Sault Ste. Marie Walk of Fame

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Sault Ste. Marie Walk of Fame marker for Francis H. Clergue
The Sault Ste. Marie Walk of Fame marker for Francis H. Clergue

The Sault Ste. Marie Walk of Fame is a series of markers located on Queen Street in downtown Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, adjacent to the Steelback Centre sports arena. The Walk of Fame is a joint project between the city of Sault Ste Marie and its Downtown Association, and honours those from the city or the Algoma District who have made outstanding contributions to the community or significant contributions in their chosen field of work. Inductees are added on an annual basis.

Contents

[edit] History and requirements

The genesis of the Walk of Fame was City By-Law 2002-193, passed by the Sault Ste. Marie City Council on September 9, 2002. The by-law established a “Walk of Fame Program,” to be operated by the city and the Downtown Association with the intent of honouring Sault Ste. Marie natives who have made significant contributions and outstanding achievements. By extension, the Walk was viewed as a means of enhancing tourism in the city and attracting patrons to the Downtown shopping and business district.

The by-law established a committee to determine inductees and a suitable location for the Walk. The 8 committee members are appointed by the City Council for a 3-year term, and include the mayor, two city councilors, two representatives of the Downtown Association, two citizens at large, and one Chamber of Commerce representative.

The by-law also established ground rules for Walk inductees:

  • Any inductee (or if it is a group, at least one member of that group) must have lived in the City of Sault Ste. Marie or the Algoma District for a minimum of 12 months at any point in their lifetime.
  • The inductee must have, over a period of years, made an outstanding contribution to the community, or have achieved provincial, national, or international accolades in their chosen field of work (academics, humanitarianism, medicine, science and technology, business and industry, arts and entertainment, athletics or other competitive endeavors).
  • Nominations for inductees can be submitted by the general public, but must be received by the City Clerk's office no later than April 1 of the intended year of honour. The Committee would then consider those nominations for induction into the Walk.
  • No more than 10 inductees would be honoured in the Walk’s inaugural year, and no more than 5 inductees in any subsequent year.
  • No person or group can be honoured more than once on the Walk.
  • The list of annual inductees must be announced to the general public; formal ceremonies to dedicate markers must be open to the public as well.

[edit] Markers and location

Each Walk of Fame inductee is immortalized on a 16-inch granite square, which includes a marble maple leaf displaying the inductee’s name and year of induction.

The first set of Walk of Fame markers are embedded in the sidewalk facing Queen Street, in front of the Steelback Centre's north end. Future markers are expected to be located in the same general area (Queen Street and the Steelback Centre), and there are no known plans to extend the Walk beyond that area.

[edit] List of inductees

Prospective inductee names were first submitted by the general public in 2003, from which the Walk of Fame Committee selected an inaugural list of 10 inductees. The selections were then tabled until determination of a suitable time and place to launch the Walk of Fame (which would be 2006 on the Steelback Centre grounds).

[edit] 2006

The inaugural list of 10 Walk of Fame inductees were honoured in ceremonies on September 30, 2006, during the Steelback Centre’s grand opening weekend. The inaugural inductees include:

[edit] 2007

The second annual list of Walk inductees was announced on June 6, 2007, and were formally inducted on September 22, 2007. That list includes:

  • Phil and Tony Esposito, NHL players, executives, and Team Canada 1972 alumni (separate honours)
  • Harry Graham, forester and academic (posthumous honour)
  • John Rhodes, broadcaster and politician (posthumous honour)
  • Darren Zack, softball pitcher

[edit] 2008

The third annual list of Walk inductees was announced on May 29, 2008, with a formal induction scheduled for September 20, 2008.[1] This new list includes:

  • John Barker, local union leader and driving force behind the city's Group Health Centre (posthumous honour)
  • Angelo Bumbacco, junior hockey executive and co-founder of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
  • Joni Henson, lyric spinto soprano
  • Dr. David Walde, doctor, cancer treatment pioneer, and hospital fundraser

[edit] See also

[edit] External links