Ontario Elite Hockey League Approves Second Round of Expansion
Bu OEHL, June 6, 2025 – The Ontario Elite Hockey League announced a second round of expansion for the 2025-26 season. The OEHL member clubs and the Ontario Hockey Association have approved for play the Dunnville Aeros and Elmvale Harvesters. Dunnville is an established franchise with strong community roots, and represents the OEHL’s first team based in Haldimand County. Elmvale will play its inaugural season in 2025-26 out of the Elmvale Community Arena. The Harvesters name pays tribute to Elmvale’s hockey and farming tradition, carrying on the name of an Intermediate team that played in Elmvale in the 1950s and 60s. The OEHL has now approved a total of five expansion franchises for 2025-26, previously approving the Elora Rocks, Shelburne Muskies and Tillsonburg Thunder. This brings the OEHL membership to 16 teams competing in the 2025-26 season. OEHL member clubs will determine regular season and playoff formats during its Annual General Meeting later this month.
The Penetanguishene Sports Hall of Fame
By Waxy Gregoire April 7, 2025
The Penetanguishene Sports Hall of Fame is pleased to announce the 2025 Inductees into its Sports Hall of Fame. The two athletes, two builders and one team will be enshrined at a Dinner and Ceremony to be held on Saturday, October 18, 2025, in the Brian Orser Hall at the Penetanguishene Memorial Arena.
This year’s five inductees include a 1960’s powerhouse Novice hockey team, a provincial high school shotput champion, a multi world and Canadian softball champion, a longtime irreplaceable community fastball volunteer and the Hall of Fame’s amazing inaugural volunteer curator.
The Penetanguishene Sports Hall of Fame has been in existence since 1987. This will be its 19th Induction Dinner and Ceremony. With these newest inductees, the Penetanguishene Sports Hall of Fame will now boast 86 honoured members. These include 42 Athletes, 12 Teams, and 32 Builders, for a total of 302 individuals.
Tickets for the October 18 event will be made available later in the summer through Waxy Gregoire at 705 549-7912 or 705 528-9230. The Induction Dinners always sell out quickly.
1963-64 Jr. “A” novice hockey team – Team
Nominated by L. Waxy Gregoire
Under the tutelage of coach Don Quigley, Trainer Martin Quigley Sr. and Manager Jim McDonald, these young boys lost only one game all season. They then won their local playdowns and then headed to Parry Sound to participate in the provincial championships. This powerful team would win the 1964 All-Ontario Little NHL championships by defeating Huntsville, Thornhill, Orangeville for the “B” championship, then defeating Newmarket for the “BB” grand championship.
Born in Penetanguishene, baseball was in his blood and the ensuing accolades for Keith Rankin are simply too numerous to list. His baseball skills were in in high demand in softball circles. Keith Rankin won nine Simcoe Rural League Champions with Wyevale, Orillia and Minesing, and was league MVP on six occasions.
Keith won three Canadian Men Senior and Masters Championships with Cobourg, Saskatoon and Surrey B.C., and won one North American Championship with Toronto in 2001 where he was also named to the First All-Star Team. He participated in over twelve world softball championships with various Canadian and American teams since 1999 and won a masters world championship with Cobourg as recently as 2024.
Lucie Maurice – Athlete
Nominated by Raymond Cole & family
Born in Penetanguishene, Lucie Maurice’s athletic ability shined at an early age at Ecole St. Croix primary school in Lafontaine, Ontario where she was junior girls champion and dominant in the 100 metre, 200 metre, shot put, and triple jump at local meets.
Her prowess only developed and expanded when she attended Penetanguishene Secondary School. In her first year, Lucie won the local tri-meet and zone meet midget championships and qualified to attend the OFSSA (Ontario Federation of Secondary School) championships at Centennial Park in Etobicoke.
Against twenty-three opponents, many of them larger, her throw of 9.72 metres in the shotput gave her the Ontario midget girls gold medal against bigger schools from larger communities, an amazing accomplishment. It was PSS’s first ever OFSSA gold medal.
Fred Patterson – Builder
Nominated by Norm Robitaille
Born and raised in Penetanguishene, Fred has been volunteering at the Penetanguishene Centennial Museum for the past thirty-five years but even longer at Toanche Park in Tiny Township. Between 1977 and 2022, Fred was the treasurer for the Toanche Park board. Fred also held the positions of scheduler, community contact and director of the board. That same year, Fred was a founding board member of the Georgian Bay Minor Softball League.
Along with his longtime friend, Larry Patenaude, Fred has been a force in organizing minor softball and fundraising at Toanche Park over many decades. His volunteerism has been outstanding and has been recognized with many local and provincial volunteer awards.
Stephanie Meeuwse – Builder
Nominated by David Dupuis
Born in Newmarket, Stephanie Meeuwse graduated with a degree from Sir Sandford Fleming College in Museum Management and Curatorship. A few years later as curator of the Penetanguishene Centennial Museum, Stephanie was instrumental in collecting inductee artifacts as she created the first Penetanguishene Sports Hall of Fame displays there in 1995.
Despite working as Collections Supervisor for the Museums of Mississauga, Stephanie helped the PSHOF develop policies and create displays for its new Hall of Fame which opened in 2007. She continues to assist the Hall in all aspects of collections management and every two years since, Stephanie volunteers countless hours to completely revamp the Hall and create old and new displays for the Induction Dinners and Ceremonies.