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Outstanding Citizens Inducted Into The Waterloo County Hall Of FameInduction Ceremony For 2008 Recipients - May 11thby Celeste WalkerMay 09, 2008
The Waterloo County Hall of Fame, located at Doon Heritage Crossroads in Kitchener, provides a glimpse into the lives of those who have shaped our community over the past 200 years. These outstanding citizens have been recognized for their achievements in the arts, manufacturing, business, politics, religion, sports, teaching, and volunteerism. Recipients that have been inducted represent some of the earliest settlers, going as far back as the early 19th century, including: The Reverend John Bayne, who established the (Free) Presbyterian Church of Canada; Jacob Beck who invented a turbine water wheel for his manufacturing facility in Preston; Frederick Gaukel, owner of Gaukel’s Tavern who donated the land bounded by Queen, Weber and Frederick Streets for the erection of the 1852 County Building; Thomas Marshall, who formed the Dumfries and South Waterloo Mutual Fire Insurance Company and is still operating as one of the oldest Ontario Farm Mutuals. The list of these early pioneers also includes women like Elizabeth Ziegler, who taught for 58 years and after whom a school was named in Waterloo.
For sports information nuts, you’ll find members of the Hall of Fame representing a wide variety of sports, including: the Galt Curling Club Seniors Ladies Team that won the World Senior Ladies championship in 2002 and 2004, Robert “Scotty” Rankin, a runner, was voted Canada’s outstanding athlete in 1935, and Jim Sandlak who played as a member of the Ontario Hockey League, the National Hockey League, and remains actively involved in his community.
You can visit the Waterloo County Hall of Fame website and read more about the fascinating people who have made the Region what it is today. Now Media gratefully acknowledges the Region of Waterloo, Waterloo County Hall of Fame website for the following information and photos.
Charles Belair (b. 1914)
 For more than 70 years, Charles Belair, the dean of photography in Kitchener-Waterloo, created more than 22,200 images of people, including prime ministers and multiple generations of local families. He also photographed several thousand locally-produced products leaving a pictorial record of the history of this community.
Born in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1914, Belair moved to Kitchener with his mother in the early 1920s to join his father who had immigrated here to take a job at the Lang Tanning Company.
Belair completed his primary education in Kitchener and then attended Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational School in the technical program where he specialized in drafting. It was at KWC&VS that he began taking pictures for The Grumbler, the school year book.
Unable to find a drafting job, Belair worked for a local photographer and bought the business in 1939, the same year his photograph of the Royal visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth made the front page of the Kitchener Daily Record.
In 1982, Belair was named a Paul Harris Fellow by the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. In 2000, Belair was named an Honourary Senior Fellow by RenisonCollege, University of Waterloo for his contribution to the community.
In 2002, Belair was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal, as well as the K-W Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement recognizing his contribution to the cultural vitality of Waterloo Region.
A member of the Kitchener Rotary Club for more than 60 years, in 2007 Belair and his wife Keiko established the Keiko and Charles Belair Centre for East Asian Studies at RenisonCollege, University of Waterloo.
Charles Edgar Davies (b. 1930)
 Ed Davies was born in Toronto in 1930 and moved to Kitchener in 1964. He has been a dedicated, active volunteer and a driving force for community-based initiatives in Kitchener-Waterloo for the past 44 years. A member of KW Civitan for 44 years, Davies has been instrumental in raising funds for local charities. Davies has made significant contributions in Waterloo region in support of Civitan senior citizen housing projects, Civitan sports projects and child education.
An historian at heart, Davies took on the task of researching and documenting the history of sport and accomplished athletes from both Kitchener and Waterloo. Today, the Kitchener Sports Parade of History and the Waterloo Sports Parade of History total more than 600 images as well as details of team achievements. The Sports Parade of History is a project that has stretched over many years and is a true testament to Davies’ passion for sport and history. He was also instrumental in fundraising for the Sports Parade of History at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium and at the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex.
Davies has founded many other projects, including conceptualizing and chairing the Fire Education Centre at the Children’s Safety Village, the Civitan Seniors Apartment, taking children with disabilities to Disney World, Meals Programs for Seniors, fundraising for girls softball teams, the purchase of a Zamboni® for the twin ice pads at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium, and the Kitchener Sports Parade of History Banquet.
Davies has been recognized locally, provincially and internationally for his community service including the 0ntario Fire Marshall Fire Safety Award, the City of Kitchener Seniors of Distinction Leadership Award, and a Province of Ontario Award for Fire Safety. Davies continues to dedicate his life to helping others and his community. Davies is proud to be a husband, father and grandfather.
Edward Dyck (b. 1942)
 Howard Dyck’s musical roots go back to the own of Winkler, Manitoba where he was born, and where he began studying piano and violin and singing in many school and church choirs. After completing his undergraduate education in Canada and the United States, Dyck was awarded scholarships for advanced conducting studies in Germany.
When WilfridLaurierUniversity engaged him in 1971 to teach in the music department, Dyck, his wife Maggie, and their children moved from Winnipeg to Waterloo Region. Within a year of his arrival Dyck was conducting the Kitchener-Waterloo Philharmonic Choir. Now known as the Grand Philharmonic Choir, it became the heart and soul of his musical activities. Under Dyck’s visionary leadership, the choir has experienced unprecedented growth in size and expertise; its success has established Kitchener-Waterloo as a leading Canadian centre for choral music. For more than three decades, thousands of singers of all age groups have had the opportunity to perform under Dyck’s direction, singing in the adult, youth and children’s choirs. The Grand Philharmonic Choir has toured internationally and has been featured on numerous CBC Radio broadcasts as well as on television.
Closely identified with Handel’s Messiah, which he has conducted more than 100 times, Dyck regularly brings the great traditional choral works to local and national audiences. His vast repertoire includes many 20th and 21st century composers. A number of contemporary choral works have had their premiere performances under his baton.
During his years in Waterloo Region, Howard Dyck has also conducted the Kitchener Bach Choir, London Pro Musica, and the Bach Elgar Choir of Hamilton. He is the founding conductor of the Stratford Concert Choir and Consort Caritatis. His guest conducting career has taken him across Canada and to 18 countries on three continents.
A veteran CBC Radio broadcaster for more than 30 years, Dyck, with his clear, rich and authoritative voice, is known nationally and as the long-standing host of Choral Concert and Saturday Afternoon at the Opera. Among his numerous awards and honours are Doctor of Laws degrees from WilfridLaurierUniversity and the University of Waterloo, the Distinguished Service Award from both the Association of Canadian Choral Conductors and Choirs Ontario, the Kitchener-Waterloo Arts Award, the City of Waterloo Legacy of Leaders, the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award, and the Order of Canada. (Photograph - V. Tony Hauser)
Bob Hodges (b. 1944)
 Bob Hodges, a lifelong resident of Cambridge (Hespeler), played minor hockey and was the goaltender of two championship teams including the Hespeler Juveniles in 1963-64 and the Hespeler Jr. C Shamrocks in the mid-1960s.
Hodges began officiating minor hockey games in 1968. He progressed to the Ontario Hockey Association in 1969 and was picked to work the Memorial Cup in Ottawa in 1971. That same season he was scouted by Frank Udvari of the National Hockey League and was asked to work in the American Hockey League on weekends. Hodges worked 52 games that season while still maintaining his job in a local machine shop.
Hodges graduated to the National Hockey League (NHL) at the age of 28 in 1972, and over the next 25 years he officiated in 1,701 regular season games, 157 playoff games, three All Star Games and three Stanley Cup Finals. He also worked some international hockey games. Following his retirement in 1997 he supervised in the OHA for eight years, to help young officials.
Hodges’ longevity in the NHL is testimony to his conditioning, ability, and dedication. Officials are “always on the road", "on the ice for every shift" and "involved in every fight".
Hodges was inducted into the Cambridge Sports Hall of Fame in 1999.
Hodges’ only regret is that family life suffers. However his dedicated wife Gail raised their two children, Michelle and Shawn, “alone in the winter". The Hodges continue to live in Hespeler and remain dedicated to their community.
Donald Martin (b. 1933)
 Donald B. Martin was born in 1933 and was raised in a conservative Mennonite family in WoolwichTownship. As was common in families in his community, he quit school at age 16 and began working in carpentry and construction.
In his mid-20s he took over the family business, Martin Feed Mills Ltd., and built it into a significant business and employer in Elmira. Martin was also involved in the creation of more than 30 other businesses including the Elmira Land Development Company, Brox’s OldeTownVillage and B&L Metals.
Martin has held a number of volunteer positions both locally and nationally. He was President of the Elmira Board of Trade in 1965, the year the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival began. He has also served on the Elmira High School Board and has been a member of the Lions Club for 45 years. He is the recipient of the Melvin Jones Fellow given by Lions Club International Foundation. Some of his most challenging experiences were being involved in search and rescue missions where he volunteered his airplane and piloting expertise. He is also a Mason and Shriner. Martin served nationally as Chairman of the Canadian Feed Manufacturers Association.
He has been involved in the creation of many local facilities such as the LionsSportsPark, Kissing Bridge Trail, Lions Woolwich Dam Trail and the Elmira Golf and Country Club. Martin has been recognized for his community service with several awards of distinction including being named Woolwich Citizen of the Year in 1992. He is married to Waldtraut and they have three sons. (Photograph - Calla Studio, Elmira)
McClintock Family
 The McClintock Family is renowned for its water-skiing achievements.
Jason McClintock (b. 1987) is the 2006 Canadian Open Male Champion.
Jeff McClintock (pictured at left) was born in 1962 in Mississauga, Ontario. His family lived in Cambridge at PuslinchLake during the summer months and he learned to water-ski at age four and began competing at age eight. Over his 30 year career he won many Canadian National titles, several Pan Am titles and has held numerous national records. He was a member of the Canadian National Team from 1979 to 1987 and skied in four World Championships. He is a level 4 coach and was the Junior National Team coach for several years, then went on to coach the National Team from 1995 to 2001. He was named Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada Coach of the Year in 1996, 1998 and 1999. Jeff is the owner-operator of McClintock’s WaterSkiSchool, Trailer Resort and Pro Shop in Cambridge since 1986. Although he is no longer competing, he continues to be involved with water ski competitions as a judge, driver or technical control person.
Joel McClintock (b. 1960) learned to water-ski at age three and competed for the first time at age five. He won his first national title at age 11. Joel competed in five world championships and won the world title in 1979. As a coach, Joel led Canada to the world team title in 1991 and 1993, and he won the Coaching Association of Canada’s Excellence Award three times. He was inducted into the Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada Hall of Fame in 2004.
Judy McClintock-Messer (b. 1963) competed in water-skiing for the first time at age eight. She won her first national championship at age 10 and was a member of Canada’s national team for 19 years from 1978 to 1996. Judy won more than 30 national titles, and she holds 48 national records. In 1995, she was crowned Women’s World Overall Champion, retiring one year later. She was inducted into the Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada Hall of Fame in 2004.
Whitney McClintock (b. 1989) is the 2007 Canadian Open Female Champion.
Laura Nicholls (b. 1978)
 Laura Nicholls was born in Kitchener in 1978 and has lived in Waterloo all her life. She took swimming lessons at the local YMCA as a preschooler, and in 1983 joined the Region of Waterloo Swim Club. She swam and competed for ROW until 2003, and then continued her swimming career with the Pickering Swim Club from 2003 until her retirement in 2005.
Over the course of her 22 years in the sport of competitive swimming, Nicholls accomplished many goals, won many awards and travelled the world in pursuit of excellence. As a young swimmer with the Region of Waterloo Swim Club, she began to turn heads when she started setting club records in the eight and under age group in several events. She continued breaking club records in all age categories through the club’s top age group of 15 and over. By the time she ended her swimming career, she had set Ontario Records in all the sprint freestyle events – 50, 100 and 200-metre, both Short Course and Long Course; and Canadian Records in the Short Course 50 and 200-metre freestyle and the Long Course 50 and 100-metre freestyle.
As a member of the Canadian Senior National Swim Team from 1996 through 2005, Nicholls was one of the country’s fastest freestyle sprinters. She was the first woman in Canadian history to break the 56-second mark in the Long Course 100-metre freestyle. She won a total of 31 individual National Championships, and is a two-time Olympian. At the age of 17 she competed in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, USA, finishing 29th in the 50 freestyle. At the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia she and her team mates finished sixth in the 4x100 metre medley relay and seventh in the 4x100-metre freestyle relay. In individual events she finished 13th in the 100-metre freestyle and 23rd in the 200-metre freestyle.
Other memorable swims include two relay bronze medals at the Commonwealth Games, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1998; three gold medals, one silver medal and one bronze medal during the Pan American Games, Winnipeg in 1999; one relay bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games, Manchester, England in 2002. The final Canadian Records she set were the Long Course 50-metre freestyle in Toronto, July 2004 and the Short Course 50-metre freestyle in Calgary, November 2004.
Nicholl’s subsequent career choice has allowed her to give back to the swimming community as a coach of up-and-coming age group swimmers.
Ralph L. Shantz (b. 1934)
 Ralph Shantz was first elected to Wilmot Township Council in 1967. For the next 39 years, 10 of them as mayor, he served his constituents with outstanding dedication and commitment. His decisions and actions significantly influenced heritage preservation, quality of life, and the rural nature of WilmotTownship and Waterloo Region.
Shantz was active in the Wilmot Agricultural Society, Heritage Wilmot, Baden Chamber of Commerce, the restoration of Castle Kilbride and the construction of the Township offices in Baden. Shantz was very involved in Wilmot’s Millennium and the 150th Anniversary Celebrations in 2000, as well as the creation of the Oasis in the Centre.
Much passion and energy were expended in WilmotTownship’s Recreation Complex opened in 2008. A strong advocate for the environment and agriculture, Shantz worked relentlessly to protect Wilmot’s water quality and supply. He served on Shantz Mennonite Church Council and as an Elder. He also chaired the 150th Anniversary Committee and chaired the committee that published a history book of the church.
Shantz served on the Grand River Conservation Authority, Ontario Federation of Agriculture, Kitchener-Wilmot Hydro, as a Commissioner and Chair of the Commission, and the Pennsylvania German Folklore Society. He co-ordinated the 2006 Christian Shantz Family Reunion which celebrated the 200th anniversary of the family’s arrival in WaterlooCounty.
In 2005, the Provincial Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing presented Shantz with a “Long Standing Service Recognition Award”. In 2006, Wilmot Township Council named its newly renovated archives “The Ralph Shantz Reading Room.” In 2007, Shantz was honoured with the “Community Builder Award”, the second such award ever presented.
Born in 1934, Shantz has lived his entire life on the family farm on Erb’s Road near Baden, Ontario. He is married to the former Dorothy Schmitt and has two daughters, Kerry and Lori.
Yvonne Tousek (b. 1980)
 Yvonne Tousek was born in Kitchener in 1980. Like most gymnasts she started at an early age at the K-W Gymnastics Club. By age 12 she was already representing Canada on the international stage, competing in the children’s division of the Pan American Games, where she medaled in vault, uneven bars and floor exercises and won bronze in the all-around competition.
At the age of 14 she moved to Cambridge and she was soon competing at the senior level. Tousek was the top Canadian all-around finisher at the 1995 World Championships in Japan and at the 1997 Worlds in Switzerland.
At the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Tousek was the only Canadian woman to qualify for the all-around final and finished 26th.
In 1996 and 1997 Tousek was named Gymnastics Canada’s female athlete of the year and in 1999 she was named athlete of the year in Cambridge.
At the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Tousek captained the Canadian team that won the gold medal. Individually she placed fourth all-around and won a gold medal on the uneven bars and floor exercise; that year she became the first person to perform a sideways back handspring on the balance beam at the 1999 World Championships in Tianjin, China. The element was then named after her (The Tousek) in the International Gymnastics Code of Points.
At the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Tousek led the Canadian women to a ninth place finish in the team competition, placing 15th in the qualifying round.
Tousek finished her gymnastics career at the University of California at Los Angeles where she earned All-American honours and four NCAA titles (three team, one uneven bars). Yvonne is currently touring with the Cirque du Soleil show Corteo.
Fitzroy Carter “Fitz The Whip” Vanderpool (b. 1967)
 Fitzroy Carter Vanderpool was born in Trinidad and Tobago in 1967. He has been a Canadian citizen and resident of Kitchener since the age of six. His love of boxing began at the age of nine and his life has since been devoted to the sport.
In 1993, at the age of 26, Fitz “The Whip” turned professional and went on to win five professional boxing titles, including the Canadian Professional Boxing Federation Welterweight Championship in 1996. He was crowned the World Boxing Federation Inter Continental Champion in 1997 and in 1999 went on to win the WBF Super Welterweight World Championship. In 1997-98 the Canadian Professional Boxing Federation named him Canadian Boxer of the Year.
In addition to his successful professional boxing career, Vanderpool has been recognized for his lifetime commitment to health, fitness and community service in Kitchener-Waterloo. In 1997 he was named Kitchener-Waterloo’s Inaugural Athlete of the Year. He is one of 10 people selected to appear on the Eastwood Collegiate 50th Anniversary Wall of Recognition. He has been proclaimed an International Fire Safety Ambassador and in 2003 awarded for his Outstanding Contribution to Fire Safety. Vanderpool has been featured on CKCO as a Local Hero and Community Champion; he has been a celebrity judge for the Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest parade; and he has run for City Council.
Currently, Vanderpool is the head instructor and owner of The Whip Boxing Academy where he continues to thrive in the boxing community, producing young champions and transferring his knowledge and skills to young people.
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