Kim Lumsdon

Kim Lumsdon was born in 1957, and took up swimming at the age of 9. As a young girl, Kim traveled with her father, famed swimmer and Etobicoke Sports Hall of Famer, the late Cliff Lumsdon.

Kim spent five successful years in the 1970s on the pro-circuit and was ranked in the top three in the world for the Women’s Division. She competed with fellow Canadians Loreen Passfield and Cindy Nichols in the 1977 Lac Saint-Jean 32 km race finishing in 11 hours, 5 minutes.

Kim is particularly proud of her two Lake Ontario crossings – first in 1976 at the age of 19, where she was coached by her father; and for the second time in 2006 at the age of 49.

She says the second crossing was much more challenging, due to the cold temperatures and six-foot waves, but managed to complete the swim in 26 hours and 32 minutes.

Her achievements include placing in the Top 10 for the 1500m Masters in 1994 and 1995, and breaking the 1000 yard freestyle Ontario record in 1997.

Among her awards, the Special Achievement Award by the Province of Ontario in recognition of her contribution to Fitness and Amateur Sport; and 1996 Coach of the Year by the Splash Program.

Kim has three beautiful, grown daughters… Sasha, Jana, and Natasha, all of whom are involved in swimming. She is a long-time resident of Etobicoke, and is currently the Aquatics Manager of the Boulevard Club.

Mark Osborne

Left-winger Mark Osborne played over 900 NHL games with four different teams – Detroit, New York, Toronto and Winnipeg. He scored more than 200 career goals, but was best known for winning battles in the corners.

Mark was born in Etobicoke and at age 17 became a walk-on for the Niagara Falls Flyers in the OHA. In 1980, he was drafted forty-sixth overall by the Detroit Red Wings, and as a rookie scored 26 goals for the club during the 1981-82 season.

He was soon traded to the New York Rangers as part of a multi-player deal. He worked hard as a consistent two-way forward and helped the Rangers reach the semi-finals in 1986.

In 1987, Mark was sent back to his hometown to play with the Toronto Maple Leafs. With the Leafs, Mark played on the “GEM” line with Ed Olczyk and Gary Leeman, and during the 1989-90 season scored a career best of 73 points.Mark Osborne retired in 1998.

Marilyn Bell

Marilyn began her swimming career at the age of nine with the Toronto Dolphinettes, under the tutelage of Alex Duff. As an amateur swimmer she had marginal success as a sprinter, but her ability to swim longer distances in open water caught the attention of famed coach Gus Ryder.

Marilyn successfully completed her first course in Lake Ontario at the age of eleven with the water temperature hovering at 49 F. In 1953 Marilyn won the Lou Marsh Trophy, as Canada’s Outstanding Athlete of the Year, after achieving the distinction of being the first woman to finish the well known Atlantic City Marathon.

Marilyn will best be remembered by Canadians, when on September 9, 1954, at age 16, Marilyn Bell became the first person to swim across Lake Ontario. She had entered the lake at Youngstown, New York shortly after 11:00 p.m. on September 8, and was forced to swim much further than the 51.5 kilometre route, due to poor water and weather conditions.

Just after 8:00 p.m. on September 9, with Gus Ryder’s guidance, and Marilyn’s strong determination, she reached the Toronto shore despite the freezing cold water, stomach cramps, and fatigue.

In July of 1955, Marilyn swam the English Channel, becoming the youngest swimmer to succeed in this event. On August 23 1956, she became the first Canadian woman to swim the Straits of Juan de Fuca.

In the years that followed, Marilyn married Joe Di Lascio and raised four children in Willingboro, New Jersey. She earned a graduate degree in special education, and taught traditional classes as well as programs for children with special needs. In addition, Marilyn has been inducted into both Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and the Ontario Aquatic Hall of Fame . . .

Linda Tripney

Linda first began competing in archery in 1991. Over a five-year period, Linda won five gold medals at the annual North American Field Archery Championships and the Canadian Field Archery Championships in the Freestyle Limited Class.

In 1996, she attended her first World Games in Washington State and won her first World Field Archery Championship in the Freestyle Limited Class, setting two world records. Two years later, in New Zealand, Linda repeated her gold win and again set another world record.

In 1999, she won the Provincial Field Archery Championship, the Canadian Field Archery Championship, and the North American Field Archery Championship. One of her greatest accomplishments to that time was winning the US Nationals Field Archery Championship.

In 1999, Linda switched from a compound bow to a recurve bow and to her credit achieved the third ranking in Canada. She also served on a committee for junior development.

Ken Dryden

Ken Dryden spent just eight years guarding the nets for the Montreal Canadiens, but ask any long time Habs fan and he’ll speak of Dryden with the reverence reserved for the likes of Jean Beliveau, Dickie Moore, Maurice Richard or Jacques Plante.

The reason is quite simple. In his comparatively short professional hockey career, Dryden backstopped the Canadiens to six Stanley Cup championships, the only measure of success Montreal fans accept.

Born in Hamilton, Ontario, but raised in Etobicoke where he played minor hockey in the Humber Valley league, Dryden wasted little time working his way into the hearts of Habs fans and hockey fans alike once he reached the NHL.

In his first year with Les Canadiens in 1971, after playing only six regular season games, Dryden shocked the hockey world with his veteran like performance in the playoffs in earning his first of six Stanley Cup rings.

The upstart netminder was awarded the Conn Smythe trophy that year as the most valuable player in the playoffs. The awards and trophies continued to pile up over the ensuing years. The following season, Dryden’s true rookie year, he was awarded the Calder trophy as the league’s rookie of the year. He also won or shared five Vezina trophy awards as the NHL’s best goaltender as voted on by the league’s general managers.

Four years after retiring from the game in 1979 to practice law, Dryden was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Bob Nadin

Most everyone who is part of the international hockey world knows the name Bob Nadin. One of Canada’s most highly decorated officials, Nadin has made a name for himself as a referee and referee supervisor during a career that has taken him to multiple Olympic Games and international hockey events around the world.

“I guess it all started when I first learned to skate when I was about three years of age,” Nadin said in a documentary about his illustrious career. He was born in Toronto on March 15, 1933, and has spent the bulk of his 80 years in hockey either on the ice or studying the game he learned as a child.

Nadin played hockey throughout his youth, but it was a request from the players in his university inter-faculty league that changed the course of his life and career. “Because I was playing for the university team, they thought I knew something about hockey, so they asked me if I’d referee the games in the inter-faculty league at the university,” he said. “From then on, I liked it and just kept on with it from there, really.”

The University of Toronto student did not expect to play elite-level hockey, so at age 17 he first picked up a whistle and donned the referee’s stripes. “The fact was, I just liked the refereeing,” Nadin said. “I think I got more pleasure from refereeing in the end than I did from playing.”

Nadin started officiating university games before moving up to the Ontario Hockey Association, eventually becoming the referee-in-chief of the CAHA (today known as Hockey Canada) from 1976 to 1986. As head ref, Nadin created the CAHA’s referee certification program, and introduced officiating casebooks for Canadian and international hockey.

The pinnacle of Nadin’s on-ice work was officiating seven games at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Japan, and working the World Junior Championship in Russia two years later. At the same time, Nadin became a referee supervisor for the Ontario Hockey Association and the Ontario University Association. In 1984, the OHA awarded Nadin – who had been elevated to the league’s referees’ honour roll three years prior – the Gold Stick for outstanding service to the game.

For the greater part of his career, Nadin has been known in international circles as a referee supervisor, travelling the world to support, analyze, and assist officiating crews at every level of the game. He supervised National Hockey League referees from 1992 to 1996, and selected and supervised referees at the 1998 Nagano Games, 2006 Torino Games and other international events. “So it’s just a matter of basically starting at the university and working my way up through the minor hockey system for a few years, andinto the junior system, and then into the international system,” Nadin said humbly.

For almost 30 years, Nadin has been a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation’s Rules and Referee Committee. He is tasked with writing and interpreting new rules, replacing outdated rules, and fielding questions about the rulebook from all corners of the hockey-playing world. “Really, any place where international hockey is played and there’s any rule situations or questions from referees, coaches and players, they always refer to me to give the answer to the rule,” Nadin said. “As a result of that, the president of the ice hockey federation refers to me as the pope of the rules.”

Nadin could also be referred to as the pontiff of hockey stamps. He parlayed his love of the sport and a childhood interest in stamps to amass one of the greatest hockey-themed stamp collections in the world. “There are probably about 600 stamps featuring hockey from around the world,” Nadin told IIHF writer Andrew Podnieks. “And I’m missing about 50, including four from Paraguay.”

“I go through each volume and mark the hockey stamps, and then I try to find them,” Nadin continued. “Each stamp has a number, and I go to stamp stores or go online looking for individual stamps or collections. I think I’ve built up a pretty good collection,and I take my list with me whenever I travel. I always make sure to go to the post office in every city to see what they have. I know the location of every post office as well as I know where the hockey arenas are!”

The basement of Nadin’s Weston home, Podnieks wrote, is “a memorabilia shrine that documents his decades in the game. Mementos from Sapporo and on, thousands of pins, mugs, photos, pennants, and other miscellany fill his walls and shelves.” Nadin said he appreciates the stories behind the stamps. “Hockey stamps aren’t incredibly valuable. Themost expensive is maybe $50, but I think it’s pretty amazing where they come from and I love collecting them.”

Nadin is one of four Canadians to have received the IIHF Paul Loicq Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the IIHF and international ice hockey. He also received the Pierre de Coubertin Medal from the Olympic Committee in May during a ceremony at the world championship in Stockholm, Sweden, one of the highest hockey honours that can be bestowed at the international level.

The accolades are appreciated, but Nadin especially values the friendships he has formed with referees and officials from around the world. “It’s something you can’t replace, really,” he said of those bonds. The energetic hockey enthusiast’s schedule is busier than ever. Nadin attended the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship Division I in Romanshorn, Switzerland, over New Year’s, and is preparing for the men’s U18 tournament in Sochi, part of a full slate of events lined up for 2013-14.

“He’s a hockey nut…all he thinks about is hockey,” Nadin’s old friend, Henry Seykyrka, said in the documentary. “He puts his whole life into it. He’s just a terrific guy. Hockey is his life.”

Mike Walton

Mike Walton’s story is one of immediate impact and enduring success in the world of professional hockey. From his early days playing junior hockey to his distinguished career in the NHL and WHA, Walton left an indelible mark on the sport with his exceptional skill and charismatic personality.

Raised in Kirkland Lake and later settling in Sutton, Walton’s journey to hockey stardom began on the ice of his local rinks. He quickly made a name for himself with his explosive speed, dazzling stickhandling, and knack for finding the back of the net. His standout performances in junior hockey caught the attention of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who signed him to their Ontario Hockey Association farm team, the Marlboros.

During his time with the Marlboros, Walton showcased his scoring prowess, contributing significantly to the team’s success, including a Memorial Cup win in 1964. His impressive play earned him recognition as a top newcomer in both the Central Professional Hockey League and the American Hockey League in consecutive seasons.

Walton’s dream of playing for his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs became a reality during the 1965-66 season when he received a call-up to the NHL club. His electrifying play on the ice and his larger-than-life personality quickly endeared him to Leafs fans, earning him the nickname “Shakey.”

Throughout his NHL career, Walton continued to dazzle fans with his speed, skill, and creativity on the ice. He was known for his unique techniques, such as taping his stick with white medical tape and warming his sticks in the stove to give his shots more life. Walton’s ability to anticipate plays and make intelligent decisions with the puck made him a formidable opponent and a fan favorite.

After stints with the Philadelphia Flyers and the Boston Bruins, Walton transitioned to the World Hockey Association, where he continued to excel, leading the league in scoring and earning All-Star honors. His dynamic play and contributions to the game were recognized with induction into the inaugural class of the WHA Hall of Fame.

Off the ice, Walton remained a beloved figure in the hockey community, running sports camps and staying involved in the game long after his playing days were over. His enduring love for hockey and his contributions to the sport have left a lasting legacy that continues to inspire players and fans alike.

Today, Walton resides in Etobicoke, where he has lived for nearly five decades. His inclusion among Etobicoke’s sporting greats is a testament to his impact on the game and his status as a true hockey legend.

Gus Ryder

Gus Ryder’s irrevocable link to water was established early in life when, as a young lad, he rescued two boys who had fallen through the ice of Toronto’s Grenadier Pond in 1916.

On that fateful day, the foundation of a legend was cast. Ryder, who died at the ripe age of 92, was a man who touched the lives of everyone who crossed his path, whether in his role as a swim coach, a teacher of handicapped children, a renowned handball player, prospector or businessman. But it is his role as founder and driving force behind the Lakeshore Swim Club that made his name.

“He taught me things that helped me live my life like the sun is going to come up tomorrow and that the tide will always turn” said Canada’s sweetheart, Marilyn Bell, shortly after Ryder’s death in 1991. “And he taught me not to be a quitter.”

Ryder used all his tools as a coach on that memorable day in 1954 when a little blond schoolgirl, Marilyn Bell, upstaged the American favourite Florence Chadwick to become the first person to swim across lake Ontario. Bell now acknowledges that there were times when only the will of her coach, urging and cajoling her on from the tiny support boat, Mipepa, kept her from faltering.

As a swim coach, Ryder was a master innovator and psychologist and, more than anything else, a father figure to the legion of swimmers who were fortunate to be tutored by the longtime Etobicoke native. “He was like a father to me” said Cliff Lumsdon, another former protégé and fellow Etobicoke sports Hall of Famer. “He had a bond with us.”

But more than anything else, it was his work with handicapped children that prompted the Government of Canada to award Gus Ryder the Order of Canada in 1975.

Joey Votto

Joey Votto’s journey from the fields of Connorvale Park in Etobicoke to becoming one of the most celebrated baseball players in the Major Leagues is a testament to his unparalleled work ethic, unwavering determination, and profound talent.

Born and raised in Etobicoke to parents Joseph and Wendy, Votto’s passion for baseball was ignited at a young age when he first picked up a bat given to him by his parents. His dedication to the sport was evident early on as he spent countless hours honing his skills, whether it was through games of catch with his father or relentless practice sessions at the batting cage.

Votto’s talent and work ethic caught the attention of coaches and mentors throughout his youth, including Bob Smyth of the Etobicoke Rangers and Stath Koumoutseas of Richview Collegiate Institute. Despite initially being overlooked in the MLB draft during his senior year of high school, Votto’s decision to join the Etobicoke Rangers proved pivotal as he continued to develop his game under Smyth’s guidance.

Through perseverance and determination, Votto eventually caught the eye of major league scouts, leading to his selection by the Cincinnati Reds in the second round of the 2002 MLB draft. From there, Votto’s ascent through the minor leagues was marked by consistent excellence, culminating in his major league debut with the Reds in 2007.

Throughout his career, Votto has garnered numerous accolades and achievements, including being named the National League’s Most Valuable Player in 2010. His remarkable skill set, characterized by a quick and powerful swing, exceptional command of the strike zone, and ability to adapt during at-bats, has solidified his status as one of the premier hitters in the game.

Beyond his on-field accomplishments, Votto’s character and integrity have earned him admiration both on and off the field. His dedication to charitable causes, including mental health initiatives for veterans and their families, reflects his commitment to giving back to his community and making a positive impact beyond baseball.

Despite achieving financial success and widespread recognition, Votto remains grounded and committed to continuous improvement. His relentless work ethic and determination to be the best version of himself serve as inspiration to aspiring athletes and fans alike.

As Joey Votto continues to etch his name in the annals of baseball history, his journey from Etobicoke to the Major Leagues stands as a testament to the power of hard work, perseverance, and unwavering dedication to one’s craft.

John David D’Amico

John David D’Amico made his mark as an NHL linesman renowned for passionate dedication, strong skating and immense physical strength – qualities which gained him the enduring admiration of everyone in his profession.

Born in Toronto in 1937, John was a typical Canadian boy, spending his free time playing lots of baseball and hockey. But after moving up to Junior B hockey, he knew he could go no further. It was time to get real, and John got a job in construction. He couldn’t stay away from the game he loved though, and began officiating church hockey. One thing led to another, and as he worked the line for an NHL exhibition game in Kitchener, he was offered a pro contract.

In 1964, at the age of 27, John began his NHL career as a referee. But after just 22 games he became a linesman because he was more comfortable helping players than judging them. When he retired he was the last of the Original Six officials.

That same year John moved his young family into Etobicoke, where he remained for 23 years. When hockey season concluded every year, John would go back to working in Etobicoke, first for Pepsi Cola and then for Apex Forwarding. John continued to work hard in the off-season, using his name and position to do countless hours of charity work.

D’Amico’s career as an NHL linesman included 1,689 regular season games, 247playoff games, 52 Stanley Cup final games and six international hockey series.

During 1986-87, D’Amico weaned himself off the job he loved so much to become a supervisor of NHL officials. But he couldn’t quite give up his skates. One night in March 1988, he was watching the Leafs on TV when one of the linesmen had to leave the game. In a flash, John grabbed his skates and headed over to Maple Leaf Gardens to replace him!

John D’Amico was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1993. He was diagnosed with leukemia in 2004 and succumbed to his illness in May, 2005.

He leaves his wife Dorothy, sons Angelo (who was also an NHL official), Jeff, Anthony and daughter Tina, as well as grandchildren Ashley, Reece, Emma, Elise and John David. John’s spirit is kept alive through Hustle For A Cure – The John D’Amico Fund, which was created to bring much needed awareness toward the fight against pediatric blood cancers.