- Six athletes and two coaches receive Canada's highest sporting honour as they are welcomed into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame at the 2014 Induction Celebrations -
TORONTO, Oct. 22, 2014 /CNW/ - Tonight, Canada's Sports Hall of Fame will host the sold-out 2014 Induction Celebrations presented by Canadian Tire at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto. Celebrating passion for sport and incredible achievement, Canada's Sports Hall of Fame is pleased to induct:
- Ski Jumping champion, Horst Bulau
- Hero of the Superpipe event, Sarah Burke
- Dual sport champion, Pierre Harvey
- Women's hockey innovator, Geraldine Heaney
- Figure Skating golden girl, Elizabeth Manley
- Canadian rugby legend, Gareth Rees
- Wheelchair basketball pioneer, Tim Frick
- Legendary basketball coach, Kathy Shields
"The Class of 2014 is a group of remarkable athletes and builders, and we are honoured to be able to celebrate their contributions to Canadian sport this evening," said Mario Siciliano, President and Chief Executive Officer, Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. "They have inspired and impacted the lives of so many Canadian athletes and fans."
This year marks the first of three that Canadian Tire Corporation, a proud supporter of sport in Canada, will be a partner for the annual event. Canadian Tire President and incoming CEO, Michael Medline, has been named Honourary Chair of the Canada's Sports Hall of Fame 2014, 2015, and 2016 Induction Celebrations.
"The Canadian Tire 'family' understands the power of sport and its ability to inspire greatness and we are thrilled to partner with Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in congratulating these incredible athletes and coaches for their contributions to sport in Canada. Our nation's Sports Hall of Fame is the Canadian pinnacle of athletic achievement," said Medline.
Each inductee was presented with their official Canada's Sports Hall of Fame Honoured Member jacket at this morning's media conference. Canada's Sports Hall of Fame Honoured Member, George Chuvalo, was in attendance and accepted the donation of the original "Fight Night" boxing ring bell from the former Maple Leaf Gardens into the collection of Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. This was the bell that Chuvalo answered 15 times on the night of March 29, 1966, against Muhammad Ali.
Honoured Members from across the globe are attending the induction ceremony this evening including Doug Anakin, Kurt Browning, Sylvia Burka, Michelle Cameron-Coulter, George Chuvalo, Gary Cowan, Catriona Le May Doan, Ron Ellis, John Emery, Victor Emery, Tony Gabriel, Rick Hansen, Curt Harnett, Sandy Hawley, Don Jackson, Russ Jackson, Angela James, Maria Jelinek, Leonard 'Red' Kelly, Dr. Bruce Kidd, Peter Kirby, Kathy Kreiner-Phillips, Kerrin Lee-Gartner, Marnie McBean, Alwyn Morris, Al Morrow, Dr. Susan Nattrass, Cindy Nicholas, Brian Orser, Sandra Post, Rod Seiling, Pat Stapleton, Marlene Stewart Streit, Ron Taylor, Cliff Thorburn, Cathy Townsend and Jim Young. 1,000 guests at the celebration gala will be entertained by comedian and host, Gerry Dee, The Sam Roberts Band, and DJ 4 Corners, the evening's musical entertainment. The Class of 2014 Inductees will be featured in a new exhibit at Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in their international award-winning facility in Calgary, Alberta.
ABOUT CANADA'S SPORTS HALL OF FAME
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame is an international award-winning facility with over 40,000 square feet of inspiring experiences. Located at Canada Olympic Park (COP), site of the 1988 Olympic Winter Games in Calgary, Canada's Sports Hall of Fame features 12 galleries, more than 50 hands-on interactive experiences and a collection of more than 95,000 artefacts. It is a place of honour for the 548 inducted sport legends and the 62 sports they represent. Our mission is to share the stories of the achievements of our Honoured Members so that we can inspire all Canadians to be the best they can be in all aspects of life. Please visit www.sportshall.ca to learn more about our education programs, facility rentals and corporate retreats.
ABOUT CANADIAN TIRE CORPORATION
Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited, (TSX:CTC.A) (TSX:CTC) or "CTC," is a family of businesses that includes a retail segment, a financial services division and CT REIT. Our retail business is led by Canadian Tire, which was founded in 1922 and provides Canadians with products for life in Canada across its Living, Playing, Fixing, Automotive and Seasonal categories. PartSource and Gas+ are key parts of the Canadian Tire network. The retail segment also includes Mark's, a leading source for casual and industrial wear, and FGL Sports (Sport Chek, Hockey Experts, Sports Experts, National Sports, Intersport, Pro Hockey Life and Atmosphere), which offers the best active wear brands. The nearly 1,700 retail and gasoline outlets are supported and strengthened by our Financial Services division and the tens of thousands of people employed across the Company. For more information, visit Corp.CanadianTire.ca.
SOURCE Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame
Image with caption: "Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and Presenting Partner Canadian Tire Honour Eight of the Country’s Most Influential and Inspiring Athletes and Sport Builders at a ceremony in Toronto October 22, 2014. (CNW Group/Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20141022_C1629_PHOTO_EN_6984.jpg
