A beautiful arch bearing the name of J.C. Massie welcomes visitors, sports fans and athletes to the Georgian College sports field now named for the Barrie icon.
The large extended family of Mr. Massie gathered at the sports field Friday for the official naming ceremony of the J.C. Massie Field.
Massie's children, Hon. Col. Jamie Massie and Marilynn Booth, attended along with their seven children and their dad's seven great-grandchildren.
The Massie family's $500,000 donation in their father's name will complete phase two of the college's new artificial turf sports field which includes equipping the field, full lighting so games can be played at night and an electronic scoreboard.
Under a blazing hot sun, special guests were piped into the ceremony with an honour guard, many people taking refuge under blue Georgian College umbrellas that were provided for the particularly warm occasion.
"What an honour it is for the Massie family to honour our father at this opening of the J.C. Massie Field at Georgian College," said Booth, who is a member of the college's board of governors.
"We would like you to know a little bit about J.C. and know that he would be so, so proud to be here, surrounded by the very parts of life that he valued most: family, education, youth, sport and hard work and always giving all the time, more than he got," said Booth.
"Jamie and I share in the belief that we are honouring a true hero. He served his country, he gave to his community and this J.C. Massie Field is such a recognition of that."
An avid athlete himself, Massie had a profound interest in the power of sport, Booth told the crowd.
He was a prominent businessman, community leader and war hero.
At the age of 18, he left home to fight in the Second World Wa, joining the Royal Canadian Air Force 692 Squadron in 1941 where he served as a navigator bomber between 1942 and 1945.
Massie was commended for his bravery and service to his country and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the highest medal the RCAF can bestow upon a member.
Mr. Massie passed away 11 years ago.
As they spoke, his son and daughter fought back emotions at times, their loss so evident, as they lovingly remembered their larger than life parent.
"The Massie family is extremely proud to honour our father, grandfather and great grandfather at the naming of J.C. Massie Field," said Jamie.
"J.C. believed the future of our country lay in its youth. He believed in sports and education as a way to inspire and nurture the talent that exists in all Canadian youth."
"It's a remarkable day for us," he said.
Dignitaries at the ceremony included Mayor Jeff Lehman, MP Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte Alex Nuttall, MP Barrie-Innisfil John Brassard, Ontario PC leader Patrick Brown, Simce County Warden Gerry Marshall, several representatives of the Canadian Armed Forces from CFB Borden and the President and CEO of Georgian College, MaryLynn West-Moynes.
"This sports field will be so much more than just a cool playing field. We will have lights, we will have a scoreboard but what we will really have is our students and students from high school and public school engaged," said West-Moynes.
"Our hope is we will get those students from high school and public school will get the inspiration to go on to post-secondary education and see this as a happening place."
The first football game on the newly named field took place following the ceremony. The match pitted Barrie North Collegiate against Eastview Secondary school. Following that contest, the Georgian Grizzlies men's rugby team played their first game under the lights.