Ringette sign unveiled

This Ringette sign on Highway 17 East was unveiled on the weekend to pay tribute to the man who invented the game. Photo submitted.

It’s taken several years, but North Bay has been acknowledged as being the birthplace of ringette, which is currently played in many parts of the world.

The late Sam Jacks, then Parks and Recreation director for the City of North Bay, invented the game in the 1960s. There are signs on Hwy 17W near Espanola, which signify that the game was invented there. But in reality, it all began in North Bay.

The first sign, on Hwy 17E, just east of the city, was officially previewed Sunday and members of the Jacks family, and the West Ferris Ringette Association took part in the ceremonies.

“This is just fabulous,” said Bruce Jacks, the eldest son of the family.

“Mom and dad would be so proud. It’s a tremendous Christmas present for the family. A lot of people have worked hard to get this done and we are grateful, and yes, the game was invented in North Bay by my father.”

His mother Agnes, who died earlier this year, took over from her husband when he passed away and was the ambassador of the sport. She referred to herself as the ‘unofficial’ ambassador, but in truth, she was the official ambassador.

It was one of her fondest wishes to get signs put up coming into the city. It is hoped to get other signs erected in the future.

Jeff Francom, president of the WFMA, had a prepared text for the occasion. He then presented it to the Jacks family as a keepsake.

The text follows:

Thank you all for coming to mark this historic moment in both ringette’s history and North Bay’s history.

We stand here today to help fulfill the vision of Agnes and Sam Jacks, to recognize North Bay as the place where ringette began over 40 years ago. When Sam first started, he wanted to have a winter ice sport for the girls of our community to play. I suspect he didn’t know that he was also making a place in sports history for him, his wife Agnes and the city of North Bay.

Now, 42 years later, ringette is played by tens of thousands of people in all 10 Canadian provinces as well as being played by numerous other players in countries around the world. This is a truly great achievement for anyone, but especially for someone starting in small-town Northern Ontario, to see their idea spread across the country, travel south of the border to the United States and also cross the Atlantic Ocean to Europe. This sign is a reflection of our pride as members of the ringette community and also as citizens of North Bay.

In the years prior to her passing this past spring, Agnes worked very hard lobbying various levels of government to put up signs to celebrate our proud sport heritage. She believed, and rightly so, that North Bay should have signs to proudly state that this is a place where someone with a good idea can see it grow to become something great. The Town of Espanola, where the first official game was played, has a sign stating that they are the Home of Ringette. It seems appropriate that the City of North Bay, where it was conceived and developed, should also show its pride to the world.

Now, thanks to the fine work of Karen Cook of the West Ferris Ringette Association and her sign committee as well as the excellent design work of See More Graphics in North Bay, we have our first Birthplace of Ringette sign here on Highway 17E. This sign not only tells the world that North Bay has invented one of the best team sports in the world but also states that North Bay is a place where people can attain great things if they set their mind to making a good idea work.

We hope that the people of North Bay will take pride in the
accomplishments of one of their own and that they will be inspired to take risks and develop their own great ideas to bring to the world and show everyone out there that North Bay is a great place to live, to grow and to develop ideas that will make the world a better place to live.

Submitted to BayToday.ca