Town of Caledon reopens 2020 Walk of Fame nominations

Written By ALYSSA PARKHILL

Caledon's Walk of Fame will soon have some new 2020 nominees.

The Town of Caledon is now accepting applications for nominations for the annual awards ceremony. 

The Walk of Fame was launched in 1999 in support of, and honouring, Caledon residents from the past or present, who have made impactful and significant contributions either locally, nationally or internationally. 

With a monument located on the Trans Canada Trail Pavilion Park off of Airport Road in Caledon East, nominees receive a stone imprinted with their name. That stone is then placed down during a formal Walk of Fame Ceremony.

To be inducted into the Caledon Walk of Fame, there is a list of criteria needed to be met to be eligible. 

These qualifications include: being a Canadian citizen and making a significant contribution to the quality of life, whether in Caledon or in broader areas. The nominee will be honoured and sent through to approval by the Caledon council members. 

The categories that Caledon residents can be nominated under is arts and culture, philanthropic and humanitarian causes, environment and other contributions that may be considered. 

The last nominee to be inducted into the Caledon Walk of Fame was Johnny Wayne, known as a comedy legend and long-time Caledon resident. Wayne was inducted on Sept. 27, 2019 by friends, family and the community.

Wayne was known as the second half of the Wayne and Shuster comedy team, a popular comedic radio and television duo that made not only Canadians laugh, but travelled to America, bringing joy south of the border too. Wayne passed away on July 18, 1990, at 72 years of age. 

In honour of his father, Brian Wayne stated in a news release, “It's so special for me and my family to be honoured in this beautiful way. Having my father's name alongside such great names here in Caledon would bring a smile to his face. Caledon was near and dear to both my mother and father.” 

Nominees will be inducted alongside other big names such as Cory Trepanier, painter, filmmaker and explorer, who was inducted in 2018, journalist and politician Isabel Basset, from the class of 2017, and educator, author and local historian Ken Weber, who made the Walk of Fame in 2016. 

Nominations are open and will be accepted until July 31. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Town initially closed the nominations, but re-opened them last Thursday (July 9).

For more information, please visit Caledon.ca