James Naismith (1861-1939)
James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, was born on this farm in Ramsey Township. While studying theology in Montréal, he played a number of sports and became interested in the new discipline of physical education. In 1891, as a teacher in Massachusetts, he recognized the need for a new indoor activity to promote fitness in place of the traditional winter routine of marching, gymnastics and calisthenics. Feeling that a non-contact team game was the best answer, he devised the sport of basketball. His game is now played in over one hundred countries around the world.
Plaque via Alan L. Brown's site Ontario Plaques. Full page here.