Its time for the City to honour Russ Jackson

A great piece on Russ Jackson here

It’s past time to honour Hamilton CFL great Russ Jackson

[b][i]"An oversight would mean nobody had realized he'd been overlooked. This lack of appropriate recognition was pointed out in this space just about a year ago. The resulting action from city staff and from council? Crickets.
"Nobody ever contacted me," Jackson admits.
This can only mean some don't think he's earned it. Or perhaps that the folks who make these decisions are waiting for him to pass away before taking the step.
Hopefully that's not the case. He's 79 now and in good health. If he's going to eventually get an honour like this, let's do it now while he can still enjoy it.
It's important. We need to put a spotlight on our legends and heroes. The renaming of North Wentworth Arena after hockey star Harry Howell a while back was terrific. The recent idea to immortalize Martin Short and Eugene Levy is outstanding. Keep the ideas coming. For heroes from all walks of life. Sports and otherwise.

One more thing about Jackson, though. Once he retired, he and his wife moved back to Hamilton. Today, you can find him sitting among the folks at Ticats' games and at various places around town. His career took him to Ottawa for a time but his roots brought him back. When the Marauders were disrespected at the Vanier Cup in Montreal a few years ago, it was Jackson rising to their — and the City of Hamilton's — defence.

Simply put, the man is one of us."

The city's Facilities Naming Committee meets for one of its rare sittings on Tuesday. Hopefully his name is already up for consideration since the submission process can potentially be quite time consuming and no citizen is likely to get one in on time if it isn't.

[/i][/b]
Much more here

[url=http://www.thespec.com/sports-story/6544570-radley-it-s-past-time-to-honour-hamilton-cfl-great-russ-jackson/]http://www.thespec.com/sports-story/654 ... s-jackson/[/url]
[url=http://www.thespec.com/sports-story/6546034-hamilton-cfl-legend-russ-jackson-s-name-on-the-agenda-for-city-honours/]http://www.thespec.com/sports-story/654 ... y-honours/[/url] :rockin: :rockin: :rockin: :thup: :thup: :thup: :cowboy:

A few years ago an Ottawa sports writer was trying to get Russ Jackson's name on the Canadian walk of fame in Toronto, don't know if that ever happened. I think that is reserved for Canadians that have made it in the US.

But Russ Jackson deserves to be honoured as the ONLY Canadian University player in the last 50 years that has won the CFL's outstanding player award.

I believe I have read that Russ is on the Walk of Fame. (He is also a member of the Hamilton, Ottawa, Ontario and Canadian Sports Halls of Fame as well, in addition to the CFHOF).

I was about to disagree with your second paragraph :oops: when I realized that Tony Gabriel played college football at Syracuse in the NCAA not CIS.

:cowboy:

Great news!!! :thup:

Scott Radley ?@radleyatthespec 3m3 minutes ago
BREAKING: #HamOnt to explore Westdale to find something to name after Russ Jackson. Also, ceremonial renaming of his childhood street. #CFL

Scott Radley ?@radleyatthespec 1m1 minute ago
Also possibly in play for Russ Jackson renaming honour, an RBG park in west end. Unanimous support to honour #CFL legend #HamOnt

excellent news. i nominate princess point that sounds a little light in the loffers. Russ Jackson point sounds better…manlier grr :wink:

The RBG park is currently known as Westdale North Open Space - which is not really as light sounding as Princess Point. It will, if the RBG agrees to it, then be known as Russ Jackson Park - which is definitely not very light sounding.

I really like the idea of renaming his childhood street. Although he never played for the Tabbies Russ is the best football player ever produced by this city (with props to Dirty Thirty - Jim Young) and probably one of the greatest athletes ever to come from Hamilton.

I am very pleased over this development and hope it can be done soon as Russ will be celebrating a b/d ending with a zero this year and time is of the essence. :wink:

:cowboy:

It’s funny that the city politicians have no problem finding names for parks, schools, streets for fellow politicians and public servants when they die. They have us all believe that these public servants/politicians did so much for the city and they deserve to be remembered, but when you look at the names of many of the parks/buildings you will find that these people were just doing their job and did nothing special.

:( :(

Why not include Russ Jackson's teammate from Westdale high school at the same time. Ron Howell.

We are talking about Russ Jackson the only Canadian university player to win the Outstanding Player.
All previous winners except for two have been American.

8) You must be referring to the official name of the Hamilton Int. Airport, John C. Monroe !!! :lol: :lol: :oops:

Does that short block drive-through, parallel to King Street and directly in front of the Westdale Theatre, have a name?
If not, I have a suggestion for naming one of the most recognizable spots in Westdale -- "Russ Jackson Pass"

Russel S. Jackson Square (in honour of Lloyd D. Jackson)

3 years later,
The City of Hamilton has to be better than this. :roll_eyes:

I would not hold my breath, unfortunately. I might pass out (and not the fun kind of pass out). :woozy_face:

:sunglasses: What else do you expect from the great city of hamilton ???

From the mayor down, they are pathetic jokes, to say the least !! :rage: :rage:

Since the sports field on the mountain, which is about, what, 10 km away from where Russ played his football in Hamilton hasn't worked out, as a civic honour for him, I throw out, again, my 4-year-old idea presented, in this thread, just a couple of posts before Grover's link (above) to the Radley column in the Spec. "Russ Jackson Pass" would be located between his high school and university fields, which are less than a couple of kms. apart from each other.

My original submission/suggestion to City Council back in 2016 was to name part of the green area of Cootes Paradise after Russ (It is close to both Mac and Westdale). It was Terry Whitehead (councillor for the ward - William Connell Park - where the new football field is located) who suggested naming that football field after Russ. I had great hopes of meeting Russ at the opening ceremonies to let him know I hated his guts in the sixties (as a true Hamiltonian) because he played for Ottawa.

I then planned to tell him that as a family back in the sixties we used to watch the 4 or 5 Ticats games that were broadcast each year on CBC/CTV. Whenever the televised game was played at Lansdowne Park my 4 older siblings (3 sisters and 1 brother), my mother and I used to cheer for the Tabbies. My dad, who was a big Russ Jackson fan used to cheer for the bad guys.

In memory of my father and because Russ has never been properly honoured by his hometown I decided to do something in 2016. I had hopes of meeting him at the opening ceremonies and telling him I also have a lot of respect for him being the best Canadian ever to play football, and to let him know my dad had been a huge fan. If he were alive today my dad would be 106.

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Frankly, it should have been the Westdale SS football field that was named for him.

Not living in Hamilton you might not know the sad state of affairs regarding that field. Public School trustees wasted mucho dinero (spending other people’s money) on that field. Here is the Spec story by Scott Radley.