Inductee Type: Builder

Athletes get the glory, but behind every NHL star and Little League legend are countless friends, fans and supporters who do their part, however small, to help them shine. For generations of cyclists, skaters, and hockey players growing up in Etobicoke, business owner Robert Bendera was such a helper.

Centennial Cycle and Sports, which opened in 1966 at the Rathburn and Renforth plaza, was a mecca for sports-loving kids of all ages.

“Bob represents the true spirit of what comprises Etobicoke,” said Alex Hall, a local parent who remembers walking into Bendera’s shop to get his son’s hockey skates sharpened. Bendera noticed something wrong with one of the skates, and even though Hall hadn’t bought them at his store, the generous shopkeeper replaced them free of charge.

“He said, ‘The kid can’t skate with these. This isn’t right,’” Hall said. “It wasn’t about profit, it was ‘how can I help the kids?’ I walked in with a used pair of skates to get sharpened, and I walked out with a new pair of skates, and a new appreciation for this man.” Such stories are no surprise to Bendera’s wife, Rosemary. “Bob was always willing to work with people who couldn’t afford to pay all at once. He believed in the good in people—a handshake was a person’s commitment to pay him,” Rosemary said. “That’s all he needed to the day he stopped working.”

Bendera opened his sporting goods store with a $5,000 loan from his mother, and 46 years later, business is going strong under the stewardship of his son, Darris—one of Bob and Rosemary’s four children—who took over when poor health forced the elder Bendera to step aside.

In the early days, Bendera sold hockey, baseball and lacrosse equipment, bicycles, skis, fishing gear, curling rocks—any and all things related to sports. Centennial’s core business evolved over time, eventually moving from skate sharpening and bike repair to exclusively providing promotional wear and team uniforms. Many thousands of local baseball and hockey teams, along with high school and elementary school athletes at dozens of schools, have worn uniforms supplied by Centennial. The tireless Bendera became a fixture at baseball fields and hockey arenas, his business card always at the ready. “Bob could meet you once and he would remember your name and treat you as though you were his best friend. Everybody loved his happy, outgoing demeanor. He made everybody feel special,” Rosemary said.

Bendera’s friends describe him as a generous man who quietly helped many young athletes through his store and his community and charitable involvement. “He was all about the community and giving back,” Hall said, adding that Bendera “bent over backwards” for his customers, never refusing a request for a prize donation, sponsorship contribution, raffle ticket sale, or helping hand. He didn’t seek accolades or recognition for himself. “His motto was, the kids come first,” Hall said. Bendera went so far as to purchase Toronto Maple Leafs season tickets and give many away to his grateful customers. “People trusted him—he was always a man of his word. No stone went unturned if he received an unusual request from a customer, and he was almost always able to fulfill that request,” Rosemary said.

The shop had a family atmosphere. Bendera had an obvious passion for local sports, and took a personal interest in the youngsters who frequented his store. Relationships mattered to him, and the young players who wore his uniforms or laced up skates from Centennial didn’t forget him either. National Hockey League players such as Mike Pelyk, Doug Gilmour, Steve Ludzik and Wendell Clark would drop by the store to say hello, as would the linesmen and referees – including Ron Wicks, Bruce Hood and John D’Amico – Bendera outfitted when the NHL and AHL held training camps at Centennial Arena. In an unusual brush with fame, Bendera once supplied the Rolling Stones with exercise equipment when they were in Toronto getting ready for a tour.

Bendera’s involvement in sports didn’t stop with his store. He played baseball as a young man and golfed at Brampton Golf Country Club, where he was a member. He and Rosemary started curling not long before Bob’s illness. Bendera kept up ice hockey twice a week into his 60s, and created Monday Night Hockey, a weekly, no-contact game among friends. Original Monday Nighters include NHL greats Ken Dryden, Mark Napier and Billy White. On the sidelines, Bob coached hockey for several years and helped organize an annual charitable golf tournament called “Man of the Year” that raised funds for The Hospital for Sick Children and families in need.

The High Park Baseball Association recently recognized Bendera with an award for many years of dedicated service to the organization. He was extremely honoured and proud to be a founding member of the Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame board of governors, and now joins several of his friends and past clients as an inductee.

If not for his illness, Rosemary is sure that Bob, now 69 years old, would still be behind the counter at his store, doing his part to help out young athletes and the wider community, as well as cheering on his three hockey-playing grandsons from the arena bleachers.

“Bob is a good person who took great pride and joy in what he did. He found a lot of satisfaction in making people happy with his work,” Rosemary said. “People always asked when Bob would retire, and his reply was, ‘Why would I retire? I love what I do, I love the people we deal with. I love my job.’”

The Etobicoke sports community loved him right back.

Athletes who use Etobicoke’s superb recreation and sports facilities owe a portion of their success to Tom Riley. Tom was Etobicoke’s only Commissioner of Parks and Recreation for the Township, then Borough, and finally City of Etobicoke. He held the position for more than 36 years.

Tom is a man of unique vision, determination, and action. He had a hand in building a parks and recreation system that combined a range of community-based and internationally recognized facilities. Tom pioneered the community school concept, which brought quality recreational programs to every part of the city.

He also developed the concept behind Centennial Park, with its internationally acclaimed facilities which provide training facilities for local athletes. The International sites include Etobicoke Olympium and Centennial Stadium. Tom was instrumental in bringing a range of high-profile events to Etobicoke, including the 1976 Olympiad.

Tom has provided strong leadership to many other organizations, including the Ontario Special Olympics and the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association. His talents and contributions have been recognized through such distinguished awards as the Queen’s Silver Jubilee, the Province of Ontario’s Corps Elite, and the Canada 125th Medal. His personal love of sports, recreation, and the public parks system have been reflected in his long and distinguished career.

At its final meeting, Etobicoke City Council renamed Central Park Tom Riley Park in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the Etobicoke community.

A westerner by birth and an easterner by choice, Colin Lorimer was born in a small farming community near Brandon, Manitoba. It was here that his interest in sports began. Two things shaped his life.

Growing up during the depression taught him to be conscious of the needs of others, and 3 years in the army during World War II, taught him the importance of discipline. He brought these two principles to civil life as he quickly became involved in community activities, first in Winnipeg, then Vancouver, and finally in Etobicoke where he and his family settled in 1961.

He is one of the founders of The Royal York Minor Hockey League and served as it’s President. While President of The Etobicoke Hockey Association, he along with the late Jack Foden, started the Christmas Holiday Minor Bantam Tournament that was held in Etobicoke for many years. He was the Founding Chairman of The Etobicoke Selects Junior “B” Hockey Team and was a partner in the Royal York Royals Provincial Junior “A” Hockey Club.

Colin served as a Director of The Metropolitan Toronto Hockey League and was involved in International Hockey for a number of years. In 1976 he was honoured by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association for his contribution to Amateur Hockey in Canada.

Colin was also a Director of the Etobicoke Olympium and Chairman of The Etobicoke Bidding Committee for The Summer Games. In addition,he is a Founding Governor and Past Chair of the Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame.

In 1995 he and his wife Edie built a retirement home in Rosedale Village. He still retains business interests in Etobicoke including a partnership in The Centennial Park Golf Center.

Margot Wheeler, born and raised in Mimico, still lives on the street she grew up on with her 3 siblings Will, Donna, and John. Giving back to her community was instilled in her early in her life, observing her parents Dorothy and Ken Wheeler doing just that. Both parents volunteered at their local church, teaching Sunday school and acting as church wardens. The church sadly burned down but Dorothy was instrumental in constructing a memorial garden on the site of the church. Fondly known as Do-Do, she was also a founding member of LAMP which offers a variety of programs, including community-based health services.

Margot attended Mimico High School and was named co-athlete of the year in her graduating year. She was very active in student life and played all varsity sports. Margot was also president of the ski club and organized school ski trips to Old Smokey and Mount Tremblant. Margot, promoting sport even back then, convinced her high school “wing man” Diane Henderson (nee Leane) to take up the sport which they still enjoy doing to this day.

Mimico had a long tradition of producing great basketball teams and Margot was hooked. She went on to play regionally for Central East and attended the Ontario Summer Games. At training camp, she was billeted with an arch-rival school star player Barb Nosella (nee Whibbs), resulting in a life-long friendship. Barb and Margot went on to play basketball at York University. Highlights included road trips to away games and even a tournament in Mexico. Ironically, Margot and Barb had daughters a year apart in age, Emma and Kara. The next logical step was to coach their daughters, participating in the same road trips and attending the Ontario Summer Games as coaches for their daughter’s team.

She is still active in the sport of basketball as a certified referee for the Toronto Association Basketball Officials and part of the stats crew for Raptors 905. Margot also volunteers her time by refereeing the annual Stingers Special Olympics Basketball Tournament. In 2015, Margot volunteered for the Pan Am games and witnessed the Women’s National team winning gold. She was recognized by Basketball Ontario for her contribution to the sport as a volunteer.

While Margot was attending school she worked for Etobicoke Parks and Recreation, teaching swimming and fitness at Gus Ryder Pool and Health Club. She worked alongside Cliff Lumsdon, who was inducted into ESHOF in 1994. Margot still swims competitively, holding the provincial records for her age group in the freestyle event, and has won the Stony Lake Mile swim since 2007. While swimming for Norseman Masters, she was coached by Kim Lumsdon, another ESHOF inductee, class of 2006. Margot served on the executive for 15 years in various positions.

Always open to new challenges in sport, Margot took up the triathlon. With her background in swimming, it was an easy transition. Margot was named long-distance triathlete of the year by Ontario Association of Triathletes in 2004. She has raced locally and on the world stage representing Canada at the World Triathlon Championships in Spain, Italy, and Montreal. Margot has completed in four Ironman competitions, with the highlight being competing in the World Ironman Championships in Kona Hawaii in 2004.

After watching her son Cameron play rep hockey for Faustina and the Humber Valley Sharks, Margot decided she wanted to give it a go. The logical league was with the Etobicoke Dolphins Association. She organized the year-end banquet for several years at her beloved Blue Goose and was instrumental in recycling the jerseys to help save the planet and keep registration costs down.

Returning to tennis after a 35-year hiatus, Margot loved the thought of jumping on her bike and riding to Mimico tennis club. After only 1 year at the club, Margot found herself on the executive as Vice President. She succeeded in having the antiquated lights replaced with new state-of-the-art lights in a collaboration with the City of Toronto and the club.

Further to her community involvement, she was recognized as the 2017 Humber Lakeshore Athletics Community Member of the Year. For those not in the know, Humber College Athletics opened one of the most vibrant Fitness and Wellness Centres in south Etobicoke in that same year of 2017.

With many letters of support for her nomination, the quote from long-time friend Donna Hamill stands out. “I feel Margot’s accomplishments have transcended coaching, refereeing, and organizing,” said Hamill. “She has been an inspiration to many athletes and has taught values and behavior through her example. These gifts are immeasurable.”

Margot is a current governor with the ESHOF and has been on the board since 2014. She heads up the Athlete of the Month portfolio. It is really rewarding to source out the young athletic talent in Etobicoke, meet the athletes, and write the story which is featured in the Etobicoke Guardian. Margot not only thinks of the Hall’s motto often: Promoting, Supporting, and Developing Sport in Etobicoke, she lives it.