Category Archives: Year Inducted

1990 - 1999, All, Builder, Female, Hockey

CAROL BROPHY-COLLINS

Carol was inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame on June 20, 1992, in the Builders’ category. Carol is a former member of the Collingwood Blue Mountain Figure Skating Club. From there she moved on to bigger and better things teaching power skating at a professional level.

1974- Studied at the Institute of Sport and Physical Culture in Moscow, U.S.S.R. and with the Red Army Sports Club, majoring in hockey.

1981- Was the guest coach at the National Hockey League’s officials’ training camp in Toronto.

1985- Coached players of the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL, Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League and the Oshawa General of the OHA.

1995-1990- Ran Power skating camps for professional of the AHL and International Hockey League, as well as players from college and junior organizations.

1990- Named the skating coach of the Toronto Redwings Midget hockey club. She helped take the team to the Air Canada midget regional title and the national championship in Quebec.

Her career place her as coach of some 1,800 hockey players from age seven to professional for more than 20 years at the time of her induction.

1930 - 1949, 1950 - 1969, 1980 - 1989, All, Female, Skiing

MARIE & KATHY ROBINSON

The skiing careers of the sisters Marie and Kathy Robinson ran parallel to the point where we saw fit enter them in the Sports Hall of Fame together as near twins. They are not twins; Marie is one year older than Kathy.
The Robinson girls started skiing as members of the fledgling Collingwood Ski Club back in the early 1940’s at the ages of nine and ten. They started on home made skiis made by the late Alf Morrill and his son, Lawrence. Marie won the Ontario Junior title in 1945 at Owen Sound while Kathy picked up the 3rd prize. From then on, it was the Robinson sisters finishing one and two in the most of the important meets throughout Ontario.
In the 1934 Ontario High School meet in Owen Sound, Marie won the downhill and slalom and finished 2nd in the cross country, her first try in this event. She repeated in 1946 with Kathy picking up a pair of seconds. In the 1947 Junior high school championships, it was the Robinson sisters all the way. Marie won the slalom and placed second in the downhill while Kathy scored third places in both events. In 1948, Marie won the downhill and Kathy took the slalom. In the same year, Marie won the Senior Girls’ title and Kathy took top honours in the Junior championships. The two sisters scored aw total of fourteen points as the Collingwood Girls’ Ski team won the Senior High School championships for the 4th year in a row. Perhaps the highlight so Marie’s career came on February 27, 1949, in the Ontario Junior Provincial Championships. It turned out to a nip and tuck battle between Anne Heggtveit, the first Canadian to win a gold medal in the Olympics, and Marie Robinson of the Collingwood Ski Club. Anne, who was then racing under the colours of the Ottawa Ski Club, beat Marie by winning the downhill by an eyelash in the Slalom race but Marie turned the tables on Anne by winning the downhill. In the combined events, Heggtveit edged Marie by a fraction of a point – 77.06 to 76.28.
There is not telling just how far the Robinson girls would have gone in the world of skiing had they chose to make full career of the sport. Both sisters gave up competitive skiing at the end of the 1949 season at the peak of form. Incidentally, Marie is the mother of Doug Risebrough, former star forward of the N.H.L. Montreal Canadiens & Calgary Flames.

 

1950 - 1969, 1990 - 1999, All, Female, Skating

JOANNE HOUGHTON

Joanne was one of the original founding members of the Collingwood Blue Mountain
Figure Skating Club. Her hard work and dedication to the sport of skating helped establish the Blue Mountain Figure Skating Club. In addition to designing the clubs crest and pin, she was the clubs first amateur coach. She was also the first Collingwood born member of the club to teach as it’s professional.

Joanne skated as an amateur from 1951-1959. During which time she and Pauline Piitz
were the first club members to pass Canadian Figure Skating Association tests.

In 1956, 1957, 1958 Joanne skated in the ice dance competition in the Western Ontario Sectionals. Skating with Don Pherson, Joanne placed third and had two second place finishes in Senior Dance. This qualified her and her partner for Senior Dance at Canadians. In addition Joanne also competed in the Senior Ladies singles. She managed again to qualify to skate at Canadians.

As well as skating Joanne also was certified as a low test amateur judge in
figures, free skating and ice dance.

Joanne turned professional in 1960 to teach in Collingwood with triple fold test qualifications.

Joanne taught professionally from 1960 to 1977 in Collingwood, Fergus, Stratford, Ingersoll, Tavistock and London.

1950 - 1969, 1970 - 1979, All, Female, Skiing

KATHERINE WEIDER CANNING

Kathy Weider, like her twin sister, Anna, started skiing at the age of four. She had the marks of a champion before she reached the age of ten and it came as no surprise when she captured the Southern Ontario Junior Alpine Combined title in 1959 and followed up this success with a second place in Canadian Alpine Combined, second in the Downhill and third in the Slalom at the Osler Bluffs the same year.

It was a banner year for Kathy in 1960 as this record attests: First in the Junior Ontario Alpine Combined and a first in the Slalom and second in the Downhill.Just two weeks later she picked up a bushel of silver trophies in the All- Ontario Junior Championships: First in the Alpine Combined, First in the three-way combined (Alpine and Cross Country); First in the Downhill and second in the Slalom. Then came the Canadian Junior championships: First in the Alpine and Cross Country, third in the Alpine Combined, third in the Slalom and she was a member of winning Ontario Ladies Team. That year the Canadian Championships were held in Thetford Mines, Quebec.

In 1961, Kathy added to her laurels with wins in the Southern Ontario Alpine Combined and Slalom and a second place finish in the Downhill.
In 1962 she made the Canadian National “B” team and won the Quebec Senior Downhill title.
In 1963 Kathy competed in the Middlebury College Bowl in Connecticut and placed third in the Alpine Combined and the Slalom.
1964 was a season of victories: Three first place finishes in the senior Alpine Combined and Slalom and Downhill in the Quebec Senior meet. Three more wins in the Quebec Senior Zone “A” Divisional (Alpine, Slalom and Downhill). It must be pointed out that in the years 1962-63-64 Kathy competed under the colours of the University of McGill in Quebec.
She finished off the 1964 season with sensational slalom victories at Mount Plante and Val Dord.
The following year (1965) her major win came in the feature Slalom in the French Zone Championships at Chambousse, France. At that time, she was competing under the colours of the University of Grenoble.
In 1966, Kathy won the Southern Ontario Senior Ladies’ Alpine Combined. She was invited to represent the Canadian-American Circuit.

1950 - 1969, 1970 - 1979, All, Female, Skiing

ANNA WEIDER MARIK

The induction of Anna Weider Marik into Collingwood’s Sports Hall of Fame will probably complete a record we may never see equaled.Four members of one family in a Sports Hall of Fame-Helen Weider McGillivray, Kathy Weider Canning, Anna Weider Marik and their illustrious father, the pioneer of skiing in Collingwood , the late Jozo Weider.

Like her twin sister, Anna also donned skis just about the same time she learned to walk. Her first success came in 1959 in the Southern Ontario Junior Alpine Combined. 1960 was probably her most successful season: First in the All-Ontario Junior Slalom and second place finishes in the Alpine Combined and the Downhill. In the same year, four medals in the Canadian Junior Championships- a first in the Downhill, Silver medals in the Combined Alpine & Slalom and a member of the championship – Ontario Ladies Team. She topped off this highly successful season with a pair of firsts in the three-day combined and the Slalom and two silvers in the Downhill and Alpine Combined at the Canadian at the Canadian Junior Championships held at Jasper, Alberta.

In 1961 Anna completed in the Southern Ontario Junior championships and won a first in the Downhill and two second place finishes in the Slalom and Combined Alpine.

In 1962, her last season in major competition, Anna was named to the Canadian National Ski team.

1930 - 1949, 1990 - 1999, All, Baseball, Female

IZORA MUSSELMAN

Izorz (Keith) Musselman attended King George Public School and Collingwood Collegiate Institute. She was an outstanding athlete and was always considered a team player.

From 1942 to 1944 Izora played for the Clyde Aircraft sponsored baseball team. They played in a league with Thornbury, Wyeville, Barrie and Base Borden. Izora was the teams number one pitcher as well as an excellent outfielder.

In 1945 Clyde Aircraft closed and Izora was recruited by the Stratford Krochler Team. The Krochlers played in the Provincial Women’s Softball Association League. The other teams were from Brantford, Preston, Hespler, Waterloo, Kitchener and London.

Izora was a much valued member of the team. Her personality and team value were always held in high regard by her teammates as well as management. During Izors’s term with the Krochler’s they won five Provincial Championships in 1946, 49, 50, 53, and 55. Izora was very versatile, playing both infield and outfield, but was very outstanding as a right fielder.

Izora moved to Stratford with her husband Stan where they raised their son who served in the Canadian Navy.

 

 

1950 - 1969, 1970 - 1979, All, Female, Skiing

HELEN WEIDER McGILLIVRAY

Many Collingwood skiers will follow in the footsteps of this little girl but Helen was the first local skier to win national honours. She was the first competitive skier to enter the Hall of Fame. Helen learned to ski about the same time she learned to walk. She was competing in recognized ski meets at the age of ten and was runner-up in the Ontario Junior Girls’ meet in Huntsville. Helen raised the eyes of the experts in 1952 when she won the Southern Ontario Zone Junior Championship and the little girl from the brow of the blue hills was on her way.

In 1953, Helen, aged 14, finished fourth in the Junior Canadian championships at Fort William. In 1954 she won the Junior title at Port Arthur and repeated the performance again in 1955 by making a clean sweep of the slalom, downhill and alpine events.

Her educational ambitions took precedence over skiing for almost two years but she returned to major ski competition in 1957 to win the Gabey Pleau Trophy, emblematic of combined skiing, Helen had given freely of her and talents in the promotion and development of young up and coming skiers.

1990 - 1999, 2000 - 2009, 2000 - 2009, All, Female, Other

JILL MILLER

Jill Miller was born in Birmingham England in 1951, moving to Collingwood in 1977. After joining the Blue Mountain Weightlifting Club in 1991, she started competing Internationally on the Canadian Masters Weightlifting Team in 1993. During this time, Jill organized and competed provincially at competitions taking home numerous – Ontario Gold, Silver and Bronze medals, as well as the Ontario Open Championship. Jill has won the Canadian Masters Weight Lifting Championships in 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, and 2003.

Every year, since 1993, she has competed International at events hosted in Austria, Australia, Canada, United States, Scotland and the Dominican Republic.

Jill competed for 15+ years through to the World Masters Weightlifting Championships and was honored as “Best Lifter” in her age group on a number of occasions which is determined by the use of a formula that equalizes both age and body weight. 

Record Lifts:

World Masters Games Record Holder
Pan American Record Holder
Commonwealth Record Holder
Canadian Record Holder

Weight-lifting accomplishments include:

Pan American Masters Champion – 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2005
World Masters Championship – 2nd Place – 1999, 2000
Canadian National Masters Champion – 2001, 2002, 2003
World Masters Champion – 2003, 2004
World Masters Games – 2nd Place 2005

Jill’s passion for weightlifting is not focused entirely on competition as she has often assumed the required administrative tasks to ensure that the sport of weightlifting continues to flourish not only in Collingwood but provincially and nationally. Her various undertakings have brought Collingwood worldwide recognition.

In addition to weightlifting, Jill’s is a Level alpine ski instructor, Swimming Instructor, Lifeguard and Swimming Course Instructor.

1) Co-chair of World Master Weightlifting Championships – Collingwood 1996
2) Co-chair of Pan American Masters Weightlifting Championships – Collingwood 1999
3) Co-chair Canadian Weightlifting Championships – Collingwood 2001
4) Co-chair of annual Collingwood Open Weightlifting Championships Approx 8 times
5) Representative of Collingwood on the Provincial , National & International weightlifting scene
6) President of the Ontario Weightlifting Association
7) Member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Weightlifting Federation
8) Chairperson of a Coaching Association of Canada committee for the development of new coaching resources for Weightlifting Canadian Coaches
9) Master Learning Facilitator training coaches in Canada
10) Level 3 Nationally Certified Coach
11) Coach of the Blue Mountain Weightlifting Club – 50+ members
12) Developer of strength (Olympic style weightlifting ) training program for older adults
1970 - 1989, 2000 - 2009, All, Female, Other

SUE PALMER KOMAR

Sue was born in Collingwood on Jan. 27, 1967, lived in Collingwood until 1992, and now resides in Hamilton with her husband Chris Komar. Sue received her education at Mountain View Public School and Collingwood Collegiate Institute. She later attended McMaster University and received her Bachelor of Physical Education in 1992 followed by a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Windsor in 1993.

A summary of her career is as follows:
Collingwood Collegiate Institute – Cross Country Running & Cross Country Skiing

Cycling

1988-1993 – National Development
1993-1998 – National Team (6 times at World Championships, 50+ Career wins, 20 Mountain Jerseys
1993 – Tour de France Feminine yellow jersey
1994-97 – Tour de L’Aude mountain jersey
1994-97 – Power Bar mountain jersey
1996 – Canadian Road Champion
1996 – Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, 10th place finish

This evening June 9, 2000 marks the induction of Sue Palmer Komar into the Collingwood Sports Hall of Fame in the Players’ category.

1990 - 1999, All, Builder, Female

ELSIE CRUIKSHANKS

While her son Clyde only played in Collingwood for a couple of years, most parents would be humbled at the minor hockey volunteer service record of Elsie Cruickshanks. Along with her late husband Frank, an Inductee in 1994, the 79-year-old Cruickshanks will enter the Builders’ category of the Collingwood Sports Hall of Fame. Well-known in the community for her continuing tireless efforts as a volunteer at the Royal Canadian Legion, Cruickshanks is also occasionally stopped on the street by grown-ups who remember her for what she did at the hockey rink. “They haven’t forgotten us!” she muses. “Like they say, you’re only going to be rewarded with what you put into something. We enjoyed spending time with the children.” A ticket taker, raffle draw seller, registrar and an organizer of the annual Huronia Tournament for 25 years, Cruickshanks assisted Frank with the youth teams he coached. For these efforts, she has been recognized with the 2003 Order of Collingwood alongside a certificate presented by Mayor Terry Geddes for her service to youth in 1999.
Cruickshanks recalled an exhibition game hosted by Collingwood Minor Hockey in the 1970s against a touring midget team from Finland. Her family billeted four of the opposing players and the teams quickly made friends, despite the language barrier. Collingwood had been chosen to be a site for the game because of its reputation for hosting tournaments. “I know the Finnish boys had a great time here, because the next night they had another game in Markham. Clyde and a carload of boys who had played against them the night before went to Markham to watch the game. When (the Finns) came out on the ice, the fans booed them. What a disgrace! They treated those boys horribly. That would have never happened in Collingwood.” When asked about her favourite part about being a minor hockey volunteer, Cruickshanks recalled the massive breakfasts whipped up daily at the Huronia Tournament. “Frank Sheffield and a bunch of other people did such a tremendous job in the kitchen,” she added. “We never seemed to have trouble getting teams to come to play in Collingwood.”

This evening, October 23, 2004, the Collingwood Sports Hall of Fame welcomes Elsie Cruikshanks as an enshrined member for her role as a Builder of our athletic community.