Five local icons named to Burlington Sports Hall of Fame 2022 class
Published March 30, 2022 at 4:03 pm
Five new members are being inducted into the Burlington Sports Hall of Fame later his spring.
The 2022 class includes three builders, one athlete and one media member.
Marcel Desjardins, Builder, CFL
Desjardins has been the general manager of the Canadian Football League’s Ottawa RedBlacks since 2013. Prior to that, he was GM of the Hamilton Tiger Cats in 2006-’07 and spent two stints as assistant GM of the Montreal Alouettes ’02-’06 and ’08-’12.
He was been part of four Grey Cup champsions, Montreal in ’02, ’09 and ’10 and Ottawa in ’16.
The bilingual Desjardins was born and raised in Burlington, attending both École St. Philippe and École secondaire George P. Vanier.
Videos
Bryce Leggatt, Builder, co-founder Burlington Sports Hall of Fame
Leggatt played collegiate football at McMaster University and was an all-star in 1964. He was drafted by the Ottawa Rough Riders of the CFL that same year.
He co-founded the BSHoF, and has been active in basketball and football officiating organizations, including being a member of the Kitch MacPherson OUA West Officials Hall of Fame
He has been a recipient of both the Ontario Community Service Award (2009) and the A.J. Dunn Outstanding Leadership Award & Initiative for the Advancement of Sport in Burlington (2016).
Wendy Morgan, Builder, Coach Paralympic Curling
Morgan is a curling coach who helped Manitoba’s Jennifer Jones win multiple Scotties Tournament of Hearts titles and compete successfully at the international level.
Morgan was also the Team Leader/Assistant Coach of Canada’s medal-winning wheelchair curling teams at several Winter Paralympic Games. Morgan was the Team Leader of Team Canada when they won Best Team Performance at the Paralympics in Sochi.
She was awarded the 2000 Harry Clark Award of Excellence, the 2015 Petro-Canada Coaching Excellence Award, 2018 Joan Mead Builder Award and 2018 Canadian Sports Award -Team of the Year.
Cathy Phillips, Athlete, Womens Hockey
Phillips has been an institution in Canadian women’s hockey for four decades. Her first title was a gold in the 1982 inaugural Canadian Women’s Hockey Nationals and played in another six Nationals, winning three gold, a silver and two bronze.
She also won world titles in 1987 and 1990.
Phillips was named the outstanding goalie at the unofficial ‘first’ world hockey tournament in 1987 and played in the first officially sanctioned world champtionships in 1990.
Her jersey hangs in the Hockey Hall o Fame and she was voted top goalie in 14 of her 17 seasons in the Central Ontario’s Women’s Hockey League.
Eric Smith – Media, broadcast voice of the NBA Toronto Raptors
Smith recently celebrated his 25th anniversary with Toronto sports radio station The Fan 590, where he’s the voice of the Toronto Raptors.
Born and raised in Burlington, Smith is a grad of Notre Dame Secondary School.
In addition to his radio basketball duties, Smith has also broadcast Olympic boxing and national women’s tennis.
The induction ceremony is being held Tuesday, May 31, at the Burlington Golf & Country Club. Tickets cost $60 per person.
For more information or to purchase tickets, email [email protected].
insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising