MEDIA RELEASE July 29, 2016

Winning names announced for the Acton Arena ice pad naming contest HALTON HILLS, ON – The votes are in and two local long-time sports volunteers will be honoured by having new ice pads in Acton named in their honour. “On behalf of Council, I am pleased to announce that Harold Townsley and Ron McKnight were selected as the two names for the ice pads at the Acton Arena”, said Mayor Rick Bonnette. “They were great community members that had great passion for all sports and dedicated their time to volunteering in our Community.” The naming contest for Acton Arena and Community Centre ice pads was launched in January and was well received by the community, with 349 entries received. Harold Townsley had been a hard worker and leader in sports in Acton since he was old enough to hold a hockey stick or baseball glove. He had a long history in minor, and later, semi-pro hockey. He spent several years as a volunteer with the Town’s Recreation and Parks Department before becoming the Acton Arena manager in 1967 where he remained until 1988. He spent 30 years as a volunteer with the Acton Fire Department. Coming from Newmarket originally, he was a resident of Acton for 70 years. He was a referee with Acton’s Hockey League for many years and also coached the Acton Bantams for approximately 17 years. He was involved with the Acton Jr. B Sabres for eight years and the Jr. C Sabers. He served as assist general manager for Jr. C team in Erin for 15 yrs. He was a life member of the Acton Fire Department, the Acton Minor Hockey Association, OMHA, and the Acton Figure Skating Club. Harold cofounded the Acton Hockey and Skating school in the 1960’s and it still exists today. He spent time volunteering at the Mayor's Heritage Golf Tournament. He was Acton’s citizen of the Year in 2000 and was inducted into the Halton Hills Sports Museum Sports Hall of Fame for his contributions as a builder for hockey and baseball. Ron McKnight was a man to be admired. He looked beyond his physical disabilities and gave his all to his community for many years. Although Ron could not be involved in sports actively as a player he gave his time from the sidelines both in Acton and in Georgetown whether it was hockey, lacrosse, figure skating or baseball. Ron was known as the "Voice of Acton" as he spent many years driving around advertising events or working in the arenas as the announcer. In 1969, at the young age of 20, he became the youngest president of the Acton Minor Hockey League in the history of the club. He was the President of the Georgetown Referee Association, Secretary of the Tri

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County Hockey Minor Hockey Association and in 1989 was awarded a life membership. Ron was heavily involved in his hometown community. He would be seen every year at Tim Horton’s promoting their Camp Day, helping raising funds for the Three Musketears Skateboard Park, helping at the Terry Fox Run and the Paul Murr Memorial Golf Tournament raising funds for cancer. He worked on the Accessibility Committee for the Town of Halton Hills, the executive of the Royal Canadian Legion and was past president of the Rotary Club in Acton. Ron was named Acton Citizen of the Year in 1980, the 1984 OMHA Honour Award, and the 1988 Hockey Heritage Award. He was inducted in the Halton Hills Sports Museum in 2009. Based on the feedback from the community during the ice pad naming contest, the members of the Acton Arena Steering Committee wish to acknowledge the contributions of other local residents who have been actively involved in hockey. There are three local residents who have received notoriety through their roles in officiating hockey at the national level, as well as their contributions to the development and promotion of local hockey. Given their prominence in the field the two referee rooms at the Mold-Masters SportsPlex are being named in honour of Bryan Lewis and John/Wes McCauley. The winners of the Acton Ice Pad naming contest are Kendra Kellas and Wayne Deforest, both of Acton. They each win an iPad mini. A small reception will be held in the early fall to officially recognize the naming of the two ice pads. About the Town of Halton Hills The Town of Halton Hills, with a population of approximately 60,000, consists of two urban centres, Georgetown and Acton, the Halton Hills Premier Gateway employment area, three hamlets – Glen Williams, Stewarttown and Norval – and several smaller settlements. Halton Hills has long been recognized for its natural beauty, active agricultural community, high quality of life and proximity to major centres, including Brampton, Mississauga and Toronto. The Town is ranked as one of the top small communities in Canada by a national magazine.

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For further information contact: Heather McLean Recreation Supervisor – Community Development Recreation and Parks Department 905-873-2601, ext. 2262 [email protected]