Thursday, September 2, 2010 - Submitted by Gene Johnson - Managing Editor
A grateful Temiskaming Shore community gave their unwavering appreciation to the late Don Charles ``Shep" Shepherdson, a founding member of the Great North Midget League, by renaming the New Liskeard Recreation Center after him.
``What an honour, it's not very often you have building named after you," Shepherdson's wife, Ruth, told the Speaker Reporter during the Aug. 24 Temiskaming Shores City Council Meeeting. ``It is absolutely wonderful and we are thrilled.''
Shepherdson told the newspaper that she and her husband spent more than 50 years at the newly named Don Shepherdson Memorial Arena. She thinks her husband would have been proud of the renaming in his honour.
Mayor Judy Pace said the idea to rename the arena came from Ontario Provincial Police Temiskaming Detachment Sgt. Kevin Murphy.
More than 500 people were in attendance at the arena for Shepherdson's Aug. 27 memorial funeral service. An official announcement from the City took place during the funeral service about the arena's renaming. Shepherdson, 78, died Aug. 12 at the Temiskaming Hospital.
Born in New Liskeard on June 16, 1932, to Fred and Edith Shepherdson, he was educated at New Liskeard Public and High Schools. Shepherdson married Ruth Elsie Tucker at St. Paul’s United Church on August 6, 1960.
A lifelong resident of New Liskeard, Shephardson worked as a purchasing agent for Hill Clark Francis, Haileybury Lumber, Pollock Lumber, Northern Pinewoods and Campsall Electric.
It was minor hockey where Shepherdson made his mark in the community, serving as a gofer for the New Liskeard Cubs when it was formed in 1952. He eventually became coach, team president before stepping down as manager in 2009.
Since 1954, the Cubs have won 10 league championships, four all-Ontario championships and earned two trips to the Air Canada AAA midget championships, where they earned a silver medal in 1997. Also, In the NHL's pre-expansion days, Shepherdson was Northern Ontario's scout for the Boston Bruins. In addition to his time with this team, Shepherdson has been an NCCP instructor and a team host during the World Under-17 Challenge.
Some of his awards included the Ken Neeb Memorial Award in 1980 for having made an outstanding contribution to minor hockey in North Ontario, the Rick F. Albert Memorial in 1991 for being instrumental in the area of development within the NOHA, and, in 2005, the Angus Campbell Merit Award for outstanding service to the game other than as a player.
Canada’s highest authority in hockey, the Canadian Hockey Association, presented Don with their Order of Merit in 2003.
Shepherson was also a founding member of the New Liskeard Golf Club whe
