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As Prepared By Ron Hallock (December 2013) [last edited December 2024]

CFL and the MFOA

MFOA Officials in the CFL

The MFOA's excellence in developing officials is reflected in its ability to provide officials for professional football.  For a number of years, the MFOA had the largest number of officials from one FOA in the CFL officiating  roster.

MFOA officials who have gone on to work in the CFL include:

• Al Bradbury
• Larry Butler
• James Carlisle
• JP Chorney
• Brian Chrupalo
• Andie Currie
• Daniel Doerksen
• Steven Dolyniuk
• Chris Donaldson
• David Donaldson
• Allan Dryburgh
• George (Red) Eakin
• Mike Ewatski
• Jack Ewatski
• James Foubister
• Glen Johnson
• Gordon Johnson
• David Kendall
• Abe Kovnats
• James Kraemer
• Ken Lazaruk
• Dean McNeill
• Kyle Mikulik
• Ritchie Miller
• Bill Nairn
• Adam Paradowski
• Neil Payne
• Cliff Rosebourgh
• Wayne Shorten
• Gary Slobodian
• Neal Terrio
• Bud Ulrich
• Kasmir Vidruk

MFOA Officials Involved in CFL Supervision of Officials

The excellence of MFOA officials' understanding of officiating at the CFL level has resulted in their selection to supervisory positions.

An MFOA President and veteran CFL official, Neil Payne was appointed the CFL Western Supervisor of Officials in 1984 and became the CFL Director of Officiating from 2000 to 2004.

Neil served as the Game Day Supervisor of officials for CFL games in Winnipeg during this time and was replaced upon his retirement by former CFL and current MFOA official Art McAvoy.

In 2013, Ken Lazaruk assumed the position of Game Day Supervisor for Winnipeg games along with his duty as an Evaluator. He also supervised games in Regina until the end of the 2024 season. In 2013, Glen Johnson, an MFOA alumnus, retired from 24 years as a CFL official to become VP of Officiating for the CFL, carrying on a long time Manitoba tradition of leadership of officiating in the CFL.

Following his retirement from the field in 2022, Al Bradbury joined the CFL head office as the Manager of Officiating. Steve Dolyniuk also became a CFL positional coach in 2022 and became the Game Day Supervisor for Winnipeg games midway through the 2023 season. 

CFL timers and CFL support crews from the MFOA

The true beginning of timers becoming members of the MFOA occurred in 1961 when Jimmy Dunn was made a member of the MFOA for being a timekeeper extraordinaire. Jimmy timed High School and CFL games. He traveled to Toronto to time a Grey Cup.

Many stories could be told about Jim. Jim would get the attention of officials in the Stadium after a CFL game by shooting off his starting pistol under the stands - the sound was deafening. When the CFL decided to move the timer from field level to up in the stands, Jimmy (and his assistant, his son Garry Dunn) quit as he said there was no way he was going to walk to the top of the stands.

From Jimmy, the timing torch was passed to Rollie Mathesion, Walter Bilow, and Ron Hallock (Brian Hlatkey filled in for Hallock for 4 games in 2003), all three of which have been on field officials with the MFOA.

Assistant Timers include: Garry Dunn, Jim Foubister, Jake Schriech, Ron Hallock, Brian Hlatkey,  Richard Pilbeam and Don Van Achte.

Scorers include:  Garry Dunn, Jack Woodward, Jim Foubister, Hal Perkins and Brian Hlatkey.  (John Tomanek served as a spare and North Score board operator.)

Twenty Second Clock Operators include: Jake Scheirich, Don Van Achte, Richard Pilbeam, and Dean McNeill.

Spare support crew members include: Bernie Novak, Hal Perkins, and Bob Madams.

Replay officials (introduced in 2004) include: Hal Perkins, Adam Paradowski (2008).

Replay technicians include: Adam Pardowski, James Patterson (2008), alternate James Carlisle (2008)

Replay Field Assistants include: Bob Madams

Grey Cups in Winnipeg

Of the four Grey Cup games played in Winnipeg, Walter Bilow timed the initial game in 1991 and Ron Hallock timed the next three - 1998, 2006, and 2015. Winnipeg will next host the Grey Cup in 2025.