It has been announced that Gilles Barrieau, one the most dominant drivers to ever get in the sulky in the Maritimes, will join four others in being enshrined into the Greater Saint John Sports Hall of Fame later this year.
Gilles Barrieau, Franklin Henderson, Sue Ellis-Loparco, Albert Roche, Tom Young and the Flood Brothers will be inducted on Saturday, November 2 at Lily Lake Pavilion.
“This is an exceptional group,” said Fred Horgan, who chairs the selection committee. “All of them are fully deserving of their place amongst the other legends of Saint John’s sporting community.”
Barrieau is a talented harness racing driver with more than 4,400 career wins, including four victories in the prestigious Gold Cup & Saucer in Charlottetown. He is said to be the most dominant driver in modern history at Exhibition Park.
Gilles Barrieau
Henderson was afflicted by polio at the age of four, resulting in partial paralysis from the waist down. He competed in the Olympiad (now known as the Paralympics) twice, winning a silver medal in the men’s 60 metre relay in 1972 in Heidelberg, West Germany.
Ellis-Loparco has been a well-respected coach in track and field, speed skating and volleyball for many years. Many of her track and speed skating athletes have competed on the national stage.
Roche, who will be inducted posthumously, played a significant role in the formation and development of the Saint John Golden Gloves Amateur Boxing Club, while coaching many local boxers to national championships and international prominence.
Young was a two-time Canadian champion in boxing, and he became the first boxer from Greater Saint John to win a gold medal at the Canada Winter Games in Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean, Quebec, in 1983.
Brian and Henry Flood were highly-decorated rowers throughout the early 1980s, winning three gold, two silver and three bronze medals at national championships. Each of the brothers also excelled in cross-country running, cross-country skiing and downhill skiing. Henry Flood died in 2013.
The Hall of Fame has honoured local athletes, coaches, officials, teams and sport builders since 1987. Showcased in Harbour Station, the Hall of Fame spans decades of achievements in a broad spectrum of sports and stands as a tribute to the region’s sports legacy.
Information on ticket sales will be announced later this summer.
(With files from the Greater Saint John Sports Hall of Fame)