Ceremony held for Sports Hall of Fame

The latest additions to the Tillsonburg Sports Hall of Fame were inducted at a dinner and ceremony held on May 21. Left to right are: (front row) Remy Donaldson, Judy Liwanpo, Steve Garnham, (back row) Adrian Shorter, Paul Roberts, Claus Rinne, Rick Cornelissen, Dave Mills, Steve Conor, Tim Wood and Ron Becht. Absent from the photo were: Karen Culp (Liwanpo), Christine Liwanpo, and Colin Campbell. (Jeff Helsdon Photo)

Jeff Helsdon, Editor

A 1980s track and field team that competed at the national level, a basketball player, three tennis players, a refereeing chief, and the man who is the town’s connection to the NHL were the latest inductees into the Tillsonburg Sports Hall of Fame.

The inductees were honoured at an induction ceremony on May 21 in the Lion’s Auditorium, accompanied by family, friends and former teammates. The Sports Hall of Fame honours past and present residents who made contributions to sport, as athletes, team members, coaches or builders.

Tennis players Judy, Karen (Culp), Christine Liwanpo, and Remy Donaldson were recognized as individual athletes. The Senior Men’s Tillsonburg Legion Track and Field Club Cross Country Running team was inducted under the team category. Former Tillsonburg Minor Hockey refereeing chief Steve Garnham was lauded as a builder for his efforts to raise the profile of officiating in town and recruit more referees. Tillsonburg resident and NHL Senior Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Recognition.

The Liwanpo triplets excelled in athletics while attending Glendale High School from 1994 to 1998, and helped the school secure five Oxford-Elgin tennis team championships. Their success started in Grade 9, with Judy winning the Junior Girls’ Singles Oxford-Elgin title, while Karen and Christine claimed the Junior Girls’ Doubles championships. They excelled to the point they were moved up to senior in Grade 10, despite being junior in age. Judy won three gold medals in singles at WOSSA. Karen and Christine dominated doubles, winning three Oxford-Elgin titles and capturing four consecutive WOSSA gold medals. They were undefeated during their high school careers.

In provincial OFSAA play, Judy advanced to the quarter-finals in Grade 12 and the semi-finals in Grade 13, while Karen and Christine reached the OFSAA finals in both of their senior years. Their success on the courts earned each of them a tennis scholarship at American universities. They also played in the Indian Ocean Island Games in 2003, helping the team win bronze.

Judy, who was the only one of the three sisters who could make the ceremony, was totally surprised by the nomination.

“I never thought it could happen,” she said.

They were nominated by their coach Jim Donaldson, who passed away a couple of weeks earlier. Judy said the award should have been his, adding, “He made such an impact on so many of us.”

Remy Donaldson

Remy Donaldson was also recognized in the junior athlete category. Nominated by former coaches Ches Sulkowski and Dan Rajnovich, Donaldson said these two coached him the most in high school.

“I was grateful to them because they both mean a lot to me, and I stay in touch with them until this day.”

Donaldson was recognized for achievements across multiple sports. His athletics started in the pool with the Tillsonburg Torpedoes at the age of eight. He qualified for several national events and earned more than 100 ribbons and 40 medals. His strongest events were the 100m and 200m backstroke, disciplines in which he set Tillsonburg pool records and competed at provincial and Eastern Cup competitions.

In high school athletics, Donaldson made his mark in tennis, volleyball, and basketball. He was an Oxford-Elgin champion and a WOSSA AA semi-finalist in tennis, and also earned his Ontario Association tournament badge and Olympic Gold Award at Camp Olympia.

On the volleyball court, he was part of Glendale teams that went to the Oxford-Elgin championships in Grades 9 and 12. He was part of teams that earned WOSSA AA silver medals in Grades 9, 10, and 12, before capturing the championship in Grade 13 and advancing to the OFSAA quarterfinals. Besides the six medals he won in volleyball, he was also the MVP in several tournaments.

Donaldson’s basketball teams won Oxford and Oxford-Elgin championships, reached WOSSA AA finals multiple times, and qualified for OFSAA twice. He was named MVP at the Junior Capitains/Veterans Game, was an all-star at the Tillsonburg Classic, and captained the Woodstock Optimist team to a Juvenile A provincial title. In his final year, he made school history by being captain of both the Glendale basketball and volleyball teams when both won gold.

At the University of Waterloo, he played basketball from 1996-1999. During that time, the team won several tournament medals and qualified for the Canadian University championships in 1998. Individually, Donaldson was an OUA leader in foul shooting and three-point percentage.

Senior Men’s Tillsonburg Legion Track & Field Club Cross Country Running Team

This team was inducted in the team category for its accomplishments in the 1985 season. Led by coach Dave Mills, the team consisted of Ron Becht, Claus Rinne, Rick Cornelissen, Adrian Shorter, Tim Wood, Steve Connor, Paul Roberts, and Mike King. While several runners were born and raised in Tillsonburg and others lived in the surrounding area, the group came together to form a cohesive, highly competitive distance-running team.

In 1985, the squad captured both the Ontario Senior Men’s Cross Country team championship and the Canadian Senior Men’s Cross Country team championship, marking an exceptional dual triumph at the provincial and national levels. Their Canadian title cemented the Tillsonburg Legion team’s place among the strongest cross-country programs in the country that year.

Mills was credited for the team demonstrating depth, preparation, and a commitment to excellence.

Interviewed that evening, Mills said he believed the nomination came about after the 40th anniversary of the cross-country championships last year. Roberts’ wife said she was nominating them at the time.

“I was a bit surprised because it had been a long time since we won the Canadian championship,” he said.

Steve Garnham

Steve Garnham was inducted into the Builder category for his contributions to officiating and hockey development in Tillsonburg and the Southern Counties region.

He first donned the black and white referee jersey at the age of 14, and became Referee in Chief for Tillsonburg Minor Hockey in 2001. He served in that capacity for nearly two decades, while also taking the same role for Southern Counties Minor Hockey Association.

His duties included scheduling officials locally, organizing out-of-town travel assignments for the Southern Counties Rep league, and assigning officials for all U-9 to U-18 OMHA playoff games. As an OMHA supervisor, he mentored countless young referees, offering guidance and support. He also served on several OMHA committees for Officiating and Supervisor programs.

Throughout his time, he ensured Southern Counties officials were recognized and selected for year-end provincial tournaments. Previously, these opportunities were taken by officials from larger centres.

In addition to his work within minor hockey, Garnham coordinated officiating for high school hockey in the region and was instrumental in bringing the WOSSA finals back to Oxford County by securing top-level local officials for the event.

Over the years, he earned numerous high-profile assignments, including the OMHA AAA Peewee gold medal game (2004–05), AAA Peewee bronze medal game as linesman (2006–07), and the OMHA AAA Midget division (2008–09). He also officiated at the OHF Peewee A championships and made regular appearances at OMHA finals as both referee and linesman.

Garnham was surprised by the nomination and award. He reflected that his method of allowing new referees to try their hand at it before committing was part of the success.

“I did have a different recruiting strategy than most minor hockey people,” he said.

Several of the officials he recruited are still at it today, and were in the audience for the awards to show their appreciation. Andrew Gradish, who is currently a referee and is chief referee for Southern Counties, nominated Garnham.

Colin Campbell

Campbell was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Recognition in recognition of his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2024.

Currently, the Senior Executive Vice-President of Hockey Operations for the NHL, the Tillsonburg resident’s involvement in hockey began in town. The son of long-time town employee and Arena Manager Jack Campbell, he grew up at the rink learning the game, respecting it, and developing the work ethic that would carry him far beyond the community.

As a player, Campbell enjoyed a lengthy NHL career, earning respect for his competitiveness, toughness, and leadership. He later moved behind the bench as a head coach with the New York Rangers, further deepening his understanding of the game from every angle. It was there that he earned a Stanley Cup Ring as the head coach.

It was in his executive role, however, that Campbell’s impact became truly transformational. For more than 25 years as Senior Executive Vice-President of Hockey Operations in the NHL, he has been one of the league’s most influential decision-makers. He has overseen discipline, officiating standards, and rule interpretation during some of the most pivotal eras in modern hockey. He played a central role in the modernization of the game, helping implement rule changes following the 2004–05 lockout that increased speed, skill, and scoring, and guiding the expansion and refinement of video review to enhance fairness and accountability.

Campbell has also been instrumental in the NHL’s international growth. Through global initiatives, international competition planning, and collaboration with players, coaches, and executives worldwide, he has helped “open up” the game and position it for worldwide expansion. His leadership has helped shape how hockey is played, governed, and experienced not only in North America but across the globe.

Having to leave early that evening for work – he had to oversee the Montreal Canadiens-Carolina Hurricanes game – Campbell later said, “The Tillsonburg recognition is really about all the people that coached me growing up - my teachers in high school ,who were great examples of coaching and giving their time to all the teams i played on, and all my teammates on the Tillsonburg teams that made playing sports fun.”

He has many great memories at the Tillsonburg arena, and ran hockey schools there for many years.