Burlington has a long and notable sports history that includes many outstanding athletes, coaches, officials, media, and volunteers. The Burlington Sports Hall of Fame (BSHOF) is dedicated to identifying and honouring the individuals who have created this rich tradition. This year, BSHOF is celebrating its 16th year and is proud to be inducting six new honorees at their 2024 induction ceremony on Tuesday, May 28 at the Burlington Golf and Country Club.
Our next inductee is Peter Moore — or, should we say, “2-6,” as he was affectionally known, as it was his long-time football referee uniform number.
The Burlington Sports Hall of Fame is posthumously inducting Peter Moore into its Builder category as one of the city’s most dedicated and decorated sports officials and athletic convenors. Peter was an Ontario University Football official from 1969 until 1995, and was a member of the Lakeshore Football Officials Association, refereeing high school, boys tackle, junior and Men’s and Women’s Flag Football. He officiated university football from the early 1960s to the early 2000s. Not only did he ply his trade on the field, but he also was an executive member for over 30 years and acted as referee-in-chief and assignor for 20 years.
Football wasn’t Peter’s only passion. He also turned to the hardcourt and officiated basketball as a member of the Hamilton Board of Approved Basketball Officials for 40 years. He refereed high school and club basketball and officiated at the OUA level for 25 years. He also acted as the OUA assignor for five years. Peter was always known for giving an honest effort to every game he worked. He had great relationships with coaches and often diffused heated moments with honesty, and, quite often, humour.
“2-6” also contributed to the game off the court as he chaired or co-chaired six girls’ OFSAA championships and seven boys’ OFSAA championships. His personality and passion often made him the committee member who dealt with coaches who were upset with their seeding or the tournament set-up and diffused those tense moments as well. He always found a way to cool the coaches down and most of the time, tournaments went ahead the way they were set up because of Peter.
Not being one to idle, Peter also umpired high-level fastball from 1965 to 1995 and was the Ontario fastball association’s umpire-in-chief from 1970 to 1990.
But the basketball, football, and fastball guy then became a field hockey guy and a soccer guy, and every other sport run through the Halton Secondary Schools Athletic Association as he became Halton’s first athletic convenor in 1990, a position he held until 2005. His job entailed setting schedules, running coaches’ meetings, keeping records, and arranging playoffs and championships for every sport and for every public and Catholic high school in Burlington, Oakville, Milton, Georgetown, and Acton.
How much was “2-6” loved? When Peter passed away in 2013, several of his officiating friends organized a gathering at Jake’s Grill and Oyster House and raised money in his honour. The money they raised was used to purchase a bench that sits in the lobby at Dr. Frank J. Hayden Secondary School. The reason that the bench was placed there was that Peter always championed sports for those with disabilities and admired the Special Olympics, which Frank Hayden, also a BSHOF honoree, created. The money that was left over was donated to the Special Olympics in Peter’s name. From that donation, the first-ever Peter Moore Floor Hockey Tournament for Special Olympians was held at Hayden; teams from all over the province competed.
Peter Moore gave so much of his time and talent to grow sport in the Burlington, Hamilton, and Niagara regions that the Burlington Sports Hall of Fame is honoured to induct him into the Builder Category.
The May 28 induction ceremony at the Burlington Golf and Country Club is a sold-out event and plans are in the works to livestream the event. Details will be forthcoming.
