Graphic via Kingston & District Sports Hall of Fame.
At their meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, a presentation to City Council served as a solid reminder of how many incredible athletes call Kingston home.
Mark Potter, a champion of all things local sports and a Kingston and District Sports Hall of Fame inductee himself, addressed Council to present the inductees into the Hall of Fame for 2025. The full video of Potter presenting the inductees to Council can be viewed on the City of Kingston website.
Established in 1994 under the leadership of Joe Hawkins, the Kingston and District Sports Hall of Fame aims to “formally recognize Kingston and district athletes and builders of the past, present and future.” For 2025, two athletes are being inducted into the Hall of Fame, as well as four builders – those whose work in local sports and athletics and have helped shape and benefit the community.
While the names of those being inducted for 2025 will be quite familiar to many in Kingston, the organization offered some brief biographic information, supplemented below with some additional details, on these celebrated local sports icons.
2025 Kingston and District Sports Hall of Fame athlete inductees
Simon Whitfield, triathlete
Olympian Simon Whitfield has won both gold and silver in the Olympic triathlon, captured a dozen Canadian Triathlon championships, and won 14 World Cup events. A member of the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame and the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame, Whitfield was the Canadian flag bearer at the 2000 Olympics closing ceremony in Sydney, where he’d just won his gold medal. Born and raised in Kingston, Whitfield retired in 2013 and, in 2017, was awarded the Canadian Order of Sport.
Pat O’Brien, dirt racing
For over 30 years, Pat O’Brien raced on local tracks, capturing an amazing 22 track championships. With a career that began in 1985, O’Brien is a 10-time champion at Can-Am Speedway, won five titles in Brockville and four in Cornwall, and won the coveted Mr. Dirt title four times. One of only four Canadians inducted into the Dirt Racing Hall of Fame, O’Brien – whose family’s legacy in the world of racing locally began with his father (a 2019 Hall of Fame inductee) in the 1950s – retired from the sport in 2016.
2025 Kingston and District Sports Hall of Fame builder inductees
Jim Hulton, hockey
A Wolfe Islander with a passion for the national sport that set him on a path to an illustrious career, Jim Hulton is currently in his 10th season as General Manager and Coach of the Charlottetown Islanders of the Québec Maritime Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). But Hulton wasn’t always a QMJHL coach; he’s coached over 1,000 games in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), was named CHL Coach of the Year in 2022, and is a two-time Coach of the Year in the QMJHL. He was also coach of everyone’s favourite team in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), the Kingston Frontenacs, from 2003 to 2006, as well as coaching many local teams like the Kingston Voyageurs (1994-1996; 1998-1999), the Belleville Bulls (2000-2003), and the Royal Military College (RMC) Paladins for the 2006-2007 year. Hulton took his coaching skills to the NHL in 2008 when he became assistant coach of the Florida Panthers, where he remained until 2011. In 2005, Hulton coached the Canada World Juniors “dream team,” who brought home the gold medal.
Randy Stewart, hockey
A hockey coach to many a Kingston player, Randy Stewart coached over 1,000 games in Kingston Township minor hockey. But Stewart wanted his players to experience the wider world of hockey – and the wider world; he took his teams to “away games” at international tournaments in places such as Stockholm, Sweden, and Leningrad (current Saint Petersburg), Russia. Dedicated to nurturing young players, Stewart also coached the Ernestown Jets Junior ‘C’ team (now Amherstview Jets) for nine seasons.
Victor Mendes, soccer
An outstanding soccer player himself as a two-time Ontario scoring champion and venerable RMC Paladin, Victor Mendes turned his attention to coaching at his alma mater in 1999. Serving as assistant coach at that time, Mendes took over as Head Coach of the RMC Paladins in 2003. Prior to that, however, Mendes worked with the Canadian National Team for 14 years, including 10 years as a member of the World Cup team staff and four years with the Youth National Team, according to RMC. On top of his current role with the Paladins, Mendes is the head scout for Canadian Premier League (CPL) team the Halifax Wanderers.
Ken Thompson, curling
If you’re a curling fan in Kingston – and one who has appreciated all of the incredible major curling events that have occurred in the Limestone City – you know the impact Ken Thompson has had locally. A former Ontario Silver Tankard Champion in 1972, Thompson has worked tirelessly over the past 20 years, organizing successful bids to bring major curling events and moments home to Kingston. These include The Brier in 2020, the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in 2013. Having dedicated more than 50 years to the sport, Thompson has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Ontario Curling Hall of Fame, and was the 2023 winner of the Ray Kingsmith Award for dedication to curling.
More information on the Kingston & District Sports Hall of Fame can be found on the organization’s website.
