Caledon Sports Hall of Fame opens noms for Class of 2019

Written By JAKE COURTEPATTE

Do you know someone whose actions or words have bettered the Caledon sporting community? Someone who should be recognized for their quantity or quality of work whether behind or in front of the curtain?

The Town of Caledon has opened up nominations from the community to find the 2019 inductees into the Caledon Sports Hall of Fame, in three separate categories: athlete, builder, and team.

“Recognizing the accomplishments of individuals, teams and builders, helps us create a sense of pride,” says Mayor Allan Thompson. “Caledon is home to so many incredibly talented athletes, teams, coaches and volunteers; the Sports Hall of Fame is one way of celebrating and honouring their dedication to sport.”

A project only begun in 2018, the temporary location of the hall can be found at the Caledon East Community Complex, upstairs ink Rink 1. A permanent location is set to break ground in 2020, as part of an expansion project for the facility.

The first inductee, Jerry Callaghan, or “The Commissioner,” went into the hall in December of 2018. Mr. Callaghan was instrumental in the establishment of the now-defunct junior A Caledon Canadians in the 1990s, a building block to what would become the North Bay Battalion of the OHL in later years, thanks to Callaghan's partnership with Battalion owner and Trivial Pursuit inventor Scott Abbott.

His nickname comes as a result of his participation in, and service to, a number of local hockey organizations. He served three years as the head of the Caledon Senior Hockey League, taking to the ice for it for plenty more.

He also established the Sunday Night Hockey League throughout the Bolton and Mayfield arenas, a recreational league going strong now for 33 seasons.

Qualifications for inductions include any of the following: being born in Caledon, maintaining residence in Caledon for five consecutive years, spending their formative years in Caledon, achieving their athletic prominence in Caledon, or making their contribution to sport in Caledon.

Results of the nominations will be released in December, followed by an induction ceremony. Nominations run until Nov. 18, and can be made at caledon.ca/donate.