Revamped Fort Erie Sports Wall of Fame ribbon-cutting on December 6

A revamped sports wall of fame inside the Leisureplex will be unveiled December 6 with a brief ribbon-cutting meant to reconnect residents with a long-running local sports tradition.

The Wall of Fame committee will host the event at 6:30 p.m. before the Fort Erie Meteors game to mark the end of a year-long rebuild, introduce the current committee and acknowledge donors who helped restore the display.

The Greater Fort Erie Sports Wall of Fame began in 1980 with its first plaque added in 1981. Committee chair George O’Hearn said the pandemic halted all activity after 2019 and left six inductees waiting for their plaques. An aging backdrop and mismatched designs made the restoration unavoidable.

The renovated wall now holds 104 plaques, including three new inductees chosen this year under the rebuilt committee’s criteria.

O’Hearn told Fort Erie Radio the revival came only after years of stalled volunteer interest and the loss of long-standing routines in upkeeping the wall.

“We finally just took the bull by the horns and did it ourselves,” said O’Hearn.

He said the original sponsoring group dissolved during the pandemic, which left the committee without money to restart operations. He approached local businesses and civic partners in 2023 to secure the funding needed for new plaques and repairs to the wall.

“We had no funding, so I went out to the community, and they accepted us with open arms,” said O’Hearn.

Work began in April 2023 and wrapped up in April 2024 with new plaques for every inductee, followed by installation of the long-delayed six later that year.

He credited committee member Cathy Dennehower with pushing him to restart the project after the collapse of earlier efforts. Dennehower’s father, Mike McMahon, a Canadian ice hockey defenceman whose career began in 1959 for the Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters, was the first inductee in 1981.

The event will take place at the main rink wall at the east end of the Leisureplex just before the game between the Fort Erie Meteors and the Port Colborne Sailors, with both teams observing and the new wall getting its moment in the spotlight.

“It’s just a celebration of the renovated wall and trying to keep people aware that we’re still alive and kicking,” said O’Hearn.

He hopes the timing also helps the Meteors by encouraging more residents to attend the game.

“They’re a great organization with a great team, and so few people from town come out to see them,” said O’Hearn.

Anyone interested in future nominations can watch for the committee’s annual application window, which opens April 1 and closes May 31.

All Meteors regular season home games are broadcast live in Fort Erie Radio.

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