Lou Jeffries Scholarship

Lou Jefferies was one of Gananoque’s pioneers and a tireless volunteer in all aspects of the community.  He was well known for his love of hockey and his involvement in the Gananoque Minor Hockey Association (GMHA). Up until his death at the age of 75, Lou had served the GMHA for over 50 years and was also a key contributor to bringing Junior B Hockey to Gananoque in 1971.  Over that time he served both the GMHA and the Junior B Gananoque Islanders in many roles including Coach, General Manager, President and League Executive.

Lou was also a proud volunteer fire-fighter for over four decades and served the community bravely over that time. Additionally, he was involved in many civic and humanitarian associations and had an interest in raising money for children. Lou received the Gananoque Citizen of the Year on two different occasions and was the first non-Rotarian to win the Paul Harris Fellow Award which is the Rotary Club’s highest honour.

A proud supporter of Queen’s University hockey, he was always pleased when a player was able to better their lives by moving on to Queen’s University, another institution or a sporting team. His satisfaction came in knowing that he played a small part in helping their dreams come true.

On Saturday, September 22, 2007 the Town of Gananoque and the Township of Leeds & 1000 Islands renamed their local arena in honour of Lou Jefferies.  The Lou Jefferies Gananoque and District Community Centre are home to Gananoque’s Junior B Hockey Club and major functions in the town and district.  This is a fitting honour for one of Gananoque’s outstanding humanitarians.

First awarded in 2007, the Lou Jeffries Scholarship is awarded to a first year player for the Gaels. The scholarship is funded by an Exhibition game in Gananoque, Ontario to honour the memory of Lou Jeffries. Here are the players that have won the award.

2007-2008 Jon Lawrance Program: Philosophy Position: Centre Height: 6'1 Weight: 196 lbs Born: 1986-08-18 Hometown: Steinbach, Manitoba Before Queen's: Nipawin Hawks (SJHL Jr. A)