TORONTO (CFL.ca wire) — The Ontario Football Conference held the 2008 Annual General Meeting at the Strathcona Hotel in Toronto, Ontario. The OFC, formed in 1959, is a proud member of the Canadian Junior Football League and will celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2009.
The AGM featured presentations from three potential junior teams, Hamilton Hurricanes, Toronto Junior Argonauts and an as yet to be named team from Sudbury/North Bay. The Toronto group has decided to forgo their entrance into the OFC until 2009.
OFC President (re-elected for the 2008 season) Douglas Dittmer is proud to announce the unanimous acceptance of the Hamilton Hurricanes into the OFC family. Hamilton is returning to play in the OFC after a 13-year absence. Former Canes’ players president Brian Copeland and head coach Jason Hayes lead the team into the 2008 season.
The Ontario Football Conference is also excited to announce the creation of a varsity division for players 19 years of age and under. The three-down league led by president Mike Ramsay will begin play in 2008. The inaugural season is expected to include, at a minimum, teams from Burlington, Toronto, York-Simcoe, Kitchener-Waterloo and London although other centres have expressed an interest in joining this new venture.
At the OFC luncheon on Saturday Kevin McDonald, CFL director of football operations and development, reaffirmed the Canadian Football League’s pledge of support to the OFC and the CJFL. Adding his support and that of the Hamilton Tiger Cats to this pledge was Hamilton Tiger-Cat president Scott Mitchell. Both emphatically emphasized the need and desire for the CFL to work closely with the OFC and the CJFL for the development of Canadian players, coaches, officials and team officials.
In other OFC news, the executive for 2008 was selected and Dave Harding was re-elected as OFC vice president. Mike Ramsay, president of the Varsity Division of the OFC, will sit as second vice president. Rob Annen takes over as treasurer/recording secretary while Bill Butcher (referee in chief), Jim Stevenson (statistician), Gary Strong (registrar) and Jack Emerson Low (media coordinator) were re-appointed to their positions. Paul Bartle remains the OFC past president.
