams worthy of induction.
According to that criteria, any sport where two or more individuals compete would be eligible for this honour.
“As a minimum level of achievement, teams must have won a provincial championship that led to their participation in a national championship,” explained Micks, adding teams must have completed their participation in their sport for at least three years prior to the nomination.
Of course, nominees are also welcome in the athlete and builder categories.
“The selection criteria is pretty stringent but that’s what makes being inducted into the Orillia Sports Hall of Fame meaningful,” Micks said.
For example, athletes must have performed at a high level, represented Orillia with honour and must have concluded their careers at least three years prior to being nominated or have reached the age of 50.
Builders may include officials, sponsors, executives, trainers, owners, coaches, etc. whose work over an extended period has been outstanding in providing a consistently high level of contribution to the sports community.
It’s easy to nominate an athlete, team or builder. Just visit the website and navigate to the Hall of Fame section. Click here to fill out the nomination form for teams. Click here for the nomination form for athletes. Click here for the builders nomination form.
The deadline for nominations is Jan. 10, 2025 at 5:30 p.m.
The Orillia Sports Hall of Fame gala will be held on Saturday, May 10, 2025 at Casino Rama.
To date, there are 36 individuals and one team enshrined in Orillia’s Sports Hall of Fame.
The first class of inductees entered the shrine in 2015 and included Elaine Thompson, Cam Devine, Jake Gaudaur Jr., Walter Knox and Walter Henry.
In 2016, Brian Orser, Rick Ley, Harry Gill and Jake Gaudaur Sr. were inducted. The following year, Rob Town, Jerry Udell, Terry Bullen and Lawrence Mervyn McKenzie were inducted.
In 2018, Ken ‘Jiggs’ McDonald, Brittney Fess, Toben Sutherland and Jayme Davis joined the hall.
In 2019, Stuart Burnie, Don Stoutt and Bill McGill were inducted. And in 2020, Wayne Dowswell, Dave Town and Bill Watters were selected for induction.
In 2021, Bill Smith, Joanne Stanga, Mark Shivers and Nels Dunlop were inducted.
In 2022, Bill Watters, Dave Town and Wayne Dowswell joined John French, Dave Dunn and Alan Brahmst as members of the Orillia Sports Hall of Fame.
In 2023, Chad Thompson, Dean Heliotis and Ian MacMillan were enshrined alongside the hall's first entry in its new team category: the 1973 Allan Cup champion Orillia Terriers.
Visit the Orillia Sports Hall of Fame lounge on the second floor of the Orillia Recreation Centre to learn more about the hall and its esteemed members.
