Ontario Sports Hall of Fame

History

The Ontario Sports Hall of Fame was established through the efforts of Bruce Prentice, the founder and former President of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame (CBHF). Noticing a void in the Canadian Hall of Fame scene, Prentice realized that Ontario was the only province in Canada without its own sports Hall of Fame. Originally called the “Ontario Sport Legends Hall of Fame”, its role on behalf of all Ontarians is to ensure that time will not diminish the nature of our legends' deeds for generations to come.

Initially, some of the board of directors who took on the role of developing the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, were Dr. Al Fruman, Marcia Vandenbosch, the late Mark Dailey, George McConnachie, Nao Seco, John Brossard, Ian Smith and others were added later. As the "Hall" began to grow in prominence and stature, the inaugural induction event, in 1995, was held in Toronto's Metro Convention Centre, with Paul Godfrey as honorary chairman; 1996 with Bruce Simmons as honorary chairman in the Pickering Recreation Centre; and 1997 saw the event return to the Convention Centre in Toronto, with Richard Peddie the honorary chairman.

Since 2015, the Syl Apps Athlete of the Year Award has been determined by the people of Ontario who vote in an online poll with pre-selected athletes. A write-in option is available for athletes who are not on the ballot. To be eligible for the award, athletes must be Ontario-born or Ontario-based and made an outstanding and memorable contribution to Ontario sports during the previous calendar year.

Brian Williams Media Award

The Brian Williams Media Award is presented annually by the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame to a person in the Ontario sports media who has distinguished themselves in their life's work, and career.

Ferguson Jenkins Heritage Award

The Ferguson Jenkins Heritage Award, presented annually by the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, was introduced in 2011 to commemorate those one-of-a-kind events or special moments in time that so embellish the long history of sports in Ontario. The first recipient was Terry Fox, who, back in 1980, just happened to be passing through these parts on his heart-lifting Marathon of Hope.

Sandy Hawley Community Service Award

The Sandy Hawley Community Service Award, presented annually by the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, is given to an individual who best exemplifies a dedication to the community. The award is named after Sandy Hawley, one of the most successful jockeys in history.

Bruce Prentice Legacy Award

The Bruce Prentice Legacy Award, unveiled in 2015, is named in honour of Bruce Prentice. who founded the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame and has served as the its chairman for several years. The Bruce Prentice Legacy Award is presented to an individual or group that has demonstrated remarkable, long term contribution to sport in Ontario and the people involved. The Award may or may not be given out annually. Voting for this award is conducted by the Hall's Board members and a selected group of experienced sports media professionals.