The Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame is pleased to announce its 2022 inductee class. Three athletes, one team and two builders will be celebrated for their outstanding contributions to Nova Scotia sport.

Olympian, Paralympian, World Champion, and Stanley-Cup winner are all accolades that can be used to describe this year’s athlete inductees, and the 2022 class will also include two incredible coaches as well as one team that achieved a trailblazing Canadian championship win.

The athletes who will be enshrined are Olympic snowboarder and Canadian Champion Sarah Conrad, NHL player and Stanley Cup winner Jon Sim, and three-time Paralympic medalist and two-time World Champion sailor Paul Tingley. The Hall will also welcome the 1994 Dalhousie Women’s CIAU-Championship-winning soccer team. In the builder category, CIAU-Championship-winning hockey coach Tom Coolen, along with Olympic paddling coach Csom Latorovszki, will also be inducted.

Induction Night 2022 will take place on Saturday, November 19 at 8pm, at the Halifax Convention Centre.

The ceremony will be hosted by long-time event emcee, Hall of Fame CEO and CBC broadcaster Bruce Rainnie, and, thanks to a continuing partnership with Eastlink Community TV, this will be the third year that the ceremony will be broadcast live.

Tickets are available for purchase now through Eventbrite here.

The full media release, including more information on the 2022 inductees, can be found here: https://nsshf.com/recent-media-releases/

Blair Bosch, Brooks Washenfelder, and Ernie Weimer will be inducted into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame on August 20, 2022, in Battleford, Saskatchewan. Call 306-446-1983 for information.

Blair Bosch – 2022

Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame 2022 Inductee Blair Bosch.

Blair Bosch started his career and passion for baseball as a 12-year old boy in Fox Valley, Saskatchewan. He would walk 5 miles to town and back to play in the Little League baseball team from 1970 to 1973, then in High School, with the Fox Valley Lions baseball team from 1974 to 1978.

Blair and his wife moved to Richmound, Saskatchewan in 1979 where he furthered his career playing for the Richmound Rockets from 1979 through to 2013. 34 years! He started with #5 on his back and finished with #50. Blair played left field, first base and pitcher, winning the Sask-Alta League pitching title with a 5-1, in 1987. In 2000, he won the league batting average with .679.

Blair was known as the best ball player around as he was talented and a team player. Blair had a passion for the game of baseball that was as natural to him as breathing!

Off the field, Blair coached Little League in Richmound from 1991 to 1997, and High School baseball from 1997 to 1999, instilling the importance of talent, heart and good sportsmanship to being a good player. He continued to play, coach and ump for the Rockets.

Blair taught his 3 children the value of teamwork and hard work. He was honoured to be able to play with the Rockets along with both of his sons over the years, and even playing with both at the same time with the last year being 2011. Blair was part of the Rockets team in various roles in 2009 and 2013, the years the Richmound Rockets won League Championships, the year 2009 being the first time on 50 years the Rockets brought the trophy home. Circumstances prevented Blair from attending the playoffs in 2009, however, he played an important role in getting the team there.

Although 2013 was the last year Blair played, stats from 2014 to 2019 include him at bat, indicating whenever needed, he would fill in for the team.

Blair also played with the Richmound Rockets Sask Alta 35 and over team from1986-1991, and the 40 and over from 1992 until the league removed their team from the league a few years later.

After retiring in 2020 from his profession in oil and gas, Blair and his wife moved to Medicine Hat, Alberta, where he joined the Medicine Hat  Senior Slow Pitch League.

Brooks Washenfelder – 2022

Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame 2022 Inductee Brooks Washenfelder.

Brooks was born in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, in 1969. He started playing baseball at the age of 8 and continued playing throughout the minor league age divisions. He was very dedicated and worked hard to develop his baseball skills.

Brooks played second base most of the time but also was an excellent fielder with a great glove and greater instincts on how to field a ball. He was a top batter with an average of around .400. This made a difference in winning many games. He was a skilled player knowing and playing ‘the right way’.

1984-This talented young player was a member of the 1984 Yorkton Cardinals Bantam Provincial Champions when the Cardinals got a big RBI double from Brooks which was described as the turning point in the game, erasing a 5-3 Weyburn lead into a17-5 Yorkton victory. The team went undefeated in this championship!

1987-In this first Yorkton Provincial Juvenile title ever, Brooks pitched and played second base, going for 4 with 3 RBI’s. The team played flawless baseball in a 15-0 win over the Wawota Pats to capture the Provincial Championship title.

1988-The Bisons [19 and under] Championships were held before a hometown crowd at Jubilee Park in Yorkton. Brooks scored twice in a very exciting 10^th inning Bison title win for Yorkton.

Also, in 1988 Brooks was one of 7 of 9 Yorkton starters picked as the best players in their positions for the tournament earning them a berth in the Nationals in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Coach of the team, Keith Washenfelder, was awarded the “Best Coach” of the tournament.

1989-Again, Brooks played in the two winning games with the Yorkton Junior Anavets by driving in several runs and scoring a number of runs winning the 4^th Provincial Championship for the Yorkton Junior Anavets.

2012-Brooks was a member of the Yorkton Orioles Senior baseball team that competed and won the tournament in the Hudson Bay Twilite 35+ Baseball Tournament.

Linus Westburg [a broadcaster in Yorkton], states in a letter of support for Brooks nomination, that he has known Brooks for more than 30 years, and experienced the spirit and excitement Brooks brought to the games. He willingly helped younger players; consoling fellow players and offering encouragement. He was a true sportsman. In 1988 when the Yorkton Anavets qualified for the Nationals, Brooks was a key member of that team. Brooks never looked for recognition and always did the best he could for his team in the great game of baseball!

Brooks played in five [5] consecutive baseball championship teams.

Brooks was bench boss for his son’s youth teams for several years.

Brooks ran several baseball instructional camps.

Brooks obtained his degree in education, married his wife, Jackie and raised three children.

Brooks and Jackie continue to live in Yorkton, Saskatchewan.

Ernie Weimer – 2022

Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame 2022 Inductee Ernie Weimer.

Ernie Weimer was born in January of 1941, in Leader, Saskatchewan. As a youth, Ernie loved the game of baseball, however, he excelled in track and field as well. Ernie started playing organized baseball in 1952, at the age of 11 years. The St. Johns’ team [a unique community center 10 miles north of Fox Valley near the Weimer farm] was a catholic team made up of farm boys. Ernie’s raw talents were guided by his coaches, Pete Fandrick and Mike Mickilesky.

At 15, Ernie joined the Fox Valley Lions of the Sask Alta Baseball League. This young, smooth fielding short stop had a cannon for an arm. With this powerful right arm, Ernie became one of the elite pitchers.

In 1958, at the age of 17, Ernie helped Fox Valley edge out Hilda 10-9 in the Sask Alta Baseball League final game, taking the championship. Ernie scored the winning run from second base in the bottom of the ninth, as well as a homerun earlier in the game.

In 1962, Fox Valley won the league pennant as well as the league championship. Excerpts from The Leader News states, “Ernie Weimer toed the rubber for the Lions, pitching nine innings of superb baseball, offering up very few hits in a 9-0 victory over Burstall.” League archives, such as newspapers easily recognized Ernie’s many accomplishments on the baseball field in hitting, pitching and fielding! Another tribute was that he was in such demand to play for other teams in the area for baseball tournaments.

In 1964, Ernie unfortunately sustained an injury to his right arm that ended his playing baseball. He was only 23 when he gave up playing the game he loved, but began coaching minor ball for many years in Fox Valley, bringing out the best in his team both on and off the field. This included his own 4 sons over the years. Ernie took his love and respect of the game another step forward and began umping, working Sports days, Sask Alta playoffs and the Twilight League which was highlighted in 1982 when Leader hosted the Provincial Maxi Tournament. Ernie with his stellar muscular build and powerful voice settled disputes quickly.

Ernie and his good wife Lillian, still reside on the farm 10 miles north and 1 mile east of Fox Valley, Saskatchewan. Ernie truly loved the game of baseball [after Lillian and the kids, of course], then his farm followed by pheasant hunting in the fall and ice fishing in the winter.

The prairie winds of summer still whisper the sounds and echoes of a day gone by where baseball was played on a field, and memories are the link to the past!

“Thank you, Ernie, for those wonderful memories and your efforts over the many years in keeping the game of baseball alive in all of us.”

Marquis Wheat Kings BB Team

The game of baseball started in Marquis, Saskatchewan in the 1920’s into the 1980’s. The Marquis Wheat Kings began in 1950, playing in the Moose Jaw and District League.

From 1951 to 1957 this team played tournament ball around the province throughout the summer. In 1957 several of the Wheat King players were asked to play with the Moose Jaw Lakers, Southern Saskatchewan Baseball League, for the last half of the season. They helped the Lakers clinch a playoff berth that season.

In 1958, Dalton Skeoch and George Guillaume went to Wilcox to see Father Athol Murray and to attend the annual general meeting in order for the Wheat Kings to enter their team in the Southern Saskatchewan Baseball League. Father Murray gave an empowering talk, admiring their passion for the game and although there were only a few members in that team and coming from a small community, they were allowed to join the league.

Dalton Skeoch and George Guillaume were both player and coach for the Marquis team that inaugural season. Teams in that league included Swift Current, Estevan, Weyburn, Assiniboia, Regina, Belcarres, Moose Jaw, Rowletta and Marquis.

The team carried on through the 1959 and 1960 season winning about 40%of their games. It was always a challenge for the Wheat Kings to field a team and stay competitive. Most of the pick-up players from the Marquis area farmed and this was their first priority. Given their results, they answered the challenge. They consistently had pitchers and batters in the published statistics for the league.

The formation of this team was instrumental for the small community of Marquis as they supported the Wheat Kings faithfully by having around 200 season ticket holders.

The team was also supported by Ken Nerriams of CHAB Radio in Moose Jaw as he recognized the level of baseball they were playing and the challenge they had with a limited player pool.

This nomination included samples of the many game reports and statistics from the newspaper.

Production, Fabrication, & Installation of Full Graphics Package

WEST HAVEN, CT. June 6, 2022 — Pinpoint, in a joint venture with Paramount & Co, was recently awarded the complete rebrand of FedEx Field for the NFL’s Washington Commanders. Each company is an expert in the field of brand integration and together become a powerhouse collaboration that specializes in stadium, venue, team, and university branded environment experiences. “The joint venture brings two “best in class” firms together to provide the Commanders with unparalleled access to state-of-the-art fabrication, production, and installation services,” states Quincy Morris, Strategic Account Director, Pinpoint.

The capital improvement project, to be completed before kick-off of the 2022 NFL season, includes end-to-end production, printing, fabrication, and installation for both the interior and exterior of the stadium. Executing in project phases, the package includes, but is not limited to, custom stadium signage, traditional signage, décor, façade logos, tower and ramp banners, acrylic lettering with backlighting, vinyl wraps, seating logos and decals, branded messaging, painting, pillar wraps, and grand format printing.
The project touches every facet of the stadium. It spans all spaces ranging from team locker and training rooms, coaching offices, interview rooms, stadium entrances and exits, concession stands, service level, fan seating, field and seating bowl, main concourse and gates, and upper concourse. Rebranding execution also includes executive suites, club level, press/owner’s and club/administrative offices, open interior public spaces, exterior plaza, directional signage, parking lots, and all other miscellaneous stadium areas and objects, such as lavatories and waste receptacles.

“I am so proud of our team at Pinpoint and the strong relationship we’ve developed with Paramount & Co. Our ability to combine forces and execute projects of this magnitude is remarkable, and we look forward to continued success with the Paramount team,” says Steve Gentile, Partner & Director of Strategy.

About Pinpoint
Founded in 2008, Pinpoint is a full-service promotional marketing firm with in-house production and fabrication services. Pinpoint specializes in deepening the human connection between brands and consumers through visual and physical engagements at any conceivable touchpoint or on any surface. Teaming up with some of the world’s most recognizable experiential agencies, venues, design/build companies, brands, and organizations, Pinpoint physically brings the client message to life.
Pinpoint are expert in brand strategy and experiences, creative services, fabricated buildouts, environment transformations, large-scale signage, custom displays, installations, promotional products, imprinted apparel, print collateral, and direct marketing.

Contact: David Fabel | 203-535-0333
[email protected]

The Town of Parry Sound is thrilled to announce that the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame will be receiving a grant of $494,250 from the federal Tourism Recovery Fund administered by FedNor. The funding will cover 75% of the total costs of completely re-designing the permanent exhibition at the Hall of Fame.

The Bobby Orr Hall of Fame opened its doors in 2003 and has far exceeded the expected lifespan of an exhibition of its kind. Interactive elements that were ground-breaking then have begun to show their age and have been eclipsed by new technology and exhibition innovations. This project will encompass a complete re-design of the exhibit space to allow for a more diverse interpretation of the sport heritage of Parry Sound in formats that will be accessible to a diverse audience. Additionally, as the number of visitors who remember watching Bobby Orr play in the NHL decreases, we want to make sure we are interpreting the story of his career and exceptional athletic achievements in a way that everyone can understand and appreciate.

Additionally, the new exhibition will address the Truth and Reconciliation Commissions’ Call to Action #87 to provide public education to tell the stories of Aboriginal athletes in Canadian history. Parry Sound is located on the traditional territory of the Anishinabek people as recognized in the Robinson-Huron Treaty of 1850. Three inductees into the Hall of Fame hail from Wasauksing First Nation, Barry “Hawk” Tabobondung, Les Tabobondung and Bob Rice.

In December 2021, Council for the Town of Parry Sound established a Bobby Orr Hall of Fame Exhibition Ad-Hoc Committee who are providing feedback and input into the content and design of the new exhibition. In March, an exhibition design and fabrication team consisting of exhibition fabricators Kubik Maltbie, design firm WeatherstonBruer Associates, and Lord Cultural Resources will handle interpretive planning, research and content writing. This team has worked extensively together, examples of their past projects include the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina, and newly opened Brian Mulroney Hall at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia. Planning work is well underway, the interpretive plan and concept design will be presented to Council for approval in the coming weeks.

Hall of Fame Curator Caitlin Dyer noted that “This is an exciting project for the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame, and I look forward to sharing our vision for the new space with the public as we move this project forward.”

As the town’s representative on the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame Exhibition Ad-Hoc Committee, I would like to express, on behalf of the Mayor and Council, our gratitude to the Ontario government for their generous financial support via FEDNOR for this very important project.  It would be nearly impossible for us to finance this project without this generous FEDNOR grant.  This is an exciting project that will, hopefully, continue to make the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame a popular attraction and destination for area residents and visitors for many years to come.  Roger Burden – Parry Sound Town Council.  

The existing Hall of Fame exhibition will close to the public in the Fall of 2022 to allow for the packing and storage of the artifacts on display and preparation for the construction which is scheduled to happen through the winter. The new exhibition will open to the public in the spring of 2023, just in time for the 20^th anniversary of The Charles W. Stockey Centre and Bobby Orr Hall of Fame. A grand re-opening celebration is planned for next summer.

With a national budget of $500 million, including $485 million for regional priorities administered by Canada’s Regional Development Agencies and $15 million for national priorities administered by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, the Tourism Relief Fund is part of the billion dollars in tourism support announced in Budget 2021.

The remaining funds required to complete the project are being sought through additional grant funding, sponsorships, and a contribution from the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame Special Projects Reserve Fund. To find out more about the project as details are released, the public can visit our website where a dedicated page has been set up for project updates and sign up to receive our e-newsletter.

Contact: Caitlin Dyer, Bobby Orr Hall of Fame Curator

Email: [email protected]

About the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame

The Bobby Orr Hall of Fame honours Bobby Orr’s career and celebrates the contribution and achievements of local youth and athletes in the Parry Sound area. The Hall of Fame interprets the story of Bobby Orr’s journey from local minor hockey in Parry Sound to the NHL, his career, and his legacy on the game of hockey. Inductees into the Hall of Fame are selected for their significant contribution to and/or exceptional achievements in athletics and sport. The Hall of Fame recognizes local youth in the Parry Sound area for achievements in a variety of categories including volunteerism, academics, leadership, athletics and more. To learn more, visit our website at www.bobbyorrhalloffame.com.

The International Sports Heritage Association is calling on all ISHA members to consider supporting the upcoming silent auction to raise money for the organization’s Founder’s Fund. To be held during the annual conference September 27-29 in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the auction is the main funding source for the organization’s grants program. The ISHA Founder’s Fund provides travel grants for members to attend the Conference as well as Special Projects Grants to assist members with exhibits, collections projects and other museum programs in their efforts to fulfill their missions.

Members are asked to help support the efforts by donating an item for the auction. When considering what to donate, members should remember the following: packages or experiences are very popular and sell extremely well; autographed memorabilia are always a big hit; most delegates travel to the conference by air so keep in mind ease in getting the item home; and gift certificates/cards also make good items. However, the Founder’s Fund appreciates all contributions to meet the fund-raising goals that will ensure the organization can continue to provide these needed grant funds to its membership.

When donating an item, members are asked to send the following information to the Chairman of the Founder’s Fund: description of the item; photograph of the item; and the value of the item. Please send the information about the donation to Kent Sturman at [email protected].

Members can then either bring the item to them to the Conference or ship the item ahead of time. If shipping, send to: Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame, Attn: Justine Kaempfer, 1265 Lombardi Ave., Green Bay, WI 54304. Please ship in time to arrive by Monday, September 26 at the latest.

The auction will be conducted during the conference and will close during the Evening of Champions Banquet on Thursday, Sept. 29. Members attending the conference can support the auction by bidding on the items. For more information or to discuss possible donations or items to consider, please contact Kent Sturman at [email protected] or (719) 528-4714.

The Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame (NSSHF) will have a brand-new Hall of Fame facility in a familiar old location.

After closing its previous home adjacent to the Scotiabank Centre in fall 2020, the NSSHF has negotiated a new lease with landlord Armco Capital, and will return to its old location after undertaking significant renovations to build a bigger and better Hall of Fame museum.

“There were many great potential sites around the province, but we kept coming back to the idea that it is an amazing bonus to be attached to the province’s major arena,” says NSSHF President & CEO Bruce Rainnie. “We realized that the location was ideal for the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame, so we went back to the landlord and found a way to make it work.”

Renovations are beginning now, and will include an approximate 30 per cent increase in square footage. The NSSHF redesign will allow for many improvements including three key features:

1. 1. The bigger museum area will provide more display space and better recognition of NSSHF inductees
   2. The facility will be fully accessible with an improved entrance for those with special mobility needs
   3. The NSSHF will be able to bring its entire collection of more than 8,000 artifacts onsite for optimal conservation and preservation of Nova Scotia’s sport heritage

Prior to closing in 2020, the NSSHF had occupied the location at Scotiabank Centre since 2006, operating a free-admission museum year-round and welcoming more than 70,000 visitors annually.

The NSSHF is proud to say that the new facility is being designed by a Nova Scotian architecture firm (Harvey Architecture) and built by a Nova Scotian construction company (RCS Construction). Preliminary drawings have been provided by Harvey Architecture, and renderings of exhibit design have been created by International Sports Heritage Association member CambridgeSeven.

The project, including exhibit installation, is expected to be complete within 2023. While the Hall of Fame facility is closed for this exciting project, the NSSHF will continue to offer its free education program, its annual selection process and Induction Night, research assistance and more. Read the full media release here: https://nsshf.com/recent-media-releases/