Sport: Football

George Kapasky was born in Etobicoke south, and still lives here. He attended George R. Gauld Public School and graduated from Mimico High School. He is married to Marie Duff, who is also from Etobicoke. They have 3 sons: George, Gordon and Glenn.

As a boy, George played all the sports available to him – baseball, hockey, lacrosse, football and basketball. Then in his final year at Mimico, he was selected to the Toronto Telegram all-star football team as a running back.

He also played lacrosse in Mimico, until its minor league activities were suspended and, with Dave “Porky” Russell, Paul Henderson, and Ross Bonar, he transferred to Long Branch and began a successful decade of winning games and capturing championships.

George was a naturally skilled player and team leader. He co-captained the junior teams and captained the senior ones. His Long Branch teams won 3 consecutive Eastern Canadian championships from 1953 to ‘55, culminating in the Minto Cup as Canadian Junior Champions. Then George captained the Port Credit Sailors to the Mann Cup senior championship. In all, he played in six Canadian final series, winning 2 national championships.

George played at the highest levels of competition and was regarded as one of the best Lacross players of his era, directing the play, playing the point and setting up the offensive. He was awarded the Merv McKenzie trophy in 1964 and ‘65 for his defensive skills.

In 1957, George introduced Morley Kells to the game. Not only did Morley play, but he raised the profile of the game. With these new opportunities, George played professionally with Toronto Maple Leafs and the Toronto Tomahawks. In 2004 he was inducted into the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame.

Doug McNichol, who had a long and stellar career as a football player, began participating in organized sports in his home town of Merritton, near St. Catharines. He played more basketball than football – he was on the Senior Intercollegiate basketball championship team in 1949-1950 – because his school’s football team played only one game a year, against Ridley.

His basketball coach, Angelo Pastore, recognizing his outstanding ability, looked for ways to get him on a college team. As a result Johnny Metras, Western’s renowned coach, offered him a place there, playing basketball. Doug asked if he could try out for football as well – and the rest, as they say, is history.

From 1950 to 1952 he was a lineman for the Western Mustangs, a member of 1950 and 1952 Yates Cup championship team. In 1952, he won the George McCullough Trophy as the team’s MVP. He was also an outstanding basketball player – team captain in 1951 and 1952, on the Ontario-Quebec Athletic Association Basketball Championship team in 1951, and on the All-Star team all three seasons.

In 1953 he was first-round draft choice of the Montreal Alouettes. That season, he was named the Eastern Rookie-of-the-Year, and in 1954 was offered a contract with the New York Giants. That set off a bidding war for his services as a player, won, in the end, by the Alouettes. He stayed with the team for eight seasons, and was named to the Eastern All-Star team six times. In 1958 and 1959, he was selected for the All-Canadian Team.

In 1961, he was traded to the Toronto Argonauts, doubling as a defensive end and tackle for three seasons. After retirement, he coached the East York Argonauts in 1966 and the Bramalea Satellites in 1967, helping each team win the Canadian Senior Championship.

Doug McNichol married his high school sweetheart, Betty McFarlane. They had three children, Scott, Cameron, and Clara. Betty passed away in 1996, and son Scott passed away 1998. Doug still lives in Etobicoke and has 2 grandchildren.

Born in Toronto in 1950, Pettersen attended Northern Secondary School and captained a number of championship football and hockey teams from 1965 to 1969.

As football became his real love, he accepted a scholarship to Otterbein College in Columbus, Ohio where he lettered in both football and golf from 1970 to 1974. He was voted and received the male “senior athlete of the year” award and as a graduating senior was selected to play in the North South All Ohio Shrine Bowl All Star Game.

Pettersen was drafted by the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1974 and played with such CFL legends as Ron Lancaster and George Reed for four years. In 1976, Saskatchewan lost one of the most memorable Grey Cups to the Ottawa Roughriders when Tony Gabriel caught a long touchdown pass in the last minute to win.

However, even in a losing cause, that game was a “breakout” game for Pettersen as he caught seven passes that day and received a game ball from then CFL commissioner Jake Gaudaur. Traded to Hamilton in 1978, he played for four more seasons and had another Grey Cup appearance in 1980.

Pettersen had his most productive year in 1979, when he led the Eastern Conference in pass receptions, was an all-star and was runner-up for the Schenley Award as Most Outstanding Canadian.

Pettersen retired after eight seasons in the CFL and moved directly to the broadcast booth where he was the analyst for the CFL telecasts on CTV and TSN for eighteen years.

Still active in television he has done Arena football for Sportsnet as well as various Grand Prix Horse Show events and is a guest host on the Fan 590 radio morning show.

Pettersen is a founding Governor of the Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame and has been a resident of The Kingsway area of Etobicoke with his wife Lee and their two daughters Kate and Ali since 1978.

A member of the Toronto Argonauts’ All-Time Roster, Toogood was the Argo’s halfback and kick returner from 1950 to 1954. During his time with the CFL team, he not only earned accolades for turning two punts for touchdowns in one game – with no blocking – but he also established Ryerson University’s football team, serving as both athletic director and coach.

In 1960, Toogood joined the staff at Burnamthorpe Collegiate Institute, and later Etobicoke Collegiate Institute, as a physical education and health teacher, and coach. He is now retired from teaching.

In addition to the annual inductees, the Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame also present two young local athletes with scholarships each year. The 2010 winners are Robert MacFarlane and Shea Seale, both for Father John Redmond Catholic Secondary School.

A native of Etobicoke who attended both Islington Public School and Etobicoke High School, Melvin Hawkrigg has led a distinguished athletic and business career.

Born in 1931, Hawkrigg participated in numerous sports including hockey and baseball while growing up in Islington. As a high school student, Hawkrigg took part in track, fastball, basketball and Junior B and A hockey.

While attending McMaster University in Hamilton between 1949 and 1952, he was a member of the football, basketball, hockey and track teams while also earning a degree in history and political economy. After university, Hawkrigg played one season of professional football with the Canadian Football League’s Hamilton Tiger Cats.

He married in 1954 and began to raise a family in Hamilton, and later Waterdown, while his business career flourished. He joined the Fuller Brush Company in 1959 and rose to president in 1969. He was then executive vice-president with Canada Trust until 1981 and went on to become chairman of London life in 1982.

Hawkrigg is now chairman of Orlick Industries, a Hamilton auto parts manufacturer. He is also chancellor of McMaster University, a position he was first named to in 1998. His second term as chancellor is slated to end in 2004.

Hawkrigg was a recipient of the Lester B. Pearson award in 1999 from the Canadian University Athletic Union. The award goes to a distinguished Canadian who exemplifies the ideals and purposes of university athletics and amateur sport.

Hawkrigg was also named a member of McMaster’s All Century Football Team in the spring of 2001.

A more than forty year resident of Etobicoke, Norm Stoneburgh began his football career with Toronto’s Balmy Beach Club in 1954. For the next thirteen seasons, from 1955 to 1967, he was a perennial Canadian Football League all-star centre with the Toronto Argonauts.

Growing up in the Danforth – Pape area of east Toronto, Norm attended East York Collegiate. He played junior football with Parkdale Lions before joining the Balmy Beach Club where he was noticed by Argos trainer George Stockwell. Norm began his pro career at the age of nineteen.

For nine years in a row, Norm was selected to the CFL’s all-star team. In 1974 he was selected to the Argonauts Team of the Century.

Professionally, Norm has provided jobs for many residents of Etobicoke through his various business enterprises including construction, home building and development.

Norm lives in the Markland Woods area. Along with his sporting contributions, Norm continues to give to the Etobicoke community through his volunteer work. For many years he has shared his compassion for the homeless through his work at the Scott Mission. He has also volunteered his time with terminally ill patients at Etobicoke’s Dorothy Ley Hospice.

Over the past years he has also donated blood more than 100 times to Canadian Blood Services. During his playing days, Norm was actively involved with Big Brothers. Norm and his wife Dolores raised six children.