Central High School

1960 - 1963

Red Bob MacDonald

Not sure the age...but one story to share about Simon that was/is memorable for us. Simon was lucky to have another passionate basketball player in the greater New Waterford area. Ritchie Spears and he played an estimated 1000 games of one on one with each other over many years. They both said that in the end, it was almost not even fun anymore. They new each others moves inside and out and it became too predictable. We've never heard another player say that before. By the way, most of these games were played in Mt. Carmel gym after hours. Ritchie would make his way inside through a window that never seemed to get locked.

We can't imagine what life for Simon would have looked like without sport and basketball. Almost all his lifelong friends and meaningful relationships came out of his years being involved in the game. His best stories and strongest memories centered around the game. Furthermore, who can guess what the culture of basketball would be like on the Northside and all of Cape Breton if Simon didn't have basketball. Whether a player, coach, clinician and referee, he was involved in the game for over 5 decades. To help develop the sport in Cape Breton, Simon organized the first ever basketball camp in Cape Breton in 1972 and began Cape Breton's first mini basketball program at around the same time. In 2000 he was honored as division chair of the 19th Coal Bowl basketball tournament. In the last year of his life he received the Frank Baldwin award from BNS. And finally, in 2015 he was inducted into the Northside Sports Hall of Fame.

Simon played for Xavier Junior College basketball team N.S., Intermediate champs, 1965; member of Acadia Axemen basketball team, 1966-67; member of New Waterford Strands men's Basketball team, Maritime Senior Basketball champs, 1971.