Former coach Jacques Dussault and ex-Montreal Alouettes president Larry Smith are builders part of the 2023 Canadian Football Hall of Fame class.
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The pair will join five former footballers, including defensive end John Bowman and offensive linemen Josh Bourke and Lloyd Fairbanks.
A well-known figure in his sport in Quebec, Dussault held several positions including chief instructor of the Concordes de Montréal from 1982 to 1986 before returning to metropolitan Quebec in 1997 as head of the defense line and special forces. The first French-speaking driver in Canadian League (LCF) history, he also led the Montreal Machine in the 1991 and 1992 World League of American Football. He was also at the helm of Montreal’s Carabins de l University from 2002 to 2005.
Smith, a former Sparrows player, became the club’s chairman in 1997 after serving as circuit commissioner from 1992-1996. He also oversaw the CFL’s return to Montreal, then worked with the team he managed until 2001, then from 2004 to 2010. Under his leadership, the team returned to Memorial Percival Stadium-Molson, where they went on to a sell-out streak of 104 Play denied , in addition to taking advantage of two phases of major renovations. The Alouettes have hosted two Gray Cup games and won this one twice.
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On the player side, Bowman played a total of 230 regular season games in 14 seasons with the Alouettes between 2006 and 2019. He ended his career with eloquent numbers, including 134 quarterback sacks and 481 tackles. Bourke wore the Montréal uniform for nine years before ending his CFL stint with the Toronto Argonauts. He played 151 games and in 2011 received the title of the most deserving sportsman in his position.
After that, Fairbanks played with the Concordes for four years but rose to prominence with the Calgary Stampeders, his team, for 11 years. Drafted by them in 1975, he took part in 257 clashes.
The other players included are linebacker Solomon Elimimian and defenseman Larry Crawford. The ceremony will take place in Hamilton on September 15.