Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame

Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame

Established	1978
Location	219 South May Street, Thunder Bay, Ontario
Type	Sports Museum
Public transit access	Thunder Bay Transit via City Hall Terminal  1  3M  8  10  12  14  16  18   4  (limited)
Website	Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame

The Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame , established in 1978 in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, is dedicated to the people of Northwestern Ontario who have achieved greatness in sport. It is located on 219 South May Street in Downtown Fort William. ^[1]

History

The Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame building was constructed in 1916 by Canadian architect Francis R. Heakes. ^[2] It operated as the Fort William Land and Titles Building from 1917 to 1971, prior to the Hall of Fame moving there in 1996. ^[3]

Notable inductees

There are 330 inductees in the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame as of 2025; including 184 athletes, 95 builders, and 51 teams. ^[3]

• Andrea Cole (born 1984), paralympic swimmer competing at the 2000, 2004, and 2008 events ^[4]
• Fred Kearney (1897–1998), former Canadian professional goaltender in the American Hockey Association ^[5]
• Fred Page (1915–1997), president of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association and vice-president of the International Ice Hockey Federation, inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame ^{[6] [7] [8]}
• Frank Sargent (1902–1988), president of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association and Dominion Curling Association, inducted into the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame ^{[9] [10]}
• John Schella (1947-2018) professional player in the National Hockey League and World Hockey Association ^[11]
• Dave Siciliano (born 1946), junior and collegiate ice hockey coach, Lakehead University athletic director ^[12]
• Joe Wirkkunen (1928–1986), Finnish-Canadian coach of the Finland men's national ice hockey team ^[13]

References

1. "Directory". www.visitthunderbay.com. June 30, 2023. Retrieved October 15, 2025.
2. "Heakes, Francis Riley | Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada". dictionaryofarchitectsincanada.org. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
3. "Home". NWOSportsHallofFame. Retrieved October 15, 2025.
4. Dunick, Leith (July 25, 2013). "Paralympic gold medalist Andrea Cole to be inducted into NWO sports hall of fame". tbnewswatch.com. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
5. "Allan Cup 1927 Fred Kearney". allancup.ca. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
6. "Page, Frederick – Biography – Honoured Builder". Legends of Hockey. Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
7. March, Ashley (April 28, 2015). "Who is Fred Page, and why do hockey players battle for his trophy?". Cornwall Seaway News . Retrieved November 25, 2018.
8. "Page, Frederick (Fred)". The Chronicle-Journal. Thunder Bay, Ontario. December 26, 1997. p. 31.
9. "Deaths: Sargent". The Chronicle-Journal. Thunder Bay, Ontario. September 29, 1988. p. 31.
10. "Frank Sargent dead at 86". The Chronicle-Journal. Thunder Bay, Ontario. September 29, 1988. p. 3.
11. "Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame names 6 new inductees - Your Thunder Bay". September 3, 2025. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
12. "Dave Siciliano". Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. Thunder Bay, Ontario. 1995. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
13. "Joe Wirkkunen". Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. 2008. Retrieved August 21, 2024.

48°22′54″N89°14′45″W / 48.38180°N 89.24587°W / 48.38180; -89.24587