All posts by Mark

1950 - 1969, 2020 - 2029, All, Male, Skiing

David Christie

In 1945, David Christie began his skiing career on the slopes of Blue Mountain. After 6 winters, Dave had progressed from his self-proclaimed high speed downhill adventures due to a lack of turns to entering his first race in 1951. 

David’s ascent to the podium quickly outpaced his downhill career. In 1953, David was crowned as the Province’s top skier in the Ontario Junior Alpine Championships. He promptly reclaimed his title in the 1954 Ontario Junior Championships a result of his 1st place Slalom, 3rd place downhill finishes.  This result qualified him for the 1954 Canadian Junior Championships at the Fort William Ski Club in Lakehead where he took home a Top 20 national ranking.

After his successful ski racing career, David turned his attention towards supporting the Blue Mountain Ski Club in recognition of their past support for his career. As President and racing member, David participated in a number of agreements resulting in the acquisition of lands and building of the Collingwood Ski Club (CSC). David recognizes Jim Russell, Sonny Foley, Don Mason, Jack McMurchy, Greg Titus, Alex Stevens, Bev Willis, Grant Michel and Garth Paton for their invaluable work in the construction of the clubhouse.

During the 1970’s, the CSC flourished as its membership worked alongside Blue Mountain to host the 1972 Benson & Hedges Pro-Am races that attracted world class racers such as Spider Sabich and Jean Claude Killy (3x Olympic medalist). Today, the Collingwood Ski Club maintains a strong and active membership at the north end of Blue Mountain Resort.

On Saturday, May 14, 2022, the Collingwood Sports Hall of Fame welcomes David Christie as an enshrined member of Collingwood’s sporting history.

1970 - 1989, 2020 - 2029, All, Builder, Male

William “Bill” Redick

Bill Redick is recognized for his leadership in championship hockey team through his formula of building a community based hockey teams supported by a winning culture for 3 decades.

Throughout the 1960’s, Bill was an Executive for the Collingwood Shipbuilders OHA Senior & Intermediate teams & Collingwood Kings. In 1969, Bill alongside future Collingwood Sports Hall of Famers Jeep Jackson and Don Jeffrey successfully negotiated the return of OHA Junior B Hockey to Collingwood. This rebirth of the Collingwood Blues based on strong foundational relationships with corporate sponsors, fans and players allowed hockey to return to a town with hockey roots dating back to 1894.

A recognized leader during the club’s formative years in the 1970’s, Bill Redick was President for 5 years in the Junior B circuit and again when the team entered Tier 2 Junior ‘A’. The club benefitted by the combined skills of Redick’s business acumen and Jackson’s coaching to the established winning culture culminating in four (4) League Championships before moving to Junior A. In 1974, the team’s Game 7 home loss to the St. Mary’s Lincolns for the Sutherland Cup remains a lasting memory for local fans after an undefeated home record throughout the Ontario playoffs.

A multi-sport athlete, Bill enjoyed playing hockey, slo-pitch and golf and proudly represented the Town in these pursuits. A successful business owner, W.D. Redick & Associates, Bill has earned multiple national rewards for his sales and town support acting as a past Chairman of the Collingwood General Marine Hospital’s major gift game and catalyst behind the Georgian Triangle Humane Society alongside his company’s continued sponsorship of minor hockey and baseball teams.

On Saturday, May 14, 2022, the Collingwood Sports Hall of Fame welcomes Bill Redick as an enshrined member of Collingwood’s sporting history.

1950 - 1969, 1970 - 1989, 1990 - 1999, 2020 - 2029, Browse by Category, Builder, Male

Fern St. Onge

Fern St. Onge spent 30+ years (1964-1996) involved in playing, coaching or managing every level of Collingwood hockey. During this time, he was instrumental in building the lives, the livelihoods and character of many a player (Collingwood Minor Hockey, Junior A & C, Intermediate A and Senior A) who walked through the doors of the Eddie Bush Arena.

Fern was recruited by fellow HOF member Dr. Don Paul in 1964 to play for the Collingwood Shipbuilders after 2 years playing with the OHA Jr. A Peterborough Petes under the renowned coach Scotty Bowman.

In 1973, Fern volunteered to coach the Collingwood Juvenile Lions. A team desperately looking for a coach to ice a team. Without any previous coaching experience, Fern fell back on his observations from the excellent coaching he received as a player. His believe that a “team” outweighs the sum of the parts was introduced and reinforced to an eclectic mix of challenging 17-18 year olds throughout the season. It worked . . . as the Juveniles captured the OHA Championship after 5 challenging play-off rounds. After 20 years of playing/coaching in the Intermediate, coaching Senior and Junior C, Fern retired from Sr. hockey. There was, however, a desire to share his knowledge to youngsters, many of who couldn’t skate. Not surprisingly, Fern returned to the arena in 1988 to coach Tyke and Novice House League teams to emphasize the fun and wonder of the hockey.

In 1999, Fern was presented with the 3M Coaching Recognition Reward from the CMHA. Upon Fern’s nomination, the Hall of Fame received heartfelt recommendations from players, fellow coaches and parents that retold stories of his friendly and enthusiastic manner that built self-esteem and knowledge for hockey techniques.

Away from the ice, Fern served on the Collingwood Parks, Recreation and Culture Board from 1988-1990.

On Saturday, May 14, 2022, the Collingwood Sports Hall of Fame welcomes Fern St. Onge as an enshrined member of Collingwood’s sporting history.

1950 - 1969, 1970 - 1989, 1990 - 1999, 2000 - 2009, 2020 - 2029, Builder, Male

Harvey Pearen

Harvey ‘Harv’ Pearen’s commitment to Collingwood sports spans six decades in his beloved hometown, helping to build a solid foundation for youth hockey and baseball to thrive in the community.

As a builder, Harvey coached various hockey teams during the 1960s, including the
Collingwood Legionnaires Midgets, Georgian Bay Champions in 1967-68 and perennial strong competitors on the ice. The Legionnaires capped off the ‘67-68 season with tournament victories in Wingham and Orillia.

In 1966-67, his I.O.O.F. team went to the OMHA finals. Among the many players he coached during his tenure were two Collingwood-born NHL’ers, Randy Osburn (Toronto Maple Leafs and Philadelphia Flyers) and Paul Shakes (California Golden Seals). Harvey moved up the ranks to Junior hockey during the 1970s, as the Manager of the OHA’s Collingwood Blues. He added hockey referee and baseball umpire to his extensive sports resume.

Harvey’s longevity as an athlete in hockey and baseball included being a member of Flash’s All-Stars hockey team, the league champion Shell team, Beaver Lumber Sunday Morning Risers, and 2000 Senior Winter Games Silver Medalists. His first championship in hockey was in the 1950s with the South End Rangers. John Hill, member and proponent of the Collingwood Sports Hall of Fame, was his coach.

He was a talented fastball catcher with the Co-operators Insurance, Brown’s Lumber Kings, Gurney Sports, Fisher Electric and LOF Glass. He bravely caught hard-throwing pitcher Jim McAllister (Inducted into Hall of Fame – 2008). Among his teams’ achievements was winning the Jack Hammill Memorial Trophy in the Blue Mountain Softball League.

On Saturday, May 23, 2023, the Collingwood Sports Hall of Fame welcomes Harvey Pearen to its enshrined membership.

1990 - 1999, 2000 - 2009, 2010 - 2019, 2020 - 2029, All, Builder, Female

Patty Federer

Patty is and has been a lifelong volunteer in sport. Over 40+ years, her endeavors have allowed thousands of athletes, coaches and officials to compete across the globe. Patti has built multiple sports teams/programs for Special Olympics and Para Olympics and represented our community, province and country as an organizer, technical advisor, coach and official.

Patty leads by example and can be found at every event to be mentoring coaches, volunteers and officials.  The respect for Patty’s dedication is reflected in her role as the only female and Canadian Alpine official at Special Olympic World Winter Games for the past 23 years.

In 1997, Patty founded the Blue Mountain Alpine Special Olympics program serving as Head Coach and Sport Technical lead for 10 years. She was selected as Head Coach for Alpine at 3 Special Olympics National Games. Her continued passion for ensuring people with intellectual disabilities had quality coaching drove Patty to be a classroom facilitator for numerous world-wide sport technical clinics. In 2000, she added the National Coach Certification Program to her long list of facilitations.

Through her success in creating the Alpine Ski Program, she founded the Special Olympic Blue Mountain Golf program serving as Head Coach for 10 years.

The Special Olympics proudly state, “Many people teach but few are as highly popular and moreover respected as Patty Federer.  Special Olympics has recognized Patty as both Coach of the Year and Presidents Award for all she has given during her tenure.

Patty has participated in hundreds of local, provincial, national and international events including six (6) Special Olympics International World Winter Games in Collingwood, Alaska, Japan, Idaho, South Korea and Austria; Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics and three (3) Nor-Am Alpine.

On Saturday, May 14, 2022, the Collingwood Sports Hall of Fame welcomes Patty Federer as an enshrined member of Collingwood’s sporting history.

2010 - 2019, All, Championship Teams, Hockey

2017-2018 Collingwood Blackhawks PeeWee AE Hockey Team

Coaches: (Left to Right) Justin Cragg, Mike MacDonald, Travis McDiarmid, John Limoges, Todd Hammond
Bottom Row Players: Ben Limoges, Goalie Kade McDiarmid, Goalie Nate Ryan
Second Row: Ben Rossbaum, Ryder Osbourn (AP), Evan Cragg, Patrick Rush, Brody Robinson, Cam MacDonald, Will Mantrop, Gavin Hammond
Back Row: Max Exner, Owen Hammond, Mackenzie Robinson, Camden DaSilva, Chase Cooper, Andrew Dorchak (AP), Drew McGuirk

During the 2015-16 regular season, the Atom AE 3 Blackhawks carried a stellar record of 19 wins and a single loss on the way to an OMHA title and being crowned Georgian Bay Minor Hockey League Champions. The Hawks team also captured the gold as Silver Stick Regional champs, earning a trip to the International Silver Stick finals where they lost narrowly in the semi-finals to the team that eventually came out on top.

The team’s domination during the 2015-16 regular season, play downs and playoffs earned the hard-working and talented club multiple distinctions: top of the league during the regular season with a .950 winning percentage; league champions following round-robin and finals versus Essa; Regional Silver Stick champions, allowing only 3 goals against in four games; and OMHA champions, losing only one game in four series. The Blackhawks went deep into Tier 1 of the Silver Stick in Pelham, Ontario, in 2016.
The Collingwood Blackhawks AE 3 squad captured the OMHA championship and Jack Tolhurst Memorial Trophy on March 19, 2016 in game four of the final series against Lincoln. They also knocked off Oro, Kincardine and Napanee.

2000 - 2009, 2010 - 2019, 2020 - 2029, Athlete, Hockey, Male

Raymond Sheffield

Described as a fierce and determined competitor with a thorough mix of talent and hard work, Collingwood’s Ray Sheffield is one of the most universally respected and beloved personalities in the history of Australian ice hockey.

A five-time national hockey champion with the Newcastle Northstars of the Australian Ice Hockey League, Ray played minor and junior hockey in Collingwood before hoisting the Goodall Cup as captain of his team ‘Down Under’. He was a foundation player with the club when they entered the Australian Ice Hockey League in 2002.

Ray became club captain in 2003 and led the North Stars to their first championship that year. Three more Cups followed in 2005, ’06 and ’08. He played in a total of 259 games for Newcastle, including 9 finals over 13 straight seasons — 2002 to ’14 — with 11 as captain. In that time, he averaged 0.64 points per game and captained more games than any other player in AIHL history.

In 2015, the club retired Number 19 and raised his jersey at the Hunter Ice Skating Stadium before a capacity crowd. A well-rounded, multi-sport athlete, Ray returned to the North Stars in 2016 as an Assistant Coach and won his fifth Goodall Cup. In 2017, he was still coach of the Club’s Mites program. He married Belinda Callaway in 2007 and they have three children — Isaiah, Nathaniel and Monique

On Saturday, May 13, 2023, the Collingwood Sports Hall of Fame welcomed Raymond Sheffield as an enshrined member of Collingwood’s sporting history.

1970 - 1989, 2010 - 2019, Championship Teams, Hockey

1973-1974 Collingwood Juvenile Lions – OHA Champions

In late summer of 1973, it appeared the Collingwood Juvenile team was finished due to the limited number of players available to play. CMHA Director Cathy Mulholland contacted Dave Chandler to convince him a Juvenile team was a worthwhile venture. Following the recruitment of Coach Fern St. Onge & Manager John Freudeman, tryouts began for players from Collingwood & surrounding communities. After a rather uneventful season, the OMHA playoffs started. Following a 5 game series with Base Borden marked by police escorts, Collingwood began their magical ride defeating Huntsville (3-0), Markham (3-1), Streetsville (3-0) taking home the OMHA Juvenile Championship defeating London Stoneybrook (4-2).

During the spring of 1974, the team that almost never happened was the last team standing in Collingwood. Throughout the playoffs, home games were packed to the rafters. The town was buzzing with public demand resulting in the final Game 6 being broadcast on CKCB radio by the legendary Scotty Carmichael (Founder – Sports Hall of Fame) and John Nichols.

On Saturday, October 27, 2018, the Collingwood Sports Hall of Fame welcomes the 1973-74 Collingwood Juvenile Hockey team as an honoured team.

 

1970 - 1989, 1990 - 1999, 2000 - 2009, 2010 - 2019, Builder, Male

Michel Le Goaix

In 1981, Michel Le Goaix decided he was going to introduce first time riders and encourage competitive cycling with the creation of the Collingwood Cycling Club – CCC.

From May through October, Michel would coordinate 3 weekly rides including a Tuesday short ride, Thursday criterium, and a 80-100km route on Saturdays. He would map and organize the rides, track the results and always rode with the last person on Saturday to ensure they made it home! When contacted, many riders commented on Michel’s unselfishness as he would ride in front of new riders to block the wind.

As president, he organized the first ever cycling race in 1982 as part of Summerfest. This event was held annually for the next 5 years attracting cyclists from across the province. As President, he led the CCC as  host of the Ontario Hill Climbing Senior Championships. These events established the CCC and allowed Michel to work alongside other clubs to hold interclub races.

Many locals credit Michel with introducing cycling to their healthy lifestyle. One particular local, two-time Olympian, Sue Palmer credits Michel in sharing his infectious passion. Working her way up from local to interclub to provincial to National Champion, Sue has participated in 13 Road World Championships.

Outside of cycling, Michel coached Minor Soccer throughout 1970 & 80, marshalled ski races at Duntroon Highlands Cross Country and volunteered for the 1997 World Special Olympics hosted in our region.

As a competitor, Michel was an accomplished cyclist. In his age group, he competed in a 45km race finishing 6th in the 1985 World Masters Games.

Currently, there is a very healthy cycling scene in Collingwood. Unquestionably, Michel’s early efforts can be attributed to its burgeoning success.

On Sarturday, October 27, 2018,  the Collingwood Sports Hall of Fame welcomes Michel Le Goaix as an enshrined member of Collingwood’s sporting history.