THUNDER BAY — No one will be inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame this year, the first time this has happened since 1982.
Originally scheduled to take place on September 26, organizers on Wednesday announced the cancellation of the 39th annual induction dinner and ceremony, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Board president Dave Siciliano said the directors discussed various ways to carry out the induction process despite the pandemic.
"However, due to the restrictions in place about large gatherings and keeping the health and safety of our inductees, patrons, staff and volunteers as a top priority, we made the difficult decision to cancel," Siciliano said.
Executive director Diane Imrie said one of the options the board discussed was to hold the ceremony virtually, but it ultimately decided the event should be held when it can be done safely, to "give our inductees the recognition and celebration that we have given to previous inductees."
The selection committee did not meet to vote on a new slate of candidates for induction as athletes, builders and teams, so any nominees still under consideration will retain an extra year of eligibility.
The deadline for receipt of nomination information is January 31, 2021.
