Curling Legend Earle Morris Named As One of Four 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award Winners

Nov. 30, 2017

The Ottawa Sports Awards is proud to announce the 2017 recipients of Lifetime Achievement Awards in coaching, officiating, and volunteering, as well as the winner of the Mayor’s Cup award for outstanding contribution to local sport. The honourees will be celebrated in person at the 2017 Ottawa Sports Awards Dinner, January 31, 2018 at Algonquin College on Woodroffe Avenue.

Brian Kilrea Lifetime Achievement Award, Coaching: Earle Morris

Arriving in Ottawa in 1983, Earle Morris has made an indelible mark on the curling culture across Canada while maintaining a strong connection to the Ottawa community. Morris coached Rachel Homan’s Ottawa Curling Club foursome to two Canadian women’s titles and a pair of world championship medals and was inducted into the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame last year. In addition to his house-hold name national championship and international teams, Morris has ensured that the recreational level youth and adult curlers are welcomed and supported. He was an influential figure in the development of Curling Canada’s adult learn-to-curl program and invented The Stabilizer, a device which has increased the accessibility of the sport he loves.

Lifetime Achievement Award, Technical Official: George Findley

Born and raised in Ottawa, George Findley has earned many accolades over his distinguished 45 years of umpiring fast pitch. A Master Instructor and Evaluator and a past president and co-founder of the Eastern Ontario Umpires Association, Findley has umpired Canadian, North-American, and World Championships. Reaching the heights of umpiring on the field and serving as an important mentor to many in the fast pitch community, Findley can also be found on the basketball courts as an official in the winter time.

Lifetime Achievement Award, Sports Volunteer: Cathy Skinner

For over 35 years Cathy Skinner has welcomed skaters at the Goulbourn Skating Club in CanSkate and AdultSkate programs. With this award she is being recognized for her volunteer work with Special Olympics Ontario. In 2017 Skinner celebrated two of her Special Olympic skaters winning gold at the Special Olympics World Winter Games, adding to three gold and three silver that were won in 2013 when Skinner travelled with Team Canada to World Winter Games in South Korea. The impressive results stand alongside the true community of skaters that she has fostered, making a life-long impact in the lives of Ottawa families.

Mayor’s Cup: Bob Wilson

After a career in education, Bob Wilson stands out as a prominent contributor to his community through his extensive and varied volunteer work across the sport, municipal, provincial and national non-profit spectrums. Holding multiple positions in sporting special events, Wilson’s involvement often was in the organizational and event management capacities. As a volunteer appointee to the Ontario Trillium Foundation for 9 years, he worked to ensure grants for local sports.

60 years after appearing in his first Little League baseball game, Bob held many key roles in presenting the 2015 Canadian Little League Championships here in Ottawa. He currently works to present “T-Ball on the Hill” – the annual Parliament Hill kickoff to National Little League Week in Canada. He also is busily engaged in preserving the history of Little League in Canada through video work with Algonquin College. For 14 years, Bob was a key member of the Ottawa Sports Awards Committee. Mr. Wilson, a Nepean resident, was awarded the Queen Elizabeth ll Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012, and the Canada 150 Community Leadership Award in 2017.

Tickets for the Ottawa Sports Awards Dinner go on sale December 15 at https://ottawasportsawards.ca/

The Ottawa Sports Awards is the largest and most inclusive amateur sport recognition event in Canada will mark its 65^th anniversary this year. Winners of the 65 individual sport awards, team recognition awards, and the Athlete, Coach, and Team of the Year awards will be announced in December and January. Nominations remain open for these awards until December 15 and can be submitted at https://ottawasportsawards.ca/nomination-form/