Wednesday, April 19, 2000 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER ' -* - : D1 LIVE ENTERTAINMENT Every Friday & Saturday) Ladies' Night Every Friday see S p o i t s W k t a t o ihwn CMtr. , R a n i s '. FRIDAY, APRIL 21 & SAT., APRIL 22 at 10pm 844-8703 KENNVBAND An Oakville Beaver Feature Editor: NORM NELSON Phone:845-3824, ext 255 Fax:337-5567 E-mail nnelson@haltonsearch.com CAREER CAPSULES Bud Corbett BUILDER You may not know who we 'd be referring to, if we called this guy by his given names, Quinneth Madill, or used his nickname Punch. But we bet if we said, "Here' s Mr. Oakville, " everyone within the sound o f his voice would say, "Oh, you mean Bud Corbett." Born and raised in Peterborough, Ontario, Bud came to Oakville in the late forties, after providing distinguished service in the Royal Canadian A ir Force from 1941 to 1946. It was dur ing the war years that Bud honed his leadership skills, coaching both his unit' s hockey and softball teams. When Bud first opened "Corbett' s Sports," he had his entire stock stuffed into two small rooms in a small storefront on Lakeshore Road in downtown Oakville. It didn Vtake Bud long to relocate to larger quarters on Thomas Street, but even then, busi ness was brisk. Soon, Bud moved the store to Kerr Street and, finally, to its present location on Speers Road. Ownership was assumed by Ken Brown in 1964, which provided Bud with the freedom to pursue his "love o f the game. " In 1963, Bud purchased The Shelburne G olf Course. It was love at first sight, and the golf course became his `baby'. He over saw every aspect o f operations, knew all the regulars by name. In fact, it was at Shelburne that Bud made the club's first hole in one. It was B ud' s second. Bud is the only person to win the Men's Championship at both the Oakville G olf Club and the Trafalgar G olf Club in the same year. He has also won the Ontario Senior Men's Championship and is currently a Lifetime Member o f the Canadian Professional Golfer s Association. However, many are the trophies and awards Bud helped others to win. While Bud was trying to grow a business during the fo r ties and fifties, he was also growing sports teams in Oakville. There wasn't a level o f baseball or hockey that Bud didn't coach. He even put together a curling program fo r the Oakville Ice Centre. Each team was different, each game different, but Bud treated each player the same -- with respect. In fact, Bud is remembered as much fo r what he did o ff the field and out o f the arena. One o f his players was hospitalized fo r life, and many were the hours Bud spent with him, quietly, away from the spotlight. Always with a pocket o f lifesavers, always with lifesaving encouragement. The crowd can be a blur when you 're behind the bench, press ing your team fo r a win. But one season, Bud noticed a young teen-age boy showing up to the games. Every game, Bud watched this kid shiver in a thin jacket and sneakers. Bud was impressed, but felt badly the kid nearly froze at every game. That was until the coach made some inquiries and some changes. The next time the kid showed up, he had on warm boots and a winter jacket. Never a word was said. Bud and his best friend, his wife Cookie, still live in Shelburne. We salute the man who made it fun to play in the town. We salute "Mr. Oakville " -- Bud Corbett. m is s io n tw rw i > Photos by Ron Kuzyk This year, the Oakville Sports Hall of Fame celebrated its second induction ceremony with the following honoured inductees -- Bud Corbett, Jack Duggan, Phil Iafrati, Larry Cain and Dan Ferrone. Here are Oakville's new kids in the hall By Norm Nelson BEAVER SPORTS EDITOR he Oakville Sports Hall of Fam e's second annual induction dinner earlier this year lasted long into the evening. But everyone was thoroughly entertained, with M.C. Ron M acLean, of CBC Hockey Night in Canada fame (and an Oakville resident), and particularly inductee Dan Ferrone, ensuring there were enough laughs to rival a comedy club. But, also befitting the occasion, there were also plenty of poignant moments shared by Ferrone along with fellow inductees Bud Corbett, Phil Iafrati, Larry Cain and Jack Duggan. · Along with appropriately enshrining these sporting heroes into their rightful place of honour in Oakville's Sports Hall o f Fame, which has opened in temporary quarters at the River Oaks Rec Centre, it also succeeded with it's other purpose -- to inspire. To inspire a new generation of athletes to strive to be the best they can be. And as Ferrone hinted at, to inspire all of us simply to be the best we can be. Ferrone, Larry Cain and Phil Iafrati all gave moving speeches while both Bud Corbett and Jack Duggan, while very much enjoying the evening and meeting old friends, had close family or friends give their acceptance speeches. Bud Corbett, in particular, made a special effort to attend the event all the way from Shelburne despite not feeling well. O f special note, local sports supporters will want to jo t down July 12th on their cal endar which is the date o f the Oakville Hall of Fame G olf Tournament at the Wyldewood Golf and Country Club with proceeds to sup port the Oakville Sports Hall o f Fame and its sports scholarship program. For information and entries, contact Bob Labbett at 338-5232 (phone) or >338-8234 (fax). BUD CORBETT Known as "Mr. Oakville", Bud Corbett, whose legacy still lives on in the local sports store which he started and still bears his name, was thrilled to hear from his former town. Speaking on his behalf, his daughter Joanne Grimes said "when he first received notification he had no idea of the wonderful legacy you people created for the athletes in this community and the citizens in this com munity." Through his daughter, he congratulated both this year's fellow inductees and last year's inaugural slate (Otto and Maria T Jelinek, Vic Hadfield, Sandra Post and Donovan Bailey) -- most of whom he knew personally, with the exception, of course, of the youngest one of the lot, Donovan Bailey, who is still very much in the midst of his career. But he used to golf "every Sunday morn ing" with Sandra Post's father and he knew Vic Hadfield as "a stick boy extrordinaire" to the Oakville senior hockey team. Bud Corbett provided distinguished ser vice in the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1941 to 1946 and shortly after that he began his long distinguished involvement in the Oakville sports scene. "After the release of the air force, Mom and Dad moved to the Milton area," related his daughter. "I don't know whether the com petitive nature still exists between the two towns but it certainly did in the late 40s." Corbett immediately began coaching baseball in Milton and had immediate suc cess, taking a team all the way to the provin cial finals, along the way disposing of Oakville. Oakville would never be beaten by him again -- because he was recruited to coach in Oakville the very next year and to help set up its minor baseball program. Also at that time, related Grimes, "Dad talked about putting a store in the town of Oakville." A bigwig in the sporting manufacturing business, who happened to live in Oakville, advised him against it. "His comment was there was no way a store could possibly make a go of it in a town the size of Oakville because it had fewer than 5,000 people at that time." But at the same time Corbett was success ful in locking up a coveted wholesale con tract and he began selling, for the first few months, in cramped quarters above a grocery store on Lakeshore Road. From that humble beginning the store rapidly grew, along with Oakville, moving to Thomas Street, Kerr Street and eventually its present location on Speers Road. "As the store expanded so did Dad's involvement in town sports, organizing minor and senior hock ey were added to organizing minor baseball." Soon, there were more players, more teams, more divisions. "Dad was either at the ball dia mond, the arena, the golf course. "You talk about quality time with children," laughed Grimes, "my quality time was spent at all of those places. That's the only place I could ever see him. "And, of course, bingos finan cially supported the teams. The players and their wives and girl friends had a lot to do with keeping that bingo running so that the teams could contin ue." The teams were rewarded for their efforts with many provincial championships. "It took a lot to stop an Oakville team from getting to where they wanted to go for a competition. But there was one year Hurricane Hazel did manage to stop them from getting to a provincial championship playoff game." In the early 60s, the Corbett family left for greener pastures -- literally, not figura tively, of course. In 1963 he realized another dream by purchasing the Shelburne Golf Course and in 1964 he turned his Oakville store over to longtime employee Ken Brown. "At that time we moved to Shelburne and the new challenge of a golf course in the Dufferin Highlands," said Grimes. `T o be remembered so many years after leaving Oakville came as.a real surprise." She said her dad, who was in attendance at the dinner but not feeling 100 per cent, wanted "especially to thank the dozens of baseball and hockey players, too many to name, who have played so well and who have contributed so much to his receiving this honour. Thanks fellas. And actually there are some of those former teen-aged athletes here tonight. Thanks for coming. "A last thank-you goes to Cookie -- Mom. "Dad couldn't have been successful with out your support, then as now. Mom can laugh about many of the events that hap pened over those years except having to wash the hockey team's stinky underwear after every game using a ringer washer. "Dad has lived his life an athlete and a sportsman, a person who can't help but share his passion and knowledge for sports. Thank you for honouring his efforts. "What greater reward can there be." · OTHER PROFILES, INSIDE ... Jack Duggan BUILDER Born in the Steel City in 1920, Jack Duggan began his boxing career at the Monarch Athletic Club at the tender age o f 15. Too light fo r football, too short fo r basketball, boxing was something he was good at, and fo r a poor Irish kid growing up during the depression, it beat hanging around with nothing to do. After high school graduation, Jack enlisted with the Canadian Army in 1939, finding him self in England ju st three months later with the Canadian First Division. It was as an army physical instructor, that he began sparring with Dave McCleave, a form er British welterweight champion. It paid o ff when Jack won the Canadian Army Overseas Welterweight Championship in both 1945 and '46. Duggan remained in Europe until -1948, earning the distinction o f providing the longest continuous service over seas with the Canadian Army. After returning home, at the age o f 28, Jack embarked on his professional career. For the next three years, Jack tore up the can vas at a fast and furious pace. On his 31st birthday, Jack decided to hang up his gloves, with an impressive record o f 29 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses. Jack returned to the Canadian Army and was finally discharged as Captain in 1964. After his retirement. Jack' s love o f the sport kept him in boxing as a manager and trainer o f professional boxers. He spent 11 years as a physical instructor with the Region o f P eel' s Cadet Organization Police School (COPS), two years as a recreational instructor fo r the Ontario School fo r the D eaf in Milton, and 10 years with the Shamrock B oys'Town Athletic Club. His professional associations include being President o f the Ontario Boxing Association, trainer o f the Canadian Junior Olympic team, and President o f the Canadian Boxing Hall o f Fame. Not surprisingly, Jack was inducted him self in 1973. On a personal note, Jack has been a devoted and loving hus band to Jenny fo r 55 years, and supportive father to John, Joe, Mary, Jane and Penny. Well the children remember Dad outside at the end o f a long, 16-hour, winter work day, flooding the fa m i ly 's backyard fo r a skating rink. An Oakville resident fo r 45 years. Jack is a member o f Hopedale Bible Chapel and was recently made a Life Member o f the Royal Canadian Legion. As a writer, Jack has contributed regularly to the Boxing Newsletter and The Ring. H e' s also written two books, "Fighting fo r Glory" and "Hamilton' s Other Tigers." His one opportunity fo r a weekly column ended quickly when Jack found his first arti cle cut in half. The editor didn't feel Jack understood newspaper writing. Jack responded this way in his book "Hamilton' s Other Tigers." "I am not a gifted writer, but I tell it like it is, " writes Jack. "I have a knowledge o f boxing, having boxed as an amateur and professional, coached and trained boxing fo r 30 or more years, trained the Canadian Army and Canadian Olympic teams, refer eed, judged, also managed and trained professionals. Being Irish and thick headed, I did not intend to change anything. " Phil Iafrati SOCCER For over 20 years, the name Phil Iafrati has been synonymous with soccer success. Bom in Manchester, England, Phil came to Oakville in the early seventies, to live with his sister, Marie. Phil' s first plunge into coaching came when he volunteered to coach a boys'hockey team. Which was quite a challenge, considering Phil didn't know how to skate at the time! However, it was soccer that commanded his attention and, in 1973, Phil began his coaching career with the Oakville Squirts. The next year, Phil moved to the rep league, until 1989, when he took over the Oakville Blue Devils. Four successful years later, the team split in two. The older boys became the Under 16 Oakville Winstars while Phil remained with the younger players and established the Under 15 Oakville Blue Devils. The solid foundation he created in the teams'first fo u r years (See Iafrati' page D3) II I I I* \ V I I I) · l> K I I |< S I* I / / M V k I It S SUPER SPECIAL 844-4711 ·* I Pizza 2 Large Pizzas Slices Limited Time Offer (Sauce ir Cheese) Extra Topping $1.85 For Delkenj Add $1.45 20 ' GEGES SPECIAL 2 Medium Pizzas 4 Toppings on Each Eveiy pizza a masterpiece made from fresh ingredients only. · C H I C K E N Limited Tii Offer $1 H · " 99 1 5 + tax Upgrade to a Large for onlv $3.00 For delivery add $1.45 VIZZ A · P A N Z A R O T T l.t · LAS ACNA ITAL1 V S W D W K U K S WINGS* · S A L A D S