The spacious Canadian Room of the Royal York Hotel looked like ‘home’ for the 14th Annual Sports Media Canada Achievement Awards presentation luncheon on Monday, October 19. Close to 300 were on hand — and comfortable in the hotel’s premier meeting space and something of a new record for the event was established when proceedings reached a successful conclusion BEFORE two p.m.
It has always been the ambition of the Luncheon Organizing Committee to have all the business of the luncheon complete in time to let everyone attending get away (back to their offices) by 2 p.m. But it had never happened until this 14th edition of the Awards Luncheon.
The luncheon opened with a short, dynamic presentation by Toronto Mayor David Miller — a city official very sympathetic to sport and its place in the culture of a city. He was followed by the equally dynamic former Ontario premier David Peterson who set the stage for the imminent final vote on the awarding of the 2015 Pan Am Games — for which Toronto is considered very much in the running.
MC Dave Hodge was in peak form as he verbally table-hopped on three occasions during the lunch — introducing familiar faces in sport and sports media.
The formal Award presentations began with the new President’s Award. The inaugural award went to Tom Anselmi, Executive Vice President and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, the man deemed most responsible for the creation of the new Toronto FC franchise in Major League Soccer and for its close and highly successful identification with many diverse segments of the community.
The Career Achievement award went to veteran Globe and Mail golf columnist Lorne Rubenstein, the Award for Outstanding Sports Broadcasting to CBC lead NHL commentator Jim Hughson, the Outstanding Sportswriting Award to the Globe and Mail team of Dave Shoalts and Paul Waldie and for Outstanding Sports Photography to Ottawa Canadian Press photographer Adrian Wyld.
Students Tyler King and Jesilou Tongio received bursaries to complete their studies in sports journalism.
The Canadian Sports Executive of the Year Award went to Bob Boughner of Windsor. The former NHLer is the owner and coach of the Memorial Cup Champion Windsor Spitfires.
Former Toronto Argo President Keith Pelley — also a former president of TSN and now President of Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium — gave the assembly a concise preview of TV coverage plans for the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.
One of the luncheon’s themes was recognition and celebration of TSN’s 25th anniversary — marked specifically by the presentation of a second President’s Award to TSN — accepted current president Phil King with past president’s Rick Brace and founding president Gordon Craig looking on.
The next Sports Media Canada Achievement Awards will be the 15th Annual. The presentation luncheon in 2010 is again planned for the month of October – precise date to be announced.