(Ottawa, ON) Softball Canada is pleased to announce that Jimm Barr (Official, Northwest Territories), Paul Gard (Builder, Northwest Territories) and Adam Smith (Athlete, Ontario) will be inducted into the Softball Canada Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will take place on November 16, 2013 in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Â
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Jimm Barr’s (London, ON) illustrious umpiring career began in Yellowknife, NWT where he worked local games while he was stationed there as an RCMP officer. He worked many Canadian Championships and was awarded his Level V and International Softball Federation umpire status in 1990. At the international level, Jimm worked the 1994 and 2002 ISF Women’s World Championships as well as the 2000 ISF Men’s World Championship, and also officiated at the 1995 Women’s Olympic Qualifier in Puerto Rico. Jimm served on Softball Canada’s Officiating Development Committee (ODC) from 1996 to 2000, and served as a Canadian Championship Umpire in Chief eight times and Deputy Umpire in Chief four times as well as presenting at several Blue Conventions. He moved to Saskatoon, SK in 1996 and to London, ON in 2006 where he passed away suddenly on March 8th, 2012. He is survived by his wife Diana Barr and son Nolan Barr. Â
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Paul Gard (Yellowknife, NWT) has been involved with softball for over 40 years as a player, coach and administrator. One of his crowning achievements as a player was winning the 1981 Canadian Men’s Fastpitch Championship as a member of the Crown Well Oilers from Alberta, and he also played in several World Masters Games. Paul has been involved with NWT Softball for many years, serving as President on two occasions and contributing in many other roles to develop the sport in the Territory. He coached Team NWT to a consolation round Gold medal at the 2009 U19 Men’s International Championship, and also coached this year’s team at the U21 Men’s International Championship, losing in the consolation round finals. This year will be Paul’s last year serving on Softball NWT’s board, which he will end by hosting the Softball Canada Congress for the first time in the Territory. Â
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Adam Smith (Hagersville, ON) played on Canada’s Senior Men’s National Team from 1989 to 2000, where he represented our country at two ISF Men’s World Championships – winning Gold in 1992 and a fourth-place finish in 2000 – and two Pan American Games, where he won Gold in 1995 and 1999. In addition to his tremendous international career, Adam is also a four-time Canadian Championship Gold medalist and a five-time Silver medalist, earning All-Star and Top Batter awards in 1993 and was the Top Player of the Championship Round in 1996. Smith is known for his fantastic two-way play as a very dangerous hitter and a remarkable defensive second baseman, capable of making highlight reel plays at any time. Over his career, he played for several teams in Ontario, including Burlington, Owen Sound, Toronto, Oshawa and Kitchener-Waterloo. Â
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All three inductees will join the Softball Canada Hall of Fame at an Induction ceremony which will be held Saturday, November 16, 2013. The ceremony will be held in conjunction with Softball Canada’s Annual General Meeting and Congress in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, which will take place from November 14-16.
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For more information, please contact:
Gilles LeBlanc Manager - Marketing and Communications Softball Canada (613) 523-3386 ext. 3105 gleblanc@softball.ca
