To be eligible for election to the OSHOF, individuals must have distinguished themselves in their chosen sport(s), whether amateur or professional, in an individual competitive sport or as a member of a recognized team or teams in an officially sanctioned league. They must have either lived, been born in, competed in or enriched sport in Ontario.
To be considered for election, each candidate will be judged solely for their excellence of athletic prowess. However, off field contributions to society, or lack thereof, shall be taken into consideration.
There shall be two categories for election: Individual and Team Individuals: Athletes who have distinguished themselves at their sport(s) or as a member of a team (animals ie. horses are to be included as individuals) OR Builders who have contributed to sport as game officials, executives, administrators, members of the media or others deemed worthy of consideration by the selection committee. Team must have distinguished themselves in an officially sanctioned league or tournament.
Athletes must be retired as an active participant from their chosen sport(s) for a minimum of five years to be eligible for election. Builders must have been active in an officially sanctioned sport(s) for a minimum of twenty years and may be active or inactive when elected. (Extenuating circumstances may cause the selection committee to waive the foregoing qualifications.) A team shall have achieved an extraordinary level of accomplishment either in a single season or tournament; or if over a number of seasons or tournaments, maintain a minimum of 80 per cent of the original roster.
The selection committee shall comprise of the Board of Directors, the Advisory Board, Honoured Members of the Hall, chosen members of the media who have a minimum of ten years sports experience and others equally qualified in sport knowledge and history.
Members of the Selection Committee, as well as the general public may submit names of individuals and/or teams to the Board of Directors for consideration for inclusion on the ‘nomination list’. The nomination list for individuals shall maintain a maximum of fifty names and the nomination list for teams shall maintain a maximum of ten names.
Those on the nomination list may remain on the list for a maximum of ten years and must be elected in that time frame or their names will be removed from the list. When removed, their names may be resubmitted following a three year wait period and will remain on the list for a further five years. Failure to be elected during this time will eliminate their names forever. (Subject to a special review by the Board of Directors.)
The nomination lists will be circulated to the screening committee (Board of Directors) with appropriate back up material. A final list of twenty five individuals and three teams shall appear on the final ballot to be sent to the selection committee for voting purposes.
Elections will be by secret ballot, either at a pre-arranged Selection Committee meeting called by the Chairman, in accordance with the bylaws and constitution, or by mail, fax or e-mail, whichever is deemed appropriate annually by the Board of Directors.
The five individuals having the most “Yes” votes will be selected for induction.
A maximum of five individuals (unless there are ties) and one team will be elected in any given year. The Board of Directors, acting as the Veteran’s Committee may elect one individual per year until further notice.
It is not mandatory that there be individuals or teams elected to the Hall of Fame on a yearly basis. The Hall of Fame must maintain the dignity and prestige by which it was originally conceived. Those that are chosen must be proud to be associated with, and be a ‘champion’ to, all that have gone before, as honoured members of The Ontario Sports Hall of Fame.
Nominations will be accepted for individuals in the following categories:
Athletes: Any individual athlete or team in amateur or professional sport who has achieved outstanding and extraordinary success in Ontario, or as an Ontarian competing abroad; demonstrates exemplary values and/or personal characteristics; and makes a defining contribution to their sport and/or Canadian society. Athlete nominees shall not ordinarily be considered until three (3) years after retirement from major championship competition.
Builders: Any individual who has made an outstanding and extraordinary contribution to amateur or professional sport in Ontario other than as a competitor; demonstrates exemplary values and/or personal characteristics; and makes a defining contribution to their sport and/or Canadian society. Builder nominees may be either active or inactive at the time of their consideration.
The Ontario Sports Hall of Fame recommends that a Nomination Form be completed as thoroughly as possible. Below is a list of recommended supporting documentation:
Letter(s) of support from affiliated sports clubs and/or associations
List of any sport hall inductions and/or nominations
A one-page summary of achievements may be included with the nomination as well as a photo of the nominee
To nominate, please fill out the OSHOF Nomination Form and email the completed form and any accompanying documentation to [email protected].
For further information, please contact us at [email protected] or (647) 204-9020.
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