THUNDER BAY – The Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame will welcome their 39th Class of Inductees at the 2022 Induction Dinner and Ceremonies which will take place on Sept. 17 at the Valhalla Inn after a two-year long absence.
The inductees are representatives of a variety of sports and areas and include three athletes, two builders, and a team.
The first inductee athlete, Gerry Cizmar will be honoured posthumously for his exceptional all-round athletic accomplishments in a wide variety of sports spanning the 1970s to 90s, including four Allan Cup titles in hockey and multiple tennis titles, as well as his contributions as a coach and mentor.
Jason Napper competed successfully as a member of the Thunder Bay Diving Club during the 1980s and 90s, bringing home multiple medals from national and international meets as well as the 1989 Canada Summer Games, 1991 World University Games and 1994 Commonwealth Games going on to give back to the sport as a coach and volunteer.
Thunder Bay’s Taylor Pyatt enjoyed a successful junior career with the Sudbury Wolves which saw him earn a first round 1999 NHL draft pick, going 8th overall. Making his NHL debut in 2000 with the New York Islanders, he went on to spend 13 seasons in the NHL, skating in over more than NHL regular seasons and playoff games with a variety of clubs before retiring with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2014.
One of the people that are being recognized in the Builder category is Patti Kitler who got her start coaching cross-country skiing in the early 1980s in Thunder Bay, going on to spend 40-plus years providing opportunities for people of all abilities working with such groups as the Lake Superior Ski Division, Big Thunder Nordic, Cross Country Ontario and Cross Country Canada and serving as a coach and innovator with Para Nordic programs.
Thunder Bay’s Ken Slater is also being recognized in the Builder category after he truly dedicated himself to sports in his community as a long-time volunteer whose years of dedication to sport over five decades, from the 1950s to 90s, saw him serve as an active coach, official, and organizer in both curling and soccer, as well as serving as the Chairman of soccer for the 1981 Canada Summer Games.
The Team category will welcome the members of the 2017 Trevor Bonot Mixed Curling Team including Trevor Bonot (Skip), Jackie Bonot McCormick (Third), Kory Carr (Second) and Megan Westlund Carr (Lead) who claimed the Canadian Mixed Curling title and a silver medal at the 2017 World Mixed Curling Championship, the first medal ever won by a Canadian rink at that competition.
Tickets for the 39th Induction Dinner and Ceremonies are $100 each and can be ordered by calling 622-2852 or via email at mailto:nwosport@tbaytel.net or dropping by the Hall at 219 May Street South.
