Bruce Carter has blown the whistle on more football players than any referee in the history of the sport in Windsor-Essex.

As a member of the Windsor District Football Officials Association for the past 46 years, Carter has refereed more high school playoff and championship games than any other official in the association’s history.

He first pulled on the zebra stripes in 1978 and has since worked 39 championships at the local (WECSSAA), regional (SWOSSAA) and provincial (OFSAA, OVFL) level.

His thorough knowledge of the rules and how to apply them, a calm, confident demeanor that allowed him to handle a game packed with high emotion, quickly saw him rise through the ranks of football officials in Canada.

He joined the Ontario Universities Association pool in 1994 and just three years later was entrusted to handle playoff games. He officiated in seven Yates Cups that determine the OUA champion, three CIAU semi-final bowl games and the 2021 Vanier Cup that determines the national champion.

In 2000, Carter became just the second Windsor area official selected to work in the Canadian Football League. Over the next seven years, he worked five playoff games and the Grey Cup final in 2004 in Ottawa.

Among Canadian officials, he is one of a select few that can list the Grey Cup, Vanier Cup, Mitchell Bowl, Churchill Bowl, Yates Cup and CJFL championship on his resume.

He has three Canadian Junior Football League finals under his belt, the most recent in Windsor in 2024.

As WDFOA’s referee-in-chief for 10 years, Carter has mentored many young officials through the intricacies of the game.

He now takes his place, deservedly, in the 2025 builder’s category of the Windsor/Essex County Sports Hall of Fame.