Many worthy candidates for new sports hall of fame
When I was a wee lad back in the early 1960s I used to look at the giant of a man who I knew as my loving grandfather. So tall, over six feet, with these massive hands and a stride that made up three or four of mine. Inside my grandparents’ house, there was a special cardboard box full of lots of things, including softballs and hardballs. I was told the furniture was won by my grandpa at the lawn bowling championships.
I remember going into the Creemore Meat Market when Noel Van Walleghen’s parents operated the grocery store and old men telling me what a good sportsman my grandfather was. One old fella showed me a darkened eye and told me my grandpa, Bill Emmett’s slap shot did that to him.
To tell you that I was in awe of such a man would be an understatement.
It was with great delight in 2006 I purchased Bob Curran’s Images of Creemore for the Past 100 Years calendar which included a photo of the 1922 Creemore hockey team (Above: Joe Jardine, Harry Madill, George McLaren, Milton Hinds, Angus Gillespie, Ted Creighton, Ken Carlton, Jack Lawrence and goalie Norman (Chum) Sommerville were the other storied names). My grandfather was on that team.
As many of you know, my mother, Helen Blackburn loves nothing more than reading old newspapers to learn of the past. So it should be of no surprise to you that I received a mass of old newspaper clippings. I remember reading that the 1922 team was very special. The club used to barnstorm all over the area, Thornbury, Collingwood, Tottenham, Caledon and even down to Orangeville. A hotshot Toronto team came to Creemore to teach our boys a thing or two. They didn’t. That 1922 Creemore team never lost a game and won by large margins.
Ken Carlton is the father of Wayne ‘Swoop’ Carlton of Collingwood. In my readings, Ken was a dominant player and could seem to score at will. His son inherited his dad’s athleticism and went on to win a Stanley Cup with Bobby Orr for the 1969-70 Boston Bruins. He was on the ice when Orr scored that famous Cup clinching goal in the fourth game of the final.
Local sports have always been of great interest for me. Perhaps because of my mom’s historical bend, my grandpa’s athleticism, the fact that I have played sports and enjoyed recreation here, I have always wanted a Sports Hall of Fame to recognize and honour our own home-bred sports heroes as well as a way to keep the legends alive forever.
Alas, to my overwhelming joy in December, I learned that Clearview Township’s recreation committee has undertaken the project of creating a Clearview Township Sports Hall of Fame with the first inductees to be introduced some time in 2017. Categories include athletes, builders, and teams.
The township needs to be congratulated for doing this. It’s only 42 years behind the Town of Collingwood and the creation of their hall.
In recent years, I can think of many worthy candidates. For the builder, Paul ‘Sivvy’ Carruthers’ contribution to Junior hockey and local baseball; and Larry Sinclair’s tireless hours creating a world class Nordic facility come to mind. Steve Walker, professional hockey player and now coach in Germany, would seem to be a lock to be nominated; as does Don Westbrooke, the only North American hockey player to score a hat-trick on Vladislav Tretiak, arguably, the greatest goaltender in the history of the game of hockey.
Stayner Siskins had some very special teams in the 1970s and early 1990s. Creemore, New Lowell and Stayner have all had strong ball clubs.
The township is blessed to have many top notch facilities: Devil’s Glen, Highlands Nordic, Osler, Duntroon Highlands Golf, Batteaux Creek, Mad River Golf, Smith Brothers Baseball Central, community centres, bowling alleys, curling pads, lawn bowling greens, arenas and baseball diamonds. Then there is the high school and the athletics program there.
Athletes from these facilities have gone on to the Olympics, national, provincial, regional and local championships. Our township has many deserving candidates to be honoured in such a way.
Shane Sargant, Clearview’s culture, recreation and tourism coordinator, was able to get me a basic guideline for the new Hall of Fame. The following criteria apply to nominees, which are the basic guts as to whom shall be eligible.
• Born in Clearview Township and spent their formative years here;
• Not born in Clearview Township but moved here and lived a minimum of five years before or during their sporting accomplishments;
• An athlete or team member from an outlying area that rightfully participated with and represented a recognized Clearview Township sport association for a minimum of five years. Nominees are not eligible for the hall until five years after retirement from the sport or at the discretion of the selection committee;
• Those mentioned above may be considered even if they eventually moved away from the area;
• A person who has been employed and or been instrumental in the development of sport and sporting accomplishments in Clearview Township.
There are no waiting periods for builders or teams.
Without a doubt, the hall will create controversy on who is selected but it’ll be what I call good controversy.
Here’s one: Does retired NHL star Jason Arnott make it?
He played for the Siskins as an under 16 before moving on to the OHL and then the NHL. Get ready for some action.
For more sports, including Alex Hargrave’s Stayner Siskins coverage and Creemore Curling Club standings, visit Creemore.com.
