Former Professional Basketball Player and Almonte Native, Kory Hallas, joins Walk of Fame Event

The Municipality of Mississippi Mills is thrilled to announce the addition of former professional basketball player and Almonte’s own, Kory Hallas, to the Dr. James Naismith Canada’s Walk of Fame Hometown Stars event, Saturday, August 12.

Please join us for this free public ceremony at 3 p.m. at the Gemmill Park Main Stage. Taking place during Mississippi Mills Bicentennial year, these celebrations, presented by Scotiabank in partnership with Cineplex, will be a special part of the 28th annual Naismith 3 on 3 Tournament. Festivities include musical performances, special guest speakers, including Hallas, as well as a commemorative plaque unveiling honouring Dr. Naismith’s 2019 induction. Members of the Naismith family will be in attendance to accept the honour. Juno Award-winning jazz artist Kellylee Evans will be performing during the ceremony.

Hallas, founder of the Naismith 3 on 3 Tournament, developed his love for the game of basketball as a young Naismith Memorial Public School student. He continued honing his skills at Almonte District High School, where he helped lead the school to two Ontario Provincial Basketball Championships.

After being a member of the Eastern Michigan University basketball team from 1988 to 1992, Hallas went on to play with the Canadian National Team from 1992 to 2000. In 1994, he led Team Canada in scoring at the 1994 World Championships, with Steve Nash and Rick Fox on the roster, and played professionally in Spain and Europe from 1992 to 2000.

Our founding father of basketball, Dr. James Naismith, was born near Almonte in 1861 and attended grade school in the one-room schoolhouse in Bennie’s Corners and high school in Almonte. Later he enrolled at McGill University in Montreal, where he excelled in various disciplines of sport. Upon graduation with a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education, Naismith joined the faculty of the YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts, where he was tasked with developing a new sport. Using two peach baskets and a soccer ball, he devised the game of basketball in 1891. Today, the sport is played by more than 300 million people around the world.