Oshawa ski jumping legend Ron ‘Bucky’ Richards to get street named in his honour

A ski-jumping legend and a member of Oshawa’s first family of skiing is on the list to get a street named after him in the city.

Ron ‘Bucky’ Richards, who died last year, helped found the Oshawa Ski Club and would go on to become a multiple Ontario champion in ski-jumping before taking on the role of manager for Canada’s national team for the 1972 and 1976 Olympic Games. Richards was also a technical delegate for numerous World Cup events and during the 1988 Olympics in Calgary.

An accomplished wood carver and a world traveller, Richards is an Oshawa Sports Hall of Fame member and the father of Ron Richards (Jr), who is a three-time Olympian and a 15-year veteran of the national team and also a member of the Oshawa Sports Hall. The patriarch of the family, Ivan Richards, is also in the Hall as a builder while Bucky’s son Jason is a member of the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame.

Son Randall, also an Olympic-level ski jumper, is set to be inducted this year. Bucky Richards was pre-deceased by another son, Jeffrey.

Accolades on Bucky Richards career came in from several Oshawa councillors at Monday’s Development Services committee meeting, as he was praised both for his athletic accomplishments and for giving back to the community in ways that went well beyond the sport of skiing.