Stittsville Arena may be named after Johnny Leroux
A local legend on both the fastball and hockey scenes in the area, Mr. John Leroux, may have an arena named after him, as per the article below from the Stittsville News this week. Note for you SCTV fans, not the same guy as this Johnny Larue.
Over four decades of sports in Stittsville for John Leroux
by John Curry, Stittsville News
A proposal has now been made to the city of Ottawa to name the Stittsville District Community Centre after John Leroux of Stittsville. But just who is this John Leroux and why is it a good idea to name this arena, which opened in 1971, after him? He is probably the most recognizable face around the Stittsville arena and has been ever since it opened. He is probably as well one of the greatest sports fans that you could ever meet – a fan who just enjoys being involved with sports, be it hockey or ball or boxing. He’s played sports, he’s organized sports, he’s supported sports for his whole life. John Leroux helped in the arena’s construction, assisting Ted Martin as he dug holes on the site for the community construction project. He also participated in fundraising walkathons which were held to raise money for the arena construction. Working as a chef at the Skyline Hotel in Ottawa at the time, John was approached by several Stittsville residents about catering two Sportsmen’s Dinners which were being held as fundraisers for the new arena. John readily agreed and in fact this is what began a 20 year career as a caterer, something which he did on a part-time basis from 1972 through to 1992. After the arena was opened, John voluntarily helped out manager Charlie Fraser at times but it was his involvement in community sports at the arena that saw him become a beloved household name in Stittsville. For years, he served as a referee for the Stittsville Minor Hockey Association, starting in 1972 and carrying on until 1999 when he stopped, not because of advancing age but because of other sporting commitments. He also referred in men’s hockey, stopping only four years ago at the age of 73. John started to coach local minor hockey teams in 1972, continuing for 14 years. Among the players whom he coached is current National Hockey League player Matt Bradley who played one season as an atom under Johnny’s tutelage. But it is really in oldtimers hockey where John has made his lasting mark. Indeed, he could rightly be called the Father of Oldtimers Hockey in Stittsville. He was founder of the Stittsville Merchant Selects who hosted numerous tournaments at the Stittsville arena in the 1980’s and 1990’s. The Merchant Selects teams also participated in national tournaments and international ones like the Can- Am Tournament in Lake Placid. In a period from 1988 to 1994, various Stittsville oldtimers’ teams won 13 gold medals as well as other silver and bronze ones in these tournaments at Lake Placid. John served as a coach for these teams. He initially played in the age 40 and over division before moving on to the age 50 and over category. Playing hockey has been a big part of his life, going back to the days when he was a stick boy for the Pembroke Senior Lumber Kings at age 10 and went on to play with the Junior Lumber Kings at age 15 before going off to the lumber camp with his father and then joining the army at the age of 18. When he fi rst moved to Stittsville in 1964, he played in the Stittsville Town Hockey League which played out of the Bell Arena. When the Stittsville arena opened in 1971, he helped re-start the Town Hockey League which had become dormant. In 1978, he started an age 30 and over league in Stittsville, playing and coaching for nine years while also doing some refereeing. He then began his involvement with the Stittsville Merchant Selects, spending nearly the next 20 years with these oldtimer hockey teams. John, a Korean War veteran, combined his love of sports with his involvement with the Royal Canadian Legion in Stittsville, spending 14 years as chair of minor sports for the Legion. While in this role, he inaugurated the annual poppy blitz of the community in which a dozen or so minor hockey teams go door-to-door in Stittsville for the Legion, distributing poppies. This exposes the young players to the concept of Remembrance, getting them involved as they wear their team jerseys on blitz day. And while John’s role in local hockey circles now in Stittsville is mainly that of a fan, he still works as a timekeeper at men’s league games. As a grandfather, he follows the elite girls’ hockey team on which his granddaughter Courtney Bradley plays. It travels to games and tournaments in Toronto and the upper United States and Johnny is always going along with his team jacket and hat. But his grandchildren don’t have to be involved for him to turn up and watch a minor hockey game. On the day of the surprise evening announcement about the move to rename the arena after him (he was lured to the gathering on the premise that it was a birthday party for a family member), John had been at the Bell Sensplex watching three games in the provincial bantam championship that was being held there. He just wanted to enjoy the action. John’s involvement with sports, of course, goes far beyond hockey. A former Canadian army champion boxer, he had started a boxing club in the community in 1975, an enterprise which continued for several years. Starting in 1970, he coached a bantam girls’ ball team, the Stittsville Roadrunners, winning two titles. He sat on the executive of the Stittsville Fringewood Ball Association and did a lot of umpiring at all levels, right up to senior ball. He was instrumental in the formation of a men’s recreational fastball league involving teams from Stittsville, Richmond, Munster and Ashton. He began umpiring in this league as well as coaching. As parks manager for Goulbourn township for 16 years until his retirement in 1990, he gained a reputation for maintaining ball diamonds. He was in charge of diamond maintenance for a midget All-Ontario Championship and for a number of All-Ontario Men’s Championships at Carlington Park in Ottawa. His career in the army saw him serve as a cook on the front lines of the Korean War for a year and nine months, from March 1952 to December 1953. He not only cooked for the troops but also fought in the trenches when the North Koreans attacked. This is why there is now the initiative to name the Stittsville arena after John Leroux. He has spent over 45 years involved in sports of all kinds in the community, always with an enthusiasm and smile on his face that makes you realize that winning is not what matters most; it is playing and having fun that is the real reason for sports of all kinds and for all ages.
Over four decades of sports in Stittsville for John Leroux
by John Curry, Stittsville News
A proposal has now been made to the city of Ottawa to name the Stittsville District Community Centre after John Leroux of Stittsville. But just who is this John Leroux and why is it a good idea to name this arena, which opened in 1971, after him? He is probably the most recognizable face around the Stittsville arena and has been ever since it opened. He is probably as well one of the greatest sports fans that you could ever meet – a fan who just enjoys being involved with sports, be it hockey or ball or boxing. He’s played sports, he’s organized sports, he’s supported sports for his whole life. John Leroux helped in the arena’s construction, assisting Ted Martin as he dug holes on the site for the community construction project. He also participated in fundraising walkathons which were held to raise money for the arena construction. Working as a chef at the Skyline Hotel in Ottawa at the time, John was approached by several Stittsville residents about catering two Sportsmen’s Dinners which were being held as fundraisers for the new arena. John readily agreed and in fact this is what began a 20 year career as a caterer, something which he did on a part-time basis from 1972 through to 1992. After the arena was opened, John voluntarily helped out manager Charlie Fraser at times but it was his involvement in community sports at the arena that saw him become a beloved household name in Stittsville. For years, he served as a referee for the Stittsville Minor Hockey Association, starting in 1972 and carrying on until 1999 when he stopped, not because of advancing age but because of other sporting commitments. He also referred in men’s hockey, stopping only four years ago at the age of 73. John started to coach local minor hockey teams in 1972, continuing for 14 years. Among the players whom he coached is current National Hockey League player Matt Bradley who played one season as an atom under Johnny’s tutelage. But it is really in oldtimers hockey where John has made his lasting mark. Indeed, he could rightly be called the Father of Oldtimers Hockey in Stittsville. He was founder of the Stittsville Merchant Selects who hosted numerous tournaments at the Stittsville arena in the 1980’s and 1990’s. The Merchant Selects teams also participated in national tournaments and international ones like the Can- Am Tournament in Lake Placid. In a period from 1988 to 1994, various Stittsville oldtimers’ teams won 13 gold medals as well as other silver and bronze ones in these tournaments at Lake Placid. John served as a coach for these teams. He initially played in the age 40 and over division before moving on to the age 50 and over category. Playing hockey has been a big part of his life, going back to the days when he was a stick boy for the Pembroke Senior Lumber Kings at age 10 and went on to play with the Junior Lumber Kings at age 15 before going off to the lumber camp with his father and then joining the army at the age of 18. When he fi rst moved to Stittsville in 1964, he played in the Stittsville Town Hockey League which played out of the Bell Arena. When the Stittsville arena opened in 1971, he helped re-start the Town Hockey League which had become dormant. In 1978, he started an age 30 and over league in Stittsville, playing and coaching for nine years while also doing some refereeing. He then began his involvement with the Stittsville Merchant Selects, spending nearly the next 20 years with these oldtimer hockey teams. John, a Korean War veteran, combined his love of sports with his involvement with the Royal Canadian Legion in Stittsville, spending 14 years as chair of minor sports for the Legion. While in this role, he inaugurated the annual poppy blitz of the community in which a dozen or so minor hockey teams go door-to-door in Stittsville for the Legion, distributing poppies. This exposes the young players to the concept of Remembrance, getting them involved as they wear their team jerseys on blitz day. And while John’s role in local hockey circles now in Stittsville is mainly that of a fan, he still works as a timekeeper at men’s league games. As a grandfather, he follows the elite girls’ hockey team on which his granddaughter Courtney Bradley plays. It travels to games and tournaments in Toronto and the upper United States and Johnny is always going along with his team jacket and hat. But his grandchildren don’t have to be involved for him to turn up and watch a minor hockey game. On the day of the surprise evening announcement about the move to rename the arena after him (he was lured to the gathering on the premise that it was a birthday party for a family member), John had been at the Bell Sensplex watching three games in the provincial bantam championship that was being held there. He just wanted to enjoy the action. John’s involvement with sports, of course, goes far beyond hockey. A former Canadian army champion boxer, he had started a boxing club in the community in 1975, an enterprise which continued for several years. Starting in 1970, he coached a bantam girls’ ball team, the Stittsville Roadrunners, winning two titles. He sat on the executive of the Stittsville Fringewood Ball Association and did a lot of umpiring at all levels, right up to senior ball. He was instrumental in the formation of a men’s recreational fastball league involving teams from Stittsville, Richmond, Munster and Ashton. He began umpiring in this league as well as coaching. As parks manager for Goulbourn township for 16 years until his retirement in 1990, he gained a reputation for maintaining ball diamonds. He was in charge of diamond maintenance for a midget All-Ontario Championship and for a number of All-Ontario Men’s Championships at Carlington Park in Ottawa. His career in the army saw him serve as a cook on the front lines of the Korean War for a year and nine months, from March 1952 to December 1953. He not only cooked for the troops but also fought in the trenches when the North Koreans attacked. This is why there is now the initiative to name the Stittsville arena after John Leroux. He has spent over 45 years involved in sports of all kinds in the community, always with an enthusiasm and smile on his face that makes you realize that winning is not what matters most; it is playing and having fun that is the real reason for sports of all kinds and for all ages.
posted by fitzroyfastball | 4/09/2010 11:58:00 pm
1 Comments:
If you say you live in Stittsville and do not know who Johnny Leroux, then you are a guest not a resident.
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