It was a night of cheers and tears at the 2012 Walk of Fame Gala Saturday, with the largest ovation saved for Team Canada ?72, with 22 members up on stage to accept the honour.
Coming at the end of a series of events celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Summit Series this week, it was an overdue opportunity for the team to celebrate in a manner they never did after their victory.
PHOTOS: The 1972 Summit Series
?We thank you for embracing us this last 40 years,? said Paul Henderson, who scored three game-winning goals in the series. ?It?s been a nice ride. We are the first team to be inducted together, and I tell you, it?s appropriate. We are so thankful to be a part of this evening and to celebrate.
?The other thing is that we never got the chance to celebrate in ?72. We got off that plane, and we come down to Nathan Phillips Square and it was a miserable night. It was raining. We were exhausted and it lasted about 15 minutes and then everybody went their separate ways.
?Thank you for doing this while we?re still alive.?
The other 2012 inductees included singer/songwriter Randy Bachman, ballet dancer Sonia Rodriguez, legendary CFL quarterback Russ Jackson and singer Sarah McLachlan.
The Cineplex Legends award went to late comedian/actor Phil Hartman. Singer Melanie Fiona was honoured with the Allan Slaight Award, which recognizes an up-and-coming artist.
?The Walk of Fame is in the business of celebrating Canadian talent, and business is good,? said the evening?s host, Paul Shaffer.
He also did double duty, introducing Bachman, whom he called a huge influence on his career. Bachman joined Shaffer during the musical opening, doing a version of ?Shaking All Over? with modified lyrics appropriate to the evening.
It Bachman?s second Walk of Fame star (he was inducted with the Guess Who in 2001), but he still got choked up during his acceptance.
?I am proud to be here tonight with my fellow inductees,? he said. ?We are dream chasers. Tonight we are dream catchers, and tomorrow we get up and chase the dream again.?
Sarah McLachlan has been fighting a throat illness, which forced her to cancel a local concert earlier this week. But she gamely belted out ?Angel,? one of her many hits.
?This is such a huge honour for me, and I accept this award as an incredibly proud Canadian,? said McLachlan. ?That was an incredibly moving tribute. I don?t spend too much time looking back, as all we really have is now. It?s times like these we can stop and reflect and be reminded of the gifts that we have been given.?
Phil Hartman was the only inductee who was honoured posthumously. The comedian was tragically killed in 1998. His induction came through a years-long campaign spearheaded by fans, which started in 2007, and was embraced by his brother, Paul, who was on hand to accept the award.
?By the time we hit this year, the fans were pretty riled up, and they weren?t going to take no for answer,? he said. ?That enabled us to crush the vote, and that was awesome. I think what drove it is that the fans experienced (his loss) in the same way we did. The fans still hurt and so do I.?
Rodriguez, principal dancer for the National Ballet of Canada, held back tears during her acceptance speech, although according to her husband, skater Kurt Browning, who received a spot on the Walk of Fame in 2001, it was only a matter of time before she received her own.
?We were reminiscing, because nine years ago when I got mine, we were coming home late in the evening after the party, and our limo got hit by another car, very, very hard. She had a new purse in her lap, and my trophy gouged right into it as we were thrown around in the accident,? he said. ?The award was this sharp star thing and we realized after, if the purse hadn?t been there, she may have really been injured. So she?s been destined to have one. Somehow, someway, it?s been trying to get to her.?
The awards gala was taped and will be aired on Global TV on Oct. 14.
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