The second class of inductees for the Haliburton Highlands Sports Hall of Fame has been revealed, with six athletes, four community builders, and one historic local team to be honoured.
Roger Trull, chair of the Hall of Fame’s organizing committee, said he was really happy with the class of 2024, noting there are some standout names who competed provincially, nationally, and internationally – helping to put Haliburton County on the map.
“We’ve accomplished our goal of recognizing people from a number of different sports, and people who have made a difference to developing sport in the County,” Trull said. “All nominees, whether an athlete or builder, have had highly successful careers they can all be proud of.”
Track and field star Kate Campbell, hockey players Scott LaRue and Gary Vasey, baseball exports Colin and Greg Newell, and footballer Mark Robinson are to be inducted into the athletes wing. Gary Brohman, former principal and athletics coach at Haliburton Highlands Secondary School, will join Jane Heyes, Ken Rosenberg, and Mark Schell Sr. as recognized community builders.
The 1974 HHSS Redmen football squad are the sole inductee in the team category, recognized for their exploits winning the COSSA Single A championship.
New this year, Trull said one local organization is to receive an outstanding achievement award for its contributions to sport. The Haliburton County Red Wolves, which works with Special Olympics to have disabled athletes compete locally, and outside the County’s borders, will be the inaugural recipient.
“They have done truly unrivalled work in building a fantastic program in Haliburton County. Red Wolves athletes compete locally, provincially, and nationally in some cases – they have huge involvement from County-based athletes. We’re really excited to recognize their contributions,” Trull said.
Campbell set several regional track records during her time at HHSS, with many still standing today. She was the first local student athlete to win gold at OFSAA – the provincial championships for high school athletics.
LaRue played junior hockey within the Montreal Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings farm systems as a rugged defenceman before playing professionally in Europe. Vasey was a noted scorer who led the Minden Monarchs to three straight Eastern Ontario Championships between 1956 and 1958. Later in life, he was the owner, general manager, and coach of a junior hockey franchise in Bradford.
The Newell brothers turned heads as up-and-coming baseball players in the 1980s. Colin played in the International Softball Congress (ISC) league in the 1990s, representing teams in Owen Sound, Oshawa, Scarborough, and Bracebridge. He received numerous MVP awards and won bronze and silver medals at the ISC World Championships, and gold at the Ontario Sr. AAA Championships.
Greg travelled all over North America playing in the Ontario Amateur Softball Association, International Softball Congress, Canadian and Eastern Canadian, and North American Fastpitch Association championships. He was noted for his hitting ability.
Robinson enjoyed a stellar football career at Queen’s University, where he was named rookie of the year as an offensive lineman in 1990, won the Vanier Cup in 1992, and an Ontario-Quebec Intercollegiate Football Conference all-star and second team All Canadian in 1993. He was also a finalist for TSN’s prestigious Russ Jackson Award for academic achievement, football skills, and citizenship.
On the builders side, Brohman is noted for his work at HHSS, where the athletics field is named after him. Heyes was instrumental in developing the Haliburton Highlands ackrabbit Cross Country Ski program through the 90s and 2000s. Rosenberg is recognized for his work helping hundreds of local golfers at the Haliburton Highlands Golf Course, while Schell supported Countybased hockey and baseball programs – in the community and at HHSS.
An induction ceremony will be held May 25 at A.J. LaRue Arena in Haliburton. The event kicks off at 2 p.m. and will feature videos for each inductee, and awards presented by someone who impacted their career. Posters of the inductees will be installed at the Haliburton and Minden hall of fame sites.
“We think it’s really valuable to recognize the important role these people played in furthering sports in our community,” Trull said.
