Hometown Heroes:

 

 

The Belleville Bulls - established in 1981 and hockey club in the Ontario Hockey League the Bulls bring great achievement and pride to the community and are definitely recognizable as some of Belleville’s Hometown Heroes. 

 

Andy Forgie - has been making music all his life and was brought up in the Quinte region as well.  His great attitude and laid back style are qualities one can only hope they possess one day, making Andy one of Belleville’s Hometown Heroes.

 

The Wilkinsons – Steve, Tyler, and Amanda Wilkinson have recently moved back to the Quinte region and built a dream home on Highway 62.  After a successful stint in Nashville the family has decided to settle back “Home” (the title of their upcoming album).  This makes you feel proud to be a member of the community and makes The Wilkinsons some more of Belleville’s Hometown Heroes.

 

Andrew Raycroft – Born in Belleville in 1980, Andrew was drafted into the NHL in 1998 in the fifth round by Boston.  He has recently been traded to a Canadian team close to home, the Toronto Maple Leafs where he will play the 2006-2007 Season.  His rise to fame and cool attitude under pressure make him another one of Belleville’s hometown heroes.

Roy Bonisteel – A Member of the Order of Canada, an author, educator and one of this country's most respected journalists.  Roy started his media career as a teenager when he wrote a page of Trenton news for the Belleville Intelligencer. That led to a job as a stringer for the Toronto Star, and eventually a national radio career with the church.  In 1967 Bonisteel began a 22-year run as host of CBC's groundbreaking Man Alive series which set the standard for newsmagazine style programming. His work won him The Gordon Sinclair Award for Excellence in Broadcasting and an ACTRA award as Canada's best television host.  The job of Canadian Citizenship Judge was added to Bonisteels' resume in 1998. He is now Director of Journalism at the University of Regina, making Roy one of Belleville’s Hometown Heroes.

Avril Lavigne - In the space of less than a year Avril Lavigne has gone from being an unknown Napanee teenager to one of the hottest acts in pop music.  Avril's multi-million selling debut CD Let Go produced four top-ten singles including the number one hit "Complicated," and earned her five 2003 Grammy Awards nominations. She was a multiple winner at the 2003 Juno Awards, and she has been nominated for the Juno Fan Choice Award and DVD of the Year at the 2004 Juno's.  She has performed on Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and has been featured on countless magazine covers around the world.  Her rise to fame and the pressure she has had to face and overcome make Avril one of Belleville’s Hometown Heroes.

Jack Miller - has been the voice of the Belleville Bulls for as long as anyone can remember and his passion for the game and love for bringing it to viewers and listeners makes him another one of Belleville’s Hometown Heroes.