Definitely Durham Hall of Fame

Honouring the Outstanding Achievements of Durham District School Board Graduates, Alumni or Former Students

The Durham District School Board (DDSB) provides quality public education to thousands of students in our community. The DDSB is proud of its many students. In order to showcase and celebrate the successes of public education, the DDSB Trustees established the Definitely Durham Hall of Fame which highlights and recognizes notable graduates, alumni, or former students.

Nominations are now open for the 2026 Definitely Durham Hall of Fame

Community members, former classmates, neighbours, and friends can nominate former DDSB students for the 2026 Definitely Durham Hall of Fame. Durham District School Board is inviting nominations from community members for the next round of the Definitely Durham Hall of Fame. 

Nominate someone today!

Deadline for nominations:   July 15, 2026 @ 4:00 p.m.

Criteria 
  • Nominators should provide sufficient information to give the selection committee a complete picture of the nominee’s character and his/her achievements. Please provide as much detail as possible for consideration by the selection committee.  Additional pages are admissible.
  • Nominees must exemplify DDSB character traits (teamwork, responsibility, respect, perseverance, optimism, kindness, integrity, honesty, empathy, courage).
  • Nominees must be positive role models in their community and for our students.
  • Nominees have achieved outstanding success in realizing their goals, (career, community activism, overcoming obstacles, etc.)
  • Nominees should be representative of the diverse student and staff population at the DDSB.
  • Nominees should be representative of diverse geographic areas of the Durham District School Board.
  • Nominees should be representative of a diversity of accomplishments (arts, sports, business, overcoming obstacles, etc.).
  • Nominees cannot be a current staff member, Trustee or student or immediate family member (nominee’s spouse, parents and grandparents, children and grandchildren, brothers and sisters, mother in law and father in law, brothers in law and sisters in law, daughters in law and sons in law or adopted, half, and step members) of the current Director of Education, members of the senior leadership team or sitting members of the Board of Trustees.
  • Nominees must have spent a minimum of four years as a student of the DDSB.
  • Nominees can be inductees in an existing DDSB school's Hall of Fame.  

Nominate someone now!

Deadline for nominations:   July 15, 2026 @ 4:00 p.m.

Selection Committee

The Selection Committee will be comprised of the following:

  • Two (2) Trustees as selected by the Chair of the Board
  • Director of Education
  • Superintendent as selected by the Director of Education
  • Parent Involvement Committee Member 
Inductee Recognition
The inductees will be recognized at the Board Meeting in February 2027 at the Durham District School Board Education Centre in Whitby, Ontario. Inductees will be commemorated through a plaque prepared for display in the atrium at the Education Centre.

 

Past recipients

2023

Bill Levine

Stacey Jiggins

Matthew Samuels

Learn more about the 2023 inductees

2020

Christine Elliott

Dale Hawerchuk

Jessica Phoenix

Geoff Warburton

Learn more about the 2020 honourees.

2017

Gail Elliott

Larry Jacula

Nikki Shaffeeullah 

2016 

Perdita Felicien

Rex Grignon

Governor Stephen S. Poloz 

2015 

Candice Hollingshead

Chief Kelly LaRocca

Anne Ottenbrite-Muylaert 

2014 

G. Gary Edgar

William Lishman

Nigel Wilson 

2013 

Andil Gosine

Donald Jackson

Debra Thompson 

2012 

Dr. Elizabeth Josephine Allin

Neil Pasricha

Honourable Mabel M. VanCamp

2011 

Dr. George Beaton

Honourable Ed Broadbent

Lynn Philip Hodgson