The Ottawa Sport Hall of Fame has changed its eligibility policy to welcome active athletes to the ultimate club of excellence for local athletes — a move sparked by the runaway international success of Ottawa curlers Rachel Homan and Emma Miskew, three-time world champions and five-time winners of the national Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
Beginning with this year’s induction of Homan and Miskew to the hall, the organization plans to grant eligibility to any Ottawa-area athlete who wins a world championship, Olympic medal or major international sporting event — not just retired athletes, which has been the policy for decades.
Dave Best, chair of the Ottawa Sport Hall of Fame, said the decision recognizes the remarkable achievements of Homan and Miskew — who are currently representing Canada at the Milano Cortina Winter Games in Italy — and the need to grant more women the highest tribute in local sport.
“We have a lack of women in (the hall) because women weren’t competing back in the day,” Best said. “We’ve got some (active athletes) who are world champions, so do we wait until they are retired, or do we (induct) them now?”
The Ottawa Curling Club on O’Connor Street has a sign boasting that it’s the home rink of “Team Homan” — a shifting foursome led by skip Rachel Homan and fellow Ottawa curler Emma Miskew and which has won multiple national and world titles. The two are currently steaming toward a playoff spot in the Olympic curling tournament in Italy. [Photo @ Brendan Melnic]
Best said professional athletes in sports such as curling and golfing can compete for a long time, which pushes back their induction far into the future.
“I’m sure (Homan and Miskew) were gonna end up (in the hall of fame) at some point with a rule change or not,” said Christopher Drover, a member at the Ottawa Curling Club. “I’m glad it’s happening, and I think it’s fair.”
Michael Burke, former president of the Ottawa Curling Club, said the induction is “very well deserved.”
“Good on them for sparking the change,” said Burke. “It’s important that people acknowledge their accomplishments when they’re still active, so I think their induction is totally appropriate.”
Best said the idea to induct active athletes came up about a year ago.
“A year ago, Rachel and Emma won the world championship. Brooke Henderson (of Smiths Falls, Ont.), Canada’s winningest professional golfer, had just won another tournament, and (Ottawa tennis player) Gabriela Dabrowski was doing really well at the French Open and Wimbledon,” said Best. “We realized there’s a lot of current athletes who are clearly going to get in (when they retire). We decided that winning a major title will make you eligible to be voted in.”
Henderson has 14 LPGA tournament wins, including two majors — the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in 2018 and the 2022 Evian Championship — and the Canadian Women’s Open in 2018 and 2025.
Dabrowski, a doubles specialist, has won four Grand Slam tennis titles, including two U.S. Open women’s doubles titles in 2023 and 2025.
Homan and Miskew have been curling together since they were 12. Burke said he is grateful that he gets the opportunity to curl in the same club as them.
“To be able to see them, watch them, and interact with them is special,” Burke said. “It is not something that you are able to do in a lot of other sports.”
“We’re very proud of (Homan and Miskew). – again, if he said “them”, let’s stick with that.) They call our club home,” Burke said. “You can see from all the banners in our lounge, and we’re reminded every day of their successes.”
‘Rachel and Emma have not only won multiple world and Canadian championships, but they’ve been at the very top of their sport for an exceptional period of time. We’re excited to see what they’re still going to achieve in the future, but they’re also unquestionably already among our city’s best ever.’
— Dave Best, chair, Ottawa Sport Hall of Fame
In a press release announcing the honour for Homan and Miskew, Best stated: “Rachel and Emma have not only won multiple world and Canadian championships, but they’ve been at the very top of their sport for an exceptional period of time. We’re excited to see what they’re still going to achieve in the future, but they’re also unquestionably already among our city’s best ever.”
The eligibility policy change has opened the gates for more active athletes to be potentially inducted into the Ottawa Sport Hall of Fame. Best said this year’s Olympics could include potential future inductees.
Two Ottawa speedskaters — Ivanie Blondin and Isabelle Weidemann — along with Quebec teammate Valérie Maltais, took gold on Feb. 17 in the 2,400-metre women’s team pursuit, defending their title from the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
Highlighting Blondin’s achievements, Best said every Olympics will bring potential Ottawa medal winners into consideration for induction into the Hall of Fame.
“Who knows who is going to win a gold medal this time around, right? (If you win), we make you eligible. It doesn’t automatically get you in, but it makes you eligible.”
Best said the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame wanted to announce Homan and Miskew’s induction before the Olympic tournament began, since their accomplishments thus far have already made them eligible. The latest lineup of inductees was announced Jan. 27.
Other 2026 inductees include former Ottawa Senators player Jason York, who played 14 seasons in the NHL, and Grey Cup-winning offensive lineman Val St. Germain, who played 14 years in the Canadian Football League with Ottawa, Montreal, Edmonton and Saskatchewan.
Team Homan — which includes skip Homan, vice-skip Tracy Fleury, second Miskew, lead Sarah Wilkes and alternate Rachelle Brown — got off to a slow start at this year’s Olympic tournament, but had a 5-3 won-lost record as of Feb. 18. One more win would assure the team a playoff berth.
