Canada’s top athlete award will soon have a new name

Canada’s most prestigious award for an individual athlete is getting a new name.

The Star will retire the name of the historic Lou Marsh Trophy, which has been given to the country’s top athlete, male or female, for the past 86 years. Extraordinary athletes from 28 different sports — including Bobby Orr, Nancy Greene, Jacques Villeneuve, Wayne Gretzky, Silken Laumann, Terry Fox, Sandy Hawley and Chantal Petitclerc — have won it. For decades, it’s been a symbol of Canadian excellence in sport.

Now, however, has come time for change, says Toronto Star publisher Jordan Bitove.

“We have decided to retire Lou Marsh’s name for the Canadian athlete-of-the-year award,” said Bitove.

“The initial decision to honour Lou Marsh by naming the award after him was made almost 90 years ago. But we realize that in recent years some concerns surrounding

his writings from early last century have been raised and that people who supported having his name on the trophy in the past are less comfortable with it now.

“We will go through a process of determining a new name befitting this storied award, which since1936 has honoured the very best athletes in Canada.”

The change will start with the 2022 edition, with the winner announced in early December.

Submissions for the new name will be accepted from Star readers, and a committee made up of past voters will provide a recommendation to the Star’s publisher.

“We are committed to engaging with our readers and others to determine the best path forward, one that preserves the tradition of the award and honours its past winners,” said Bitove.

Marsh, a native of Campbellford, Ont., and veteran of the First World War, worked for the Star as a copy boy, sports reporter, columnist and sports editor — a career that spanned 43 years. He was also a football player, NHL referee, boxing official and pro wrestling advocate.

He had a long-standing working relationship of note with Indigenous long-distance runner Tom Longboat, hired the Star’s first female sports columnist and covered all sports under his famous “With Pick and Shovel” logo.

When he died suddenly in 1936, it made headlines across the country and an award was created in his honour to recognize Canada’s top athlete. Since then, a sports media panel has voted annually.

For some time, however, concerns have been raised about the language in some of Marsh’s writing around the turn of the 20th century — specifically racial tropes — as well as his role in the career of Longboat and opposition to a proposed Canadian boycott of the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, leaving some to question whether attaching his name to the trophy was still appropriate.

The 2021 winner was Olympic decathlon champion Damian Warner after a record-shattering performance at the Tokyo Olympics. Thirty-three voters overwhelmingly selected Warner over a star-studded group of finalists that included Alphonso Davies, Andre De Grasse, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Stephanie Labbé, Connor McDavid and Maggie Mac Neil.

After Warner won, he suggested it was time to change the name.

“I don’t want to villainize a man, or attack a man that is not here in this day and age to defend himself,” said Warner. “I think he definitely said some things that were not aligned with Canadian values, even at the time they were said.

“I’m definitely behind the changing of the name.”

At one time, only the sports editors of Toronto’s daily newspapers voted on the winner. Former CFL commissioner Jake Gaudaur was chair of the panel for many years.

In recent years, efforts have been made to diversify and increase the size of the panel, to better reflect perspectives in different parts of the country and ensure that different ages, genders and backgrounds are represented. Last year, broadcaster Rob Snoek became the first Paralympian to join the panel, and former national team water polo player Waneek Horn-Miller became the first Indigenous member. Media organizations represented include the Star, Toronto Sun, Postmedia, CBC, TSN, Sportsnet and The Athletic.

“What started out as a few select voices at the table making those tough choices has grown into a more diverse group of informed voters from coast to coast that better represents our country,” said Star sports editor Dave Washburn. “Our goal has always been about honouring the athletes and their achievements.

“Hopefully we can find an appropriate new name to keep the focus on our great athletes, and we’d like Star readers to help us do that.”

Many sports institutions across North America have changed their names in recent years to better reflect Canada’s history and modern culture. The CFL’s Edmonton Eskimos are now the Elks, and the McGill University Redmen became the Redbirds. The Mississauga Girls Hockey League changed the nickname of its teams from Chiefs to Hurricanes. Ryerson University was recently renamed Toronto Metropolitan University.

Similar changes are having an impact on non-sports institutions. Sir John A. Macdonald Senior Public School in Brampton is now Nibi Emosaawdang Public School. In 2021, Toronto City Council voted to rename Dundas Street, with recommendations on a new name expected next year.

Now Canada’s top athletic award will join the movement. Readers are invited to send their name suggestions to topathlete@thestar.ca.