Football Canada announces major award-winners

L. David Dubé is the first winner of the Football Canada President’s Award for his peerless contribution to football in Canada.

Dubé built a successful business career as a graduate of the University of Saskatchewan and a former Huskie football player.  This allowed him to contribute to Saskatoon through numerous charitable causes, most notably local sport. His philanthropy and contribution to Saskatoon’s sporting community were recognized in December 2020 when he was appointed as a member of the Order of Canada.

While he contributed to his alma mater for two decades, what sets Dubé apart is his contribution nationwide.

Dubé’s philanthropy toward the game of football was not contained just to his hometown. He has contributed to men’s and women’s university and grassroots football programs in seven Canadian cities, with an emphasis on bringing safety to training in the sport.

He has supported media promoting university and amateur football for over a decade, including Krown Gridiron Nation on TSN and Canada West football broadcasts. He funded and co-produced Canada West football on the Global TV network, the first-and-only collegiate conference playoffs and finals to be broadcast on national terrestrial television to date.

In 2018, when it looked like the Men’s Junior National Team wouldn’t be able to share their attempt to repeat as world champions, Dubé stepped up to fund English-language streaming on CBC Sports for all Team Canada games. Not only could Canada watch the games from Mexico City, but so could the rest of the world as a result. 

In 2017, he was the co-creator of the Jon Cornish Trophy, presented annually to the top Canadian in the NCAA. He remains one of the award’s two trustees.

“I will share what I said privately to David; that he is a unicorn,” said Football Canada president Jim Mullin.

“There are philanthropists around the sport who are passionate about their program. David has proven by his actions that he is committed to the sport beyond just a single program or age group. There’s only one David Dubé, and that makes him a football unicorn.”

“Canada needs more unicorns.”

Gary Linthorne, late of West LaHave, N.S., is the inaugural recipient of the Football Canada Diamond Award. The award is presented to an individual with at least six decades of participation in football who has demonstrated a significant contribution to the development of the amateur game at any level.

Linthorne, who passed away in the spring of 2021, had a lifelong passion for football. The Brampton, Ont., native was involved with the sport on many levels – as a player, a coach, an administrator, and an official. His university career as a guard for the Acadia Axemen led him to be drafted by the Montreal Alouettes. Though he declined the pro opportunity to pursue graduate studies in geology, his love of the game kept him involved in football in numerous leadership roles.

Gary was a founding member of the Streetsville Meadowvale Football Club (SMFC) in Mississauga, Ont., which has remained active and strong since the 1970s. During his time with the club, he served as a coach and executive. Gary coached two players at the SMFC who went on to the CFL, and each won a Grey Cup.

When Gary retired to Nova Scotia in 1999, there was no football in his new home of Lunenburg County. This led to his biggest achievement in football, bringing football to the South Shore of Nova Scotia, where it previously didn’t exist. The Seahawks Minor Football Club (SMFC) was launched in Lunenburg County in 2012, with Linthorne serving as the club’s first President. His work as a committee member for the TSN/Kraft Celebration Tour in 2013 helped the town of Bridgewater, NS win $30,000 for upgrades to the Kinsmen Field, home of the Seahawks. As a result of his tireless efforts, Linthorne was named the 2013 Bridgewater Volunteer of the Year. Over the next several years, Linthorne continued to work to create opportunities for youth on the South Shore to get involved in football. His achievements include the introduction of organized flag football, the creation of a Midget program for high school aged children, and a Mites program for younger kids. The very first high school football program in the area was initiated in 2017, with the formation of the Parkview Education Centre Panthers football team.

In 2004 he joined the Nova Scotia Football Officials Association as a Level I official. Linthorne also served as the Executive Secretary of the NSFOA and on the Canadian Football Officials Association Conference Committee. In 2009, he was selected by his peers as the Football Official of the Year for his dedication to the sport and the organization and serving as a mentor to other players and officials.

Linthorne became the president of Football Nova Scotia in 2016 and served in this role until his passing.