MARKHAM, Ont. — The Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame has announced the 11th and final member of the class of 2012. The Sports Motor Cycle Club will be honoured at the Seventh Annual Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Banquet and Reunion, which takes place on Nov. 3 at the Delta Centre-Ville in Montreal.
Often referred to as “the granddaddy of moto clubs,” the Sports Motor Cycle Club has been expanding the horizons of motorcycling in Quebec since 1929.
“The SMCC has been at the forefront of bridging the gap between motorcycle competition and recreation,” reported Hall of Fame Chair Kellee Irwin. “That’s what motorcycle communities are all about — bringing together competitors, fans, and non-competitive riders.”
Founded in 1929 by the likes of Lorne Lyndon, Terry McGrail, and Jim Miller, the SMCC’s history began with organizing races in and around Montreal. Initially dissatisfied with a lack of diversity in machines and event types in Quebec competitions, the SMCC set its sights on adding variety to racing in Quebec. This goal was achieved within a year. In 1930, they introduced European machines to competitions in which only American models were formerly raced, and they added a variety of popular new races such as scrambles, hillclimbs, and hare and hound events.
In 1939 the SMCC’s fantastic work appeared on a larger stage when members organized a motorcycle escort routine for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth’s visit to Canada. And from there, under the new direction of Hall of Fame inductee Ed Hawke, the scope of the organization’s activities continued to grow, adding to their repertoire, recreational sport touring in the 1980s. The SMCC should be counted among the true trailblazers of motorcycling culture in Quebec.
The Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Reunion is the annual signature event of the Canadian International Motorcycle Heritage Museum Foundation (CIMHMF), a non-profit association with charitable status. It is governed by an independent board of volunteer directors located from coast to coast and sponsored by the Motorcyclists Confederation of Canada (MCC). Founded by Bar and Hedy Hodgson in 1999, the CIMHMF preserves and promotes Canadian motorcycle history for the benefit of the motorcycling community and public.
Since the first induction banquet in Toronto in 2006, almost 100 distinguished motorcyclists have been inducted into the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame.For more information about the Seventh Annual Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Banquet and Reunion, contact Daniel H. Tessier at daniel@motorcycling.ca or at 647.920.1334.
For information about past inductees, historic motorcycle collections, event sponsorship, and tax-deductible donations, visit www.motorcyclehalloffame.ca.
— from the Motorcyclists Confederation of Canada
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