Canada Games Hall of Honour to induct Catriona LeMay Doan and Colleen Jones

Ottawa – Olympic and World champion speed skater Catriona LeMay Doan and World and Canadian champion curler Colleen Jones, along with Builders Guy Rousseau and Jim Morell are the newest inductees into the Canada Games Hall of Honour.

“The 2011 Canada Games Hall of Honour class is a who’s who of Canada Games contributers and supporters and all have made a tremendous impact on the Canada Games Movement,” said Tom Quinn, Canada Games Council Chairman.  “Catriona and Colleen are fine examples of the Canada Games alumni having gone on to become national and World Champions, while Guy and Jim are visionaries who helped make all those dreams possible.”

Catriona LeMay Doan was the fastest woman on ice in the prime of her career.  She is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and the first and only Canadian individual to defend her Olympic title when she captured gold in the 500m in 2002 at Salt Lake City, repeating her performance from 1998 in Nagano.

She held the world record in the 500m for ten years and still currently holds the Olympic record. All told, she broke thirteen world records during her illustrious career.  In 2002, she was the recipient of the Lou Marsh Award as Canada’s Athlete of the Year and is a three-time winner of the Canadian Female Athlete of the Year award.  She has also been inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Sports Hall of Fame and appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada.

LeMay Doan participated in three Canada Games; two winter and one summer.  She made her debut at the 1983 Games in Saguenay/Lac St-Jean, Québec in short track speed skating and won a bronze medal for Team Saskatchewan in the 3,000m Relay.  At the 1987 Games in Cape Breton, she won silver in the 400m and bronze in the 800m.  She participated in athletics in the 1993 Summer Games in Kamloops, BC where her top finish was 7^th in the 4x400m Relay.

Born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and now making her home in Calgary, Alberta, LeMay Doan retired from Speed Skating in 2003 but continues her involvement in speed skating, the

Olympic Movement and the Canada Games Movement.  She currently sits on the Canada Games Council Board of Directors as well as the Canada Games Council Sports Committee.

LeMay Doan was part of CBC Sports, co-hosting the primetime show “Countdown to Beijing” and the 2008 Olympic Games. She was a part of CTV’s Olympic broadcast team for the Vancouver 2010 Games and resumes her duties for the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games.

Colleen Jones has been a dominant force in women’s curling and continues to be a presence on the national curling scene.  Jones has captured a record six Canadian Championships (Scott Tournament of Hearts), including four consecutive titles from 2001-2004.

She has gone on to win two World Curling Championships for Canada in 2001 and 2004 and was runner-up in 2003.

The Halifax, Nova Scotia native is not only known for her curling, but is widely recognized for her position as weather presenter and sports reporter for CBC Morning News on CBC News Network.

At the 1979 Canada Winter Games in Brandon, Manitoba, she helped Team Nova Scotia capture a silver medal.  Both of her sons have competed in the Canada Games and she played an important role to help secure the 2011 Canada Games in Halifax.  She is also a member of the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame.

Jim Morell’s involvement in the Canada Games is certainly to be commended as his commitment to the Movement spanned over 26 years.  He has been involved in the sports community in New Brunswick and nationally since 1968.  He was a member of the Canada Games Council from 1984 to 1987 and prior to that was a mission member or assistant-chef for Team New Brunswick from 1969-1981 and altogether has been to 14 Canada Games.

“I do not believe I did anything during the 18 years of my involvement with the Canada Games where I did not ask for Jim Morell to be with me as my right hand man,” said 2009 Canada Games Hall of Honour inductee Don Johnson.

The Fredericton, New Brunswick native played a major role in the development and establishment of the Canada Games’ Jack Pelech Award and the Roly McLenhan Torch and was a member of the Host Community Board of Directors for the 1985 Canada Games in Saint John, New Brunswick.

Guy Rousseau was one of the pioneers of the Canada Games as Executive Director of the inaugural Canada Winter Games in  Québec City in 1967.  His work and vision continues to be carried on by the Canada Games Council to this day and it is large part thanks to what he accomplished in 1967 in Québec City that the Canada Games Movement was created to last.

The organization of the 1967 Games was a tremendous undertaking considering there was no precedent or standard to follow prior to this.  Rousseau would conduct meetings with all the provincial Premiers and territorial Chiefs to convince them to become involved in the Canada Games Movement.  Without the involvement of all the provinces and territories, and Guy Rousseau, the creation of the Canada Games would not have been possible.

Induction into the Canada Games Hall of Honour occurs every two years during every Canada Games.  The Hall of Honour recognizes, honours and celebrates exceptional Canada Games alumni who have distinguished themselves as athletes, coaches, officials or administrators, or who have made an outstanding contribution to the development and advancement of the Canada Games Movement.

Nominees can be entered into three categories; Athlete, Coach or Builder (officials, administrators and volunteers).  The induction ceremony will take place at the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame in Halifax on February 10^th, 2011 as part of the celebrations for the 2011 Canada Winter Games in Halifax from February 11-27, 2011.