Doug Harkness, Rotarian and Sports Hall of Fame committee member, said the decision was not an easy one.

"There was a lively debate at our committee meetings over which should be the first team to go into the hall," Harkness said.

Other considerations were the 1939 provincial Junior C hockey champions and the 1955 Junior B Lacrosse team, he said.

"The choice became easy however when one considered the history of lacrosse in Orangeville," Harkness said. "If you have ever been involved in lacrosse in Orangeville at all you come to know very quickly that no matter what level you play at, the expectation is you will win and anything less is unacceptable."

The Dufferins were winners of four consecutive provincial titles and, known for their toughness, attracted crowds of up to 3,000 people, Harkness explained.

"It is an attitude that is engrained in the culture of lacrosse in our community, a culture that began with the Orangeville Dufferins of 1898 to 1901," Harkness said.

The other inductees were Lindsay Beavers in the athlete category, and Ches Cotton and Irwin Scott in the builder category.

"I was surprised. I didn't even know that I was nominated," Beavers said. "I'm really honoured. To be showcased with all of the other great athletes that have come out of Orangeville is truly special."

Beavers broke the Canadian 800-metre freestyle record in 2000 with a time of 30.86 seconds and became the fastest Canadian woman to ever swim the short course, which is a title that she held until August 2003.

Beavers other accolades include a bronze medal at the 1999 Pan Am games in Winnipeg, and a standing 800-meter freestyle record for the 15 to 17 age range in Ontario.

Cotton is recognized with starting a house league and peewee rep lacrosse team in 1966, after Orangeville had gone 10 years without the sport, and in 1970 led the bantam team to a provincial championship -- the first minor provincial championship in Orangeville's history.

The final inductee of the night, Irwin Scott, coached or managed hockey teams across three decades, the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, and along with Tom and Jim Lockyer started the Orangeville Junior C Stonecrushers.

"I'm very excited," Scott said of being inducted. "I haven't had very much time to think about it yet, but I enjoyed the night very much."

The Orangeville Sports Hall of Fame is a project of the Orangeville Rotary Club. It is located in the Alder Street recreation centre.