It was perhaps serendipity that brought Bob Wilson to Dundas United Soccer Club.

The former president of the club inducted into Hamilton’s Soccer Hall of Fame last weekend for two decades of amateur men’s soccer dominance in Hamilton recently reminisced about the day he got lost on Highway 99 and ended up in the Valley Town in 1977.

“Watch your mouth,” a woman said when he asked if this was Hamilton.

As the nomination deadline for Dundas Sports Wall of Fame’s third class of inductees approaches, planning and fundraising is underway for the new Hockeyville Legacy Community Room of the renovated J.L. Grightmire Arena — where it will have a permanent home.

Wall of Fame committee member Art Samson said nomination forms are available at Dundas town hall municipal service centre (60 Main St.), Dundas Community Services (2 King St. W.) and Dundas Museum & Archives (139 Park St. W.). Nominations can be returned to all three locations until Sept. 30.

“I would say they’re light,” Samson said of the pool of nominations submitted for the class of 2020 since July, but the committee does not plan to extend the deadline.

Kerry McNamara, a member of the Dundas Museum & Archives board of directors, displays an historic baseball bat that is part of the museum's collection during the Dundas Valley Historical Society's presentation Sports: A lasting legacy,Oct 2017. - Craig Campbell

Sports have left — and continue to build — a lasting legacy in Dundas, even for those who don't directly participate.

From the Dundas Real McCoys, who brought the eyes of the nation to the Valley Town when the Sr. A hockey team won the Allan Cup national championship in their home arena and also donate to charity on every game night, and the powerhouse Dundas United Soccer Club of the 1980s — who paid their own way to a national championship final in Victoria while celebrating the camaraderie and skill of the game, to the Dundas Chiefs Baseball Club and little league baseball — who helped build new baseball infrastructure that would introduce future generations to the game, Dundas' history is filled with fascinating sports stories.

A small cross-section of those legacies were shared by some who have played a role in that long legacy last Thursday evening at Dundas Valley Historical Society's Sports: A Lasting Legacy presentation at Dundas Museum and Archives.

Grightmire Arena reno exceeded budget by $171,000 in September

City report provides budget information from four months ago

NEWS 06:00 PM by Craig Campbell  Dundas Star News

J.L. Grightmire Arena on Monday, January 14, 2019. - Craig Campbell/Metroland 

J.L. Grightmire Arena’s ongoing renovation costs had already exceeded the project budget by more than $171,000 by the end of September 2018, according to a city report.

City staff did not provide updated information on how far over budget the project has gone over the past four months. The September arena budget information was included among more than 500 projects in a 45-page capital projects status report that went to the city’s Capital Projects Works-In-Progress Sub-Committee on Monday, Feb. 4.

The report noted Grightmire Arena’s $7-million total budget had a negative balance of $171,247 as of Sept. 30, 2018.

Hamilton city council will consider excluding Century Group Inc., contractors on the delayed J.L. Grightmire Arena addition, from any future bids and contracts.

Councillors on the audit, finance and administration committee passed for the second time three confidential staff recommendations on ending a commercial relationship with the company following an in camera discussion closed to the public on Thursday, Jan. 17.

The committee previously passed the same recommendations — which remain secret until approved by full city council — in a December meeting but held off on finalizing them at city council last month to give Century Group vice-president Eric Zvaniga an opportunity to speak to the committee.

The City of Hamilton’s website says renovations to the J.L. Grightmire Arena in Dundas will be done in time for a January 2019 reopening, but user groups say there is “no evidence” that will prove to be true.

SPORTS 06:04 PM by Scott Radley  The Hamilton Spectator

The J.L. Grightmire Arena is Dundas is still under renovation, forcing hockey teams and figure skaters to find other ice. - Barry Gray , The Hamilton Spectator 

First it was supposed to be ready for September. Then October. Then November. Now January, though some have been told to expect March. Which, if true, would be right at the end of the winter sports season, meaning it would be fully usable by next September.

If you're thinking, "Gee, that sounds frustrating," you're about one per cent of the way to understanding what user groups of the J.L. Grightmire Arena in Dundas are feeling today.

"The way it's unfolded has been disgraceful," says Dundas Real McCoys president Don Robertson.

Some people simply suggested Art Samson. Others were more specific, proposing Art Samson Field or Art Samson Track.

Either way, the retired principal and councillor emerged as the runaway favourite in an online survey on naming Dundas Valley Secondary School’s new track and field after taking the top three spots among 10 suggested monikers.

It made the decision easy for Hamilton public school board trustees, who unanimously approved a volunteer naming committee’s recommendation to go with Art Samson Track and Field at their final meeting of the 2014-18 term.

Samson, 79, said he knew his name was up for consideration after reading a June story in the Dundas Star Newson departing trustee Greg Van Geffen’s support for the recognition, but it’s still a surprise.

I’m really flattered and honoured that they would do that for me because certainly it wasn’t in my expectations at all. — Art Samson

Retired principal and Dundas town councillor Art Samson was the clear favourite in an online survey on naming choices for Dundas Valley Secondary School’s new $1.25-million sports field, expected to open in the spring. - Hamilton Spectator file photo

Grightmire Arena user groups were informed last week the city facility will be unavailable for the rest of the season, the second straight year they've all been displaced, as contractor Century Group Inc. works on a revised schedule for the addition project that is already more than three months past an original deadline.

City of Hamilton staff said last week there still is no firm date for programming to resume at the arena that has been closed for more than a year so far.

“It is unlikely that the hockey teams will be able to return to Grightmire in the 2018-2019 season,” Robyn Ellis, the city's manager of strategic planning said.

“The contractors had already made promises the rink would be done and open by several different dates, which never happened." 
Steve Aglor

Details of delayed completion of J.L. Grightmire Arena's addition and renovation frustrated several politicians during the final city council meeting before October's municipal election.

They want improved procurement practices, and tougher penalties for contractors who don't meet commitments.

Facilities director Rome D'Angelo updated council on the project that was expected to be completed by Century Group Inc. by Sept. 7, then rescheduled to begin a "phased" opening Oct. 9 to allow hockey teams into the facility. Groups were informed before the end of September to be prepared to move back by January 2019.

Awesome find by Lloyd Skinner and posted to the Facebook Group "If You grew up in Dundas you remember when ..."