2009 inductees announced for Sault Walk of Fame

Sixty years ago, Doreen Hume was one of three acclaimed Sault performers who returned home to star in an opening-night concert (shown) at the brand-new Sault Memorial Gardens.

Hume outlasted the old Gardens, which was torn down in 2006.

This fall, she'll be honoured at the Essar Centre, as one of four inductees to the Sault Ste. Marie Walk of Fame.

The following announcement was issued today.

************************* Four to be honoured in the 2009 Walk of Fame

SAULT STE. MARIE – (June 1) - The City of Sault Ste. Marie and the Downtown Association are pleased to announce the names of the four inductees in the 2009 Sault Ste. Marie Walk of Fame.

The inductees are: Doreen Hume, Russ Ramsay, Edie Kerr and Scott Vernelli, with the latter three inductees being recognized posthumously.

The Walk of Fame ceremony will take place in September at the Essar Centre.

“We had a record number of nominees this year and it is always exciting to read about local people’s achievements,” says Anna Boyonoski, manager of the Downtown Association and co-chair of the Walk of Fame Committee.

“All four inductees make all of us proud to call Sault Ste. Marie our home,” says Jamie Caicco, city councilor and co-chair of the Walk of Fame Committee.

Each year, inductees are recognized for outstanding achievement in one (or more) of the following areas: athletic, cultural, academic or humanitarian achievement, outstanding contribution to community business, environment, sports, science or entertainment. Nominations for the 2010 Walk of fame inductees will be solicited from the public next spring.

The Walk of Fame is an annual event and is a joint project between the City of Sault Ste. Marie and the Downtown Association.

************************* Doreen Hume

Touted as Canada’s most outstanding coloratura soprano, Doreen Hume is known world-wide for her singing.

She began her musical career in the Algoma Music Festivals, later moving to Toronto to study at the Royal Conservatory of Music.

She launched her professional career after winning both “Opportunity Knocks” – the National CBC Talent Search – and “Singing Stars of Tomorrow” – a cross-Canada operatic competition.

Doreen performed with the CBC Opera and appeared many times as guest soloist with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra at Massey Hall.

After moving to England in 1954, she served as principal soprano soloist with the British Broadcasting Corporation in addition to performing throughout Europe.

Overall she performed in over 1,800 radio and TV broadcasts and recorded 12 LPs.

She traveled to Cyprus, Malta and North Africa for the British War office entertaining British troops abroad.

She also performed at the International Festival of Light Music, in Venice, before an audience of 24,000 in St. Marks’ Square.

Doreen represented Canada, by request of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, at the 20th anniversary of the liberation of Holland.

Other performances included Canterbury Cathedral in the presence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, a concert at Buckingham Palace in the presence of the Royal Family to meet and honour the six surviving army veterans of the Boer war, as well as Festival Hall and Albert Hall performances.

Throughout her career, Doreen has worked with a veritable ‘who’s who’ of distinguished conductors.

At almost 83 years of age, Doreen has just recently retired from producing and directing theatre. Edie Kerr

When Sault Ste. Marie hosts the Scott Tournament of Hearts in 2010, there will be one extra fan in the arena.

You won’t see the late Edie Kerr there but she’ll be present in spirit.

Next year marks the 32nd year since the MacDonald Lassies (now known as the Scott Tournament of Hearts) first came to the city, paving the way for many future bonspiels and tournaments.

Thanks to Edie’s efforts, that first event became a reality and, following it, many other curling events.

An avid curler, herself, with the Soo Curlers Association, Edie is being recognized in the Walk of Fame for her thousands of hours of volunteerism organizing and overseeing many curling events in our city as well as for her role as an ambassador to our community.

Edie’s name has been synonymous with curling since the early 1950s and her planning strategies have become an accepted template to what is involved in organizing a curling event.

Edie’s efforts also saw the 1978 MacDonald Lassie (Canadian Women’s Curling Championship), 1980 Canadian Juniors and the 1990 Labatt Brier come to Sault Ste. Marie.

She also organized the Canadian Ladies Curling Association Scottish Tour in 1980 and played, in Scotland, as one of two curlers from Ontario.

Edie was not only a great cheerleader of the sport but also a role model to aspiring curlers.

Her organizational templates, for past curling events, have long been utilized as infrastructure in organizing curling events.

This is a posthumous induction as Edie passed away in 2005.

MCpl Scott “Scottie” Vernelli

Scottie achieved greatness at a young age but with the ultimate sacrifice for a cause he so strongly believed in.

After joining the military in January 2000, Scottie completed his basic training and infantry battle school where he received the Battle Craft Award for top achievement in hand-to-hand combat.

He was then posted to the 1st Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment.

He was on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan, where he had also participated in the first-ever Canadian air assault in Afghanistan using Canadian helicopters, he was killed in the spring of 2009. In between tours of duty, he volunteered his time in Sault Ste. Marie classrooms talking with students about his experiences.

Scottie was the first native Sault Ste. Marie soldier to be killed in active duty since the Korean War.

Russ Ramsay

Russ Ramsay’s career choices may have taken him many different places but his heart was always in the community of Sault Ste. Marie.

Russ spent 30 years in radio and television where he received many honours in his lifetime including “Broadcaster Who Best Served his Community” award from the Central Canada Broadcasters’ Association.

Locally, he was also a staunch volunteer, dedicating many years to chairing community organizations such as the YMCA, United Way, Plummer Memorial Hospital and Canadian Association of Broadcasters.

Over the years, Russ was bestowed with many other honours and awards including the Order of Canada, the City’s Medal of Merit, B’Nai B’rith Society’s Citizen of the Year, and was inducted into the Sault Ste. Marie Hockey Hall of Fame (for sports broadcasting) as well as the Russ Ramsay High School Sports Hall of Fame.

A sports gallery in the Sault Ste. Marie Museum is named after him as is the road leading to City Hall and a boardroom located within it.

His commitment to his community led him to enter the world of politics where he served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1978 to 1985.

He was appointed to the cabinet as secretary for resources development in 1981 and promoted to minister of labour in 1982.

This Walk of Fame induction is a testament to the community-mindedness of Russ as business man, politician and volunteer.

This is a posthumous recognition as Russ passed away in 2003.

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