By Cecilia Nasmith
For sheer amazement at what the human spirit is capable of, you'd have a hard time beating the third Cobourg and District Sports Hall of Fame announcement of inductees Sunday at the Cobourg Community Centre.
In the Grand Hall, opposite display cabinets spotlighting just a portion of the CDSHF's memorabilia, emcee Joel Scott read the Herculean achievements of the nine individuals who will officially be inducted at the annual dinner in June, with stats, titles and accolades that seemed almost beyond belief.
Paul Allen
Though Allen never played a sport or joined any athletic team until Grade 10 at CDCI West, he would go on to wear many hats related to sports – student, athlete, referee, teacher coach, instructor, convener, scheduler, co-ordinator, organizer volunteer. As a student, he eventually discovered his passion for basketball and would go on to excel as well in volleyball, soccer, cross-country and football. But his big accomplishments would be in track and field – four COSSA gold medals in the triple jump (along with a second- and fourth-place finish at OFSSA) and three COSSA gold medals in the long jump.
At the University of Guelph, he played a significant role in helping the Gryphons win the Canadian University Championship. And after graduation, he returned to the West as a teacher. Over 33 years at the school, he was heavily involved with sports, especially the senior basketball team, which he helped coach to three COSSA championships.
During those years, Allen was also instrumental in promoting basketball throughout the area through the Lakeshore Adult Basketball League, Lakeshore Minor Basketball Association and the Lakeshore Lynx Rep Program.
Scott noted briefly that, since his 2010 retirement, Allen had been a busy volunteer. CDSH board president Gil Brocanier expanded on this by recalling the ground-breaking for the CCC, where these announcements took place. Over the 13 months it took to build the facility, Allen chaired the Building and Design Committee.
Allen has spent a lot of time at the facility over the past 12 months, as well, as a major player in the Rotary Club of Cobourg work to set up the mass-immunization clinics that vaccinated so many people against COVID-19.
Heather Brown
As a child, Brown enjoyed soccer, T-ball, softball, figure skating and hockey – though she had to play on boys' teams since there were no girls' teams. But soccer proved to be her sport. She was the only girl chosen for the Cobourg Soccer Club Select Team. At CDCI East, she would be on five different soccer teams (indoor, outdoor, high school, house league and the provincial U16 team).
She participated on a number of other teams at the East, and won the school's Junior Athlete of the Year honours twice. She was also the school's Athlete of the Year twice.
At the same time, Brown was an integral part of the U16 and later the U18 women's provincial team, with whom she earned a silver medal at the 1994 Nationals and a gold at the 1995 Nationals.
She received a scholarship to the University of Nebraska, where she played Division 1 varsity soccer from 1995 to 1999. In her first three seasons as a Cornhusker, she stared in 42 consecutive games and was named Nebraska's Co-Most Valuable Player in 1995.
While in Nebraska, Brown was chosen as part of the Canadian Women's National team, and was the youngest player on the squad that competed in the US Cup. That same year, she once again represented her country on the Canadian U20 National team, where she was named co-captain.
Al Burnham
Born in Cobourg and raised on the Burnham Family Farm, Burnham first handled a bat and ball during recesses and lunch hour at his elementary school. From there, he began a two-decades-long playing career that saw him become one of the top fastball players – in the community, in the province, in the national and, ultimately, in the world.
A member of the Cobourg Juveniles, who captured the Ontario B championship in 1971, he also played with the legendary Cold Springs Cats and became part of three more provincial championship teams, leading to OASA Intermediate C titles in 1975 and 1976 as well as a 1980 Ontario Senior A fastball championship.
From 1984 to 1992, Burnham was an integral part of five more Senior A Ontario championship teams, four Canadian Senior A championship teams and – in 1987 and 1988 – the All-World second team at the International Softball Congress championship. At the 1991 ISC championship in Sioux City, Iowa (playing for Owen Sound, the World Championship runner-up), Burnham was named All-World first team.
Roger Cole
Declared by Layton Dodge to be “the finest softball pitcher between Oshawa and Kingston,” Cole received an almost uncountable number of accolades and awards over more than four decades in softball. These include nine OASA medals, two perfect games, at least 10 no-hitters, and multiple MVP and Top Pitcher awards in both the Cobourg Men's Softball League, Hamilton Township Softball League and countless league, provincial, Canadian and world championships (mostly with the Cold Springs Cats).
In 2003, Cole received the Milestone Award after recording a total of 2,059 career strike-outs in the Cobourg Men's Softball League. In addition to this testament to his talent and stamina, Cole was a strong believe in the Cobourg Men's Softball League, often taking on younger players, encouraging them and giving them a place to play when other teams wouldn't. This nurturing and mentoring was recognized in 2006 with the league's Dedication Award.
Elaine Devlin
“Buckle up – it's a big one,” Scott warned before reading the news on Devlin.
Even before she moved to this community, Devlin was an all-star goalie and member of numerous Ontario Women's Hockey Association gold-medal team – not to mention one of the best softball pitchers in the province with Ontario Rural Softball Association Midget and Junior titles in 1981, 1982 and 1983 with Douro and Keene, two Ontario College Athletic Association silver medals with Fleming College and numerous Peterborough Women's City League titles.
In 1985, while attending Sam Houston State University, she played in the NCAA softball circuit. Still the holder of seven school records, she was Gulf Star Conference Female Athlete of the Year, Most Outstanding Player and winner of a Conference Championship.
Paul Currelly recruited her to play for the Cobourg Angels in 1984 and, over the next five years, she and her teammates medaled nine times at the provincials – including three golds. While her pitching prowess was extraordinary, Devlin can also boast a number of no-hitters and perfect games.
Provincially, she has competed in 34 championships, winning 14 gold, 12 silver and four bronze medals.
Nationally, she has competed in 17 championships, winning four gold, two silver and three bronze medals.
She has competed in at least five world and international championships, bringing home one gold and one bronze medals.
As for coaching, she has been part of 20 provincial championships (winning five gold, two silver and five bronze medals), 12 Canadian championships (winning two gold, one silver and one bronze medal) and three world and international championships (winning gold at each one).
Gail Johns-Rees
Gerry Lawless sought out Johns-Rees when she arrived at CDCI West in 1969 to recruit her for track-and-field. It changed the course of her life.
Competing as a sprinter, Johns-Rees would set a dizzying string of records – in the 200m and 400m races at COSSA and Kawarthas and in the 60m, 100m, 200m and 400 m events at South Kawarthas. As a result, she became the first female athlete from Cobourg ever to qualify for OFSSA. In 1972, the West dedicated the Johns Trophy for Outstanding Track Performance in her honour.
After high school, she began distance running, with marathons and 5K and 10K competitions. At age 47, she returned to sprinting with the Masters Track and Field program. She has been a nationally ranked masters sprinter for the past two decades, competing in 50m, 60m, 100m, 200m and 400m races while earning 19 US National Masters Tracks medals, setting 13 New Hampshire state records and winning recognition for Best Performance by a New Hampshire Athlete – five times.
Johns-Rees had travelled from New Hampshire, where she has lived for 20 years, to be present.
Dick and Ann Raymond
Wanting to make their beloved hometown of Grafton a better place, the Raymonds have forever changed and enhanced their community through their tireless work and organizational skills.
In addition to five decades with Grafton Minor Hockey, Dick was one of the founders and lead organizer for the Grafton Fastball Tournament that was a summer mainstay for some 40 years – all while serving on the Grafton Arena recreation committee. And that doesn't even count the hours he put in personally in work on constructing the facility's five ball diamonds, backstops, fencing, playground and score keepers' benches.
But this only represents one-half of a formidable team. Ann was there every step of the way for every event and fundraiser. Their work complemented each other's, Dick working on the organizing, Ann working the phones.
And all done in spite of both holding full-time jobs and raising two daughters. Despite being tired many nights, they never failed to answer the call for whatever might work to the greater good of the community.
Ross Quigley
A lifelong Cobourg resident, Quigley was a natural athlete who was a fixture on the local ball diamonds in the summer and hockey rinks in the winter. He also led a life of giving back to his beloved home town.
Apart from his work with many local organizations for countless enhancements to the community, the late Cobourg businessman had a vision of what would eventually be the CDSHF and he worked with a devoted team to make it happen. He was both the public face of the idea, and its most enthusiastic supporter. As he discovered and acquired artifacts and clippings, he helped shine a spotlight on the sports community's builders and athletes before they recede entirely from active memory.
Through these efforts, Quigley has made an invaluable historical contribution to the community by bringing its sporting history out of the past and preserving it for future generations.
The CDSHF's focus is the athletic communities of Cobourg, Alderville First Nation and the townships of Hamilton, Cramahe and Alnwick-Haldimand.
Under the current board of directors – Brocanier, along with Jen Ashley, Liz Basinger, Don Conway, Todd Denault, Peter Harrison, Mike Irwin and Bryan Marjoram – they can boast 16 display cabinets that are a sample of more than 1,000 pieces of memorabilia, as well as a website where almost 100 stories and more than 2,000 clippings represent 43 different sports. A Scrapbook section is soon to be added that will include team photos and stories – more than 700 of them by local legend Layton Dodge, who was among the first group inducted in 2019.
Also on the site (as well as in the guidance offices of local high schools) is an application for the new Ross Quigley Youth In Sports Award – a $1,000 bursary for two students not of the same gender that rewards their athletic, academic and community achievements.
Applicants must reside in the CDSHF catchment area and attend a Northumberland school in their graduating year. Proof of acceptance in a university, college, apprenticeship or other post-secondary program is required.
Among the dignitaries bringing greetings, Northumberland-Peterborough South MPP David Piccini focused his remarks on Quigley and the influence he'd had on local sports during the years Piccini played soccer on the grounds where the CCC now stands. Then, his first day on the job as MPP, he found Quigley at his door.
“He was a true community champion,” Piccini said.
“I am incredibly grateful to have gotten to know Ross over the past number of years, thankful for his leadership in sports in the community.
“We are all better off for having known men like him and for having a community with leaders like him.”
Brocanier said that the first winner of the new Ross Quigley will be announced at the June 17 induction dinner at Cobourg's Best Western.
He also issued a call for nominations for the 2023 inductees, with September as the deadline. Evaluations are made by an anonymous panel and will be announced next year.
