The Beaverton Thorah Community Centre will soon be named in memory of broadcasting legend Foster Hewitt.
Township council unanimously supported a request from the Beaverton Lions Club to rename the facility at its meeting Monday (Nov. 4) night.
Ward 1 Councillor Mike Jubb brought forward the motion and noted that Hewitt – who maintained a cottage in the village for decades – was in attendance for the grand opening of the facility in 1972.
“Foster Hewitt was a legend. Not only in Brock but across Canada,” he said.
For more than four decades, Hewitt served as the voice of national hockey broadcasts, including Hockey Night in Canada.
Having the arena named in memory of Hewitt would be a “fitting tribute” to the Hall of Famer, the Lions told members of council.
“Foster Hewitt, a legend in our country, was intertwined with most of the major hockey events of the 20th century. Foster has continued to make a significant contribution to our community long after his passing. The Foster Hewitt Memorial Fund assists many of our local service groups with annual donations designed to benefit the youth of our community,” the letter from Lions Club reads.
“Beaverton Lions Club has been the beneficiary of these donations for any years. These funds allowed the established of the original children’s swimming program in town and later in Canal Lake. It now helps support many other youth activities and clubs.”
The cost for new signs for the facility are estimated to cost between $5,000 and $10,000.
