The Burlington Sports Hall of Fame has selected its slate of inductees for 2026, and it is another stellar group of athletes, including a family with three generations of Olympians. These fine athletes and builders will be recognized at the induction ceremony on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at the Burlington Golf and Country Club. Here is a brief look at all the inductees. A more in-depth look at each inductee will be written prior to the event.

Ted Goveia: Builder (football)

  • Graduate and stand-out athlete: Assumption Catholic High School
  • Former player: Burlington Braves Junior Football League
  • Graduate of Mount Allison University: CIAU football player, assistant coach, offensive and recruitment coordinator
  • Head coach of the Burlington Braves (1998–2000)
  • McMaster Marauders assistant coach and recruitment coordinator (2001–2004)
  • UBC Thunderbirds offensive coordinator and head coach (2005–2009)
  • Toronto Argonauts running back coach and director of Canadian scouting (2010– 2013)  
  • Winnipeg Blue Bombers assistant general manager and director of player personnel (2014–2024)
  • Football Canada Board of Directors (2020–2024)
  • Hamilton Tiger-Cats General Manager (2025)
  • Played important roles in three Grey Cup Championships: 2012, 2019, 2021

Chris Gioskos: Athlete (football)

  • Graduate of Nelson High School
  • University of Ottawa: offensive lineman (1986 – 1989)
  • University of Ottawa: Male Athlete of the Year, varsity teams (1989-90)
  • OQIFC first team All–Star (1988–1989); first team All–Canadian; Down Lineman of the Year (1989)
  • Received the J.P. Metras Award (1989)
  • Selected to play in the East-West Shrine Game (1990)
  • CFL Saskatchewan Roughriders (1990–1992): Ottawa Rough Riders (1993–1994); Toronto Argonauts (1995–1999)                           
  • Toronto Argonaut Grey Cup champion (1996 and 1997)
  • Inducted into the University of Ottawa Athletic Hall of Fame (2008)
  • Continues to volunteer, coaching local high school and rep teams, assists with camps, clinics, and all-star teams.  

Muzammal Nawaz: Athlete/Builder (kick-boxing)

  • Long-time resident of Burlington
  • McMaster: degree in kinesiology; University of Toronto: BA and Master’s in education; Laurentian University: currently working on a PhD in sport psychology
  • Competed in 34 countries, earning nine medals at the world amateur kickboxing championships
  • Earned five world professional titles, captured North American, intercontinental, and pan-American championships  
  • Founded the Bay Area Athletic Club (2008), a Burlington-based boxing/kickboxing club
  • Hosted two international professional kickboxing competitions in Burlington
  • Founded Canada’s first government-recognized Kickboxing Association
  • Selected to the Combative Sport Advisory Council (2024)
  • Appointed president of the National Federation for Amateur Kickboxing (2018)
  • Awarded the Order of Canada (2025)

The Oldershaw family: Sprint canoe/kayak

Bert Oldershaw: Athlete/Builder

  • Three-time Olympian: London (1948); Helsinki (1952); Melbourne (1956)
  • Founded the Mississauga and Six Nations Canoe Club (1957)
  • Past member of the Canadian Olympic Association Executive Committee, Dominion Day Regatta Association, Ontario Centennial Voyager Canoe Pageant, and Canadian Argonaut Club
  • Developed Red Cross Water Safety canoeing program (1960)
  • Inducted into Canadian Olympic Sports Hall of Fame (2004)

Scott Oldershaw (Bert’s son): Athlete

  • Raced numerous world championships (1971–1987)
  • Olympian: Los Angeles (1984)
  • Coached at Five Summer Olympics: Atlanta (1996), Athens (2004), Beijing (2008), London (2012), Rio de Janeiro (2016)
  • Named head coach of national sprint canoeing and kayaking teams (2012)
  • Head Coach of Burloak Canoe Club, leading them to four national titles (1997, 198, 2000, 2007)
  • Served as Canada’s women’s kayak coach (2009–2010) while mentoring high-profile athletes, including Olympic medalist Mark Oldershaw and four-time Olympic medalist Adam van Koeverden

Mark Oldershaw (Scott’s son, Bert’s grandson): Athlete

  • Graduate of Burlington Central High School
  • Junior World Champion, two-time gold medalist: Brazil (2001)
  • Male Athlete of the Year: Burlington Sport Alliance (2013)  
  • Competed at World Championships (2005–2018), two bronze in 2013, finished sixth in 2016.
  • Three-time Olympian: Beijing (2008), London (2012), Rio de Janeiro (2016); bronze medalist at the London Olympics
  • Named flag bearer of the Toronto Pan Am Games (2015)

This year’s induction reception will be held on Tuesday, May 27, 2026, at the Burlington Golf and Country Club with Steve Foxcroft as emcee. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with socializing from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. and formal inductions from 7 p.m. to  8 p.m. Hors d’oeuvres will be served throughout the evening, and there will be a cash bar. 

With the slate of inductees now public, there will be high demand for tickets. To get your tickets, which cost $65 each, email Wayne Heslop at Wayne.heslop@cogeco.ca  or call 905-520-8922.