Frank Selke Jr.

Frank was born in North Toronto, the 6th of 7 Selke children. He played minor hockey in the old THL, winning championships with the Maple Leaf Imps, Marlboro Bantams and up to Midget at St. Michael’s. He also played on the St. Mikes football team that won the Toronto Rugby Union Bantam Championship in 1944.

When the family moved to Montreal in 1946, his playing days ended but a new career beckoned as he worked in a variety of roles at the Montreal Forum, ultimately being named Vice-President of Marketing and Promotion in 1964. During the 50s and 60s he worked in radio and television in Montreal and became the TV host of Hockey Night in Canada in 1960.

When the NHL expanded in 1967 he joined the Oakland Seals as President, then General Manager a year later. He returned to Toronto in 1971 as Executive Vice-President of Canadian Sports Network, the producers of Hockey Night in Canada. He retired in 1989.

In the early 80s, Frank joined the Board of Ontario Special Olympics continuing his relationship to this day as Executive Vice-President of Special Olympics Canada.
He is a member of the Ontario Special Olympics Hall of Fame and was presented with the Canada Volunteer Award in 1991 and the Canada 125 Award in 1992.
Frank and his wife “Red” have lived in Etobicoke since 1971 and have 3 children and 7 grandchildren.

Bruce Boyd

Bruce spent much of his youth in Etobicoke attending Richview Collegiate. He graduated from University of Toronto and then from Teachers College and joined the staff at Richview in 1968 where he remained a teacher and coach for 32 years until retiring in 2000.

He coached many sports including wrestling, football, gymnastics, curling and soccer. He really stood out and excelled as the football coach. Bruce developed the junior football program at Richview that has taught many players hard work, sportsmanship, reliability and respect.

As a coach of the Richview Saints Junior football team, Bruce Boyd has won an astonishing 22 Etobicoke/West Regional Championships and 9 City Championships.

Some of the awards Bruce has won include the 1990 ESSAA Recognition of President of the Association, 2000 Richview Collegiate Athletic Leadership Award, 2004 TDSSAA Lifetime Achievement Award, 2007 TDSSAA Silver Award for Outstanding Contribution to Athletics and the 2017 Yvan Baker Community Award.

Doug Fox

Doug Fox’s career in athletics began unexpectedly when he was recruited as the athletic director for Humber College in 1979. Despite initially pursuing a career in teaching, Fox found himself drawn into the world of sports administration due to a recommendation from the University of Toronto’s basketball coach.

Throughout his 35-year tenure at Humber College, Fox played a pivotal role in transforming the institution into a premier destination for student-athletes. Under his leadership, Humber’s athletic program expanded significantly, boasting 20 varsity teams and state-of-the-art facilities that attracted top talent to Etobicoke.

Fox’s strong vision and tireless work ethic were instrumental in the success of Humber’s athletic program. He dedicated long hours to his role, often working 16-hour days to ensure the program’s growth and success.

One of Fox’s greatest achievements was the development of Humber’s basketball program, which initially faced challenges but eventually reached provincial championship caliber. He also worked to expand Humber’s athletic offerings, gradually building a reputation as a sports school known for excellence across multiple sports.

In addition to his contributions to Humber’s athletic program, Fox played a key role in standardizing eligibility and academic rules nationwide as the past president of both the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association and the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association.

Despite the demands of his job, Fox prioritized his family, crediting his wife, Stephanie, for her support throughout his career. He balanced his professional responsibilities with coaching his son’s high school basketball team and attending his daughter’s swim meets.

Now retired, Fox looks back on his career with pride, knowing that he played a significant role in building Humber’s elite athletic program. He remains involved with the college as an advisor for the golf and curling teams, continuing to support and contribute to the sports he loves.

Carmen Bush

Coach, player, director, and volunteer, the late Carmen Bush had a wide and varied sporting career, but will be remembered most for the enormous impact he had on the lives of countless young athletes – teaching the values of sport, discipline, sportsmanship and teamwork.

Carmen was born in the west end of Toronto in 1912 to Italian immigrant parents. As a boy, he loved sports and organizing them. At the age of 10 he started a league of street teams. By the age of 15, he picked one of those teams and formed the St. Francis Bantams. He was also an outstanding pitcher and even spent a year in Sudbury pitching in the Nickel Belt League.

Carmen became associated with the Columbus Boys Club in the early 1930s… and for more than 40 years was a volunteer, Athletic Director and finally Director of the club. Many sports including boxing, football, hockey and softball teams were managed at the club. He was a coach, official and administrator in many minor sports organizations but his first love was baseball.

Carmen served as secretary-treasurer and registrar of the Toronto Amateur Baseball Association for more than 50 years. He was instrumental in assisting new associations as they formed and grew in the suburbs. He founded the Boys Club League, the old Toronto Minor Baseball Association, the Oldtimers Baseball Association and the Western City Baseball Association.

Carmen was honoured by the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985, and named a Life Member of the Ontario Baseball Association in 1996.

Carmen, who passed away on in December of 2001, was a long-time resident of Etobicoke. Ladies and gentlemen, Carmen Bush, inductee into the 2006 Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame.

Bobby Bendera

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.

J. Thomas Riley

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.

Denise Dignard

As the GM/Executive VP, Women’s High-Performance at Canada Basketball, Denise Dignard has helped lead the senior women’s team to an all-time high ranking of fourth in the world.

A gold medal at the 2015 Pan Am Games and, a seventh-place finish at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, two gold medals at the championship of the Americas (2015, 2017) are just some of the highlights. The U16, U17, U18, and U19 women’s teams have also celebrated historic results under Dignard’s leadership.

As a previous player in high school, university, national and professional teams, Denise understands the commitment and dedication required by National program athletes. She has been a role model for many young woman athletes while working and training in Etobicoke since 1998 and growing Canadian women’s basketball taking it to the international stage.

As a tribute to Dignard’s impactful career, a new recreation centre in her hometown of Port Cartier, Quebec, has been named in her honour.

Bill Miller

Bill Miller was very proud of his Etobicoke roots.

His dedication and passion for the sport of slo-pitch has been enjoyed across Canada by slo-pitch players, young and old.

Bill had a simple vision, to create a Canadian Slo-Pitch organization that allowed the worst to be the best for a moment in time. He co-founded the Centennial Slo-Pitch of Etobicoke in 1975 with twenty teams, and the league still exists today with 110 teams and will carry on honouring his legacy.

Miller worked passionately organizing the sport of slo-pitch, beginning with a local Etobicoke league of twenty teams and growing into 12,000 teams Canada-wide. His efforts also included writing a National Rulebook and developing a National Officiating Program.

His significant achievements go hand in glove with his personal characteristics and values. His major contribution was to provide the opportunity for anyone to play the sport of softball. To accomplish that goal, Bill used his marketing expertise to create a desire to enjoy the sportsmanship, camaraderie and healthy exercise that are hallmarks of the sport. That accomplishment spread from Etobicoke to Ontario to Canada and Internationally.

Bill’s values reflected a simple premise; everyone should be able to enjoy the sport – as long as they followed the rules and were good sportsmen and sportswomen. He could be tough when necessary but more often quieted the conflict with humour. He understood that authentic leadership required vision for the future, willingness to take risks, and empathy and understanding of those he served.

Bill Miller | 1950 – 2020

Jack Blasutti

As a boy, Jack Blasutti played soccer in the streets of his home town of Udina in northern Italy with his older brother Bruno. After serving in the army, Jack moved to Canada in 1955. He soon met and married his wife Deanna in 1960, and together they have three children, all of whom are still involved in soccer today.

Jack became involved in soccer by coaching his oldest son in the late sixties. He then joined the West Mall Soccer Club and was named Vice President in 1978, a post he held for more than 10 years.

In 1989, the West Mall and Martingrove clubs joined, giving birth to the Etobicoke Youth Soccer Club. Jack was President of the club from 1989 to 2002, a league that started with just 380 kids… and today has over 3600 enthusiastic boys and girls.

Jack has received many awards including an Award of Excellence from the City of Etobicoke in 1998, and Lifetime Memberships from both the EYSC in 2004 and TSA in 2006.

Jack’s love of soccer includes years of coaching, refereeing, and being a conveyner of the Tyke Division. He is currently the Etobicoke Youth Soccer Club Business Manager.

Jack and his wife Deanna continue to live in Etobicoke. When he is not busy managing the club, you can find Jack cheering on his five grandchildren, all of whom play soccer today.

Colin Lorimer

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.