It will be an evening of sports memories Saturday at the North Simcoe Sports and Recreation Centre.

The Midland Sports Hall of Fame will welcome several new teams and athletes during its 2008 induction ceremony and dinner.

Among them will be Glenn Howard, the skip of the 2007 world men’s curling championship foursome.

“It was quite a surprise when I found out they had selected me,” Howard told The Mirror.

A three-time world champion, Howard will be among three athletes and four teams inducted during the festivities.

“I am very honoured to be selected,” he said.

Howard, who led his Coldwater rink to the world championship in Edmonton last April, will be inducted in the athletes category along with former professional hockey player Bill Beauchamp and harness racing driver Keith Waples.

Beauchamp played in the Ontario Hockey League with the London Knights for three years before moving on to play in the American Hockey League, International Hockey League and one game in the National Hockey League with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Locally, he played with the Penetanguishene Hurons and the Midland Flyers.

Born in Victoria Harbour, Waples posted more than 3,2000 harness racing victories and won $6 million in purses. He was selected as the Greatest Canadian Harness Horseperson in 2005.

He is also a member of the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame and both the Canadian and U.S. harness halls of fame.

Among those scheduled to be inducted in the team category include the 1984-85 Midland Centennials Junior C hockey club, the 1908 Midland Intermediate hockey club, the 1958-59 Midland Lions Little NHL Ontario champions, and the 1990-91 Midland Secondary School Georgian Bay champion senior girls basketball team.

mdodd@simcoe.com