About the BSHoF
Our Motto
Honour The Past
Barrie is rich with sport history and excellence. We are proud to honour those who have excelled in their sporting careers and share their legacy with our community.
Celebrate The Present
With some many amazing sports organizations operating out of Barrie, we want to do our part to highlight and celebrate our local athletes' exciting achievements in our area.
Inspire The Future
By Honouring the Past and Celebrating the Present, we hope to Inspire the Future stars of Barrie athletics to strive for excellence in their sporting fields so that one day, maybe they will be recognized by the Barrie Sports Hall of Fame.
Our History
The Barrie Sports Hall of Fame grew from small beginnings as a self-appointed “steering committee” in the summer of 1984. Since then, it has grown into a volunteer organization which helps to perpetuate the names and deeds not only of Barrie’s great athletes, but also of those selfless individuals who have worked to create an environment in which such athletes could and can excel.
The diligent work of the steering committee culminated in the Society’s charter meeting on January 30, 1985 at which time the society’s constitution was adopted. The Barrie Sports Hall of Fame Society became an official entity. (see photo.)
The City of Barrie graciously consented to allow the Allandale Recreation Centre to become the home of the Barrie Sports Hall of Fame. It is here that portraits celebrating the great men and women from Barrie’s sporting history, both past and present, have been displayed for over twenty years. In 2025, the BSHoF expanded their footprint by adding display cases at Peggy Hill and East Bayview Community Centres.
The Hall promotes recognition of and interest in the history of sports in Barrie. It has undertaken occasional research projects and displays dealing with local sports history. These displays are also featured from time to time at the Allandale Recreation Centre.
In 2023, the Barrie Sports Hall of Fame unveiled it’s new logo and branding. This served as a catalyst that has helped usher in a new era at the hall. The new brand was followed with a new website as well as the introduction of social media, with the addition of our Facebook and Instagram pages.
Community Projects
The Barrie Sports Hall of Fame’s objective “To honour and perpetuate the names of those whose athletic prowess brought fame to themselves and their community” is fulfilled by the BSHoF’s involvement in community projects.
In early 1996 the Barrie Sports Hall of Fame Society initiated the naming of the playing field adjacent to Central Collegiate “ The Red Storey Field.”
Permission was given from the City of Barrie, the Simcoe County Board of Education, and Central District Collegiate Institute to have this happen. It became apparent that the condition of the field and it’s surroundings were not in line with the image one would expect for a person of Red Storey’s stature.
Therefore a field restoration committee was formed to coordinate the efforts to bring the conditions to a level that would be acceptable to a dedication of this significance. An action plan to address the improvements
required, brought The City, The Board, Service Clubs, Private Business and Individuals to the financial assistance of the project.
In order for this project to be successful, it was important that the foregoing groups see and feel that the students of Central were contributing to the restoration of the field and the surroundings, A list of tasks for the students to carry out was compiled. The overall project, included seeding, signage, an irrigation system and the general appearance of the grounds.
Central students were to take part in the dedication ceremony. The Central Band was to participate in the opening exercises and the Central Football Team was to take part in a featured football game.
The Dedication Ceremony on October 2nd, 1996, was a huge success. Many thanks were expressed from the community, but none more than from an ecstatic Red Storey.
On March 9,1998, the Barrie Sports Hall of Fame and the City of Barrie honoured the athletes, coaches, and officials from the Barrie area who participated in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. The statues, designed by M.C. Laser Werks of Barrie, consisted of the five Olympic rings, elements of a Japanese lantern, the Olympic flame, and the podium of Champions.
A statue was presented to each participant: Dan Marouelli, Laurie Taylor-Bolton, Jack Sasseville, Robert Tebby, Jeff Langdon, Michelle Leigh, Doug Leigh, Stephen Cousins, Elvis Stojko, and Shayne Corson. A statue was also donated to the Barrie Sport’s Hall of Fame and is on display in a trophy case at the Allandale Recreation Centre.
The Dr. Harold Smith Project is a book covering sports in Barrie from 1880-1959. This book was compiled by Mrs. Jean McCann and donated to the Barrie Sports Hall of Fame in memory of Dr. Harold Smith. This project is displayed in an enclosed glass case, mounted on a wooden pedestal at the Allandale Recreation Centre.
The Barrie Sports Hall of Fame recognized their past chairpersons at their Induction Ceremony held on October 5, 2010. A perpetual plaque recognizing Archie Marshall, Sam Cancilla, Jean McCann, Terry Paddison, Chuck Lowe, Jim Barber, Bob Palmer, Tim Sample, Dan Forgrave, Mac MacDonald and Don Roulston was unveiled. This plaque will continue to recognize all future chairpersons.
As an initiative to support our friends at Base Borden and to recognize the Canadian Forces’ commitments in Afghanistan, the Barrie Sports Hall of Fame, in co-operation with the Barrie Colts OHL Junior Hockey Club annually hosts troops at a Colt hockey game.
The Corson-Johnson Trophy
Amateur Athlete of the Year
The Barrie Sports Hall of Fame is honoured to have been chosen custodian of the Shane Corson-Greg Johnston Trophy. This trophy, donated by a group of Barrie citizens, is presented each year to Barrie’s outstanding amateur athlete, based on criteria established by the society. The trophy is intended as a permanent form of recognition of the two fine hockey players for whom it is named. Greg and Shayne, drafted respectively by the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens, were key figures on Canada’s 1985 World Junior Hockey champions.
