Thomas G. Smith

• BIRTHPLACE Mather, MB

• BORN October 12, 1908

• INDUCTED 2021

Thomas Smith was born in Mather, Manitoba on October 12, 1908. Smith played sports until the age of 21, when he had to have one of his legs partially amputated. He moved to Steinbach in 1946, and proceeded to advocate for organized youth sports. At the time, the Steinbach community was not convinced that organized sports were good for their youth. In Steinbach, he organized the construction of a hockey rink, now known as the T.G. Smith Arena. In the mid 1950s, Smith organized little league baseball, and by 1955 the league had three teams. By 1966 that number had doubled and was continuing to grow. Throughout his life, Smith coached, organized fundraisers, drove to tournaments, and constantly reinforced the value of sportsmanship. By 1968, when he retired from baseball, Steinbach’s little league program was thriving, and some of his former players were members of successful teams within Manitoba. The reputation and legacy that Smith left in Steinbach has only grown, and is evident within the community.