The Northern Ontario Country Music Association is honouring two local musicians.
Bill Vrebosch and Shawn Kettner (pictured below) will be inducted into the Great Northern Opry later this year.
Vrebosch was a music teacher for 30 years and has been an entertainer for decades more, playing music in several bands, including Billy and the Belmonts and the Descendants of Tyme.
He’s also a member of the Nipissing Country Music Wall of Honour and the North Bay Musicians and Entertainers Hall of Recognition.
A strong supporter of local music, Kettner was an event host and DJ for nearly 20 years, returned to playing drums and is a regular musician at venues around the area.
He is also the co-founder, band member, and host of the Sunday Showcase Open Stage at the North Bay Elks Lodge.
Vrebosch and Kettner are being honoured alongside seven other northern musicians during the 36th Northern Ontario Country Music Awards Nov. 7-9 in Sault Ste. Marie.
The association says the Great Northern Opry and the Hall of Fame were introduced in 1989 to acknowledge and celebrate country music artists from the districts of Sudbury, Cochrane/Temiskaming, Nipissing/Parry Sound, Manitoulin, Algoma East and Algoma West.
