The Norfolk County Sports Hall of Recognition welcomed four new inductees on Saturday.
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Formally inducted at a ceremony held at the Hungarian Hall in Delhi were former Calgary Stampeder Shane Bergman, Special Olympics coach and organizer Shirley Shaw, dual-sport athlete Barry Boughner, and the late Paul Smithson, a standout curler and ambassador for the game.
Norfolk County Mayor Amy Martin and Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Bobbi Ann Brady presented commemorative scrolls to the inductees.
“Sports make most of us feel good and many of us have long understood that sports are vital to small towns and the vitality they bring to places like Simcoe, Port Dover, Waterford, Langton and of course Delhi are second to none,” said Brady . “Athletes and teams of rural complexion are vital fixtures of community pride. . . something I believe we should all strive to maintain.”
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A number of former inductees and some past Sports Hall executive members were also in attendance, including Jim Adams Sr. and George Pond, both of whom participated in the formation of the Sports Hall 30 years ago.
During the induction ceremony, Bergman was introduced by former Hamilton Tigercat and previous inductee John Macdonald who called him one of the best Canadian offensive linemen to play in the Canadian Football League.
Jeff Charlesworth, program consultant for Southwest Ontario for Special Olympics Ontario, sent a message in honour of Shaw’s induction. He said, “The Simcoe Seals swim program is one of the best in the province” and Shaw’s induction is well deserved.
Boughner, who played six years of professional hockey and excelled in the Intercounty Baseball League, showed the audience his Gold Bat award. Boughner was recognized as one of the Top 100 players participating in the IBL from 1919 to 2018.
Smithson’s son Rob accepted induction honours on his father’s behalf and shared some memories, including Paul’s belief in the value of spending 30 minutes a day doing a task at which you want to excel.
Former Major League Baseball and Canadian National Team pitcher John Axford was also named a 2023 inductee. Due to previous commitments, he was unable to attend the event and will be recognized at a future induction dinner.
Plaques noting each inductee’s achievements will be added to the Sports Hall’s display in the pool viewing deck of the Simcoe Recreation Centre.
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