World-class achievement recognized at annual CDSHF induction
2026 Cobourg Sports Hall of Fame Inductees. By Cecilia Nasmith.
By Cecilia Nasmith
A seventh contingent of star athletes has been inducted into the Cobourg and District Sports Hall of Fame, following Friday's induction at the Best Western Plus Cobourg Inn and Convention Centre.
The audience included a number of past inductees, along with a sizeable crowd who gathered to honour both the 2026 hall-of-fame inductees and the community's young athletes who were being recognized – starting with certificates to the top male and female athletes of the year from the local high schools.
SIMON McFADDEN, ST. MARY SECONDARY SCHOOL
Simon has been a multi-sport athlete every year in high school, competing for St. Mary Thunder athletics during all three seasons – fall, winter and spring. He is a force to be reckoned with on the field for both the Boys Sevens and Senior Boys Rugby teams, and was a key reason why the team qualified for OFSAA this past June. He has travelled with the team to England, Wales, France and Italy on tours, being selected to the leadership group by the coaches. Simon also played volleyball and baseball (helping the baseball team qualify for its first OFSAA championship this spring), and was a dominant member of the Thunder wrestling team, qualifying for OFSAA this winter.
STELLA HOWE, ST. MARY SECONDARY SCHOOL
Stella is also a multi-sport athlete in competition for St. Mary Thunder athletics during all seasons. In each of her four years at the school, she played between four and six sorts – usually basketball, hockey, badminton and soccer, with some cross-country and track-and-field – while maintaining a high academic average. She helped propel the girls hockey team to the OFSAA championships the past two seasons. She wins raves from the coaches for her work ethic, positivity and coachability, and is adored by all her teammates for her infectious smile and positive attitude.
DAWSON BADALI, COBOURG COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE
Dawson competed (and excelled) in six sports this year – tennis, golf, wrestling, badminton, ultimate, and track-and-field. This was all during his graduating year, while still maintaining strong grades. Dawson was the MVP of the golf, tennis and badminton teams, and won a Coaches Award on the wrestling team. He competed at OFSAA in tennis and badminton, and at COSSA (or further) in each of his other sports. Beyond the success Dawson found through his dedication and perseverance, he wins praise from his coaches for his sportsmanship and willingness to give back when an opportunity arose.
JAIME HELLAM, COBOURG DISTRICT COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE
Jaime is a physically gifted athlete gives 100%m and wins praise from all her coaches for her leadership qualities and positive attitude. You can always rely on her to push the pace of a game, or to encourage teammates to do their best. At CCI this year, she has excelled in hockey, soccer and basketball, capturing the MVP award in hockey. Jaime is looking forward to playing hockey at the university level next year.
The program then moved on to Cobourg and District Sports Hall of Fame's 2026 inductees.
LIZ BASINGER
A lifelong “Cobourger,” Basinger has long been both a fixture on the local Cobourg sporting scene as well as a driving force whose countless volunteer efforts have fundamentally enriched the community's sporting life. She began volunteering her time and skills with the Cobourg Community Hockey League in the 1970s. This included coaching, most notably in 1977-78 when she coached the Cobourg Wholesaler Bantams (the team which featured fellow CDSHF inductee Steve Smith). In 1984, she made the jump from minor hockey to the Cobourg Junior C Cougars as a member of the community-based board of directors. A constant presence at the arena, often “running the gate” on game nights, she was a vital part of the Cougars transition to the Tier II Junior A ranks in 1992 – and stayed on as the team transferred to being a privately owned entity. Based on her years of experience and involvement with all off-ice aspects of running the team, she was appointed head of "Game Day Operations." In addition to her work with the Cougars, she became the head statistician for the OHA's Central Jr. C. League in 1988, and the Pointstreak administrator inputting all roster details for the OHA's Central Jr. C. As league convener she traveled and facilitated league meetings, prepared league minutes, authored various reports and press releases, not to mention training Pointstreak operators and maintaining the League's web page. The 2003 Cobourg Civic Awards ceremony found her receiving a Distinguished Civic Award for Sports. In 2011, she was made a Cobourg Cougars Life Member and in 2015, awarded the Ontario Hockey Association's Crystal Puck, a prestigious award that recognizes an individual's outstanding achievements or contributions to the OHA. At the 2018 Cobourg Civic Awards ceremony, she was recipient of the Sportsmanship Award (currently called the “Leadership in Sport” Award) recognizing her outstanding leadership in contribution to Cobourg's sports and recreational community. Her breadth of knowledge gained over the years from volunteering have made her a valued consultant and adviser to countless local sporting initiatives, most notably, the Dudley Hewitt Cup in 1996, the World Junior A Challenge in 2015 and the RBC Cup in 2017 – the same year she was announced as one of the inaugural board of directors of the Cobourg & District Sports Hall of Fame.
Basinger recalled that this came about because Ross Quigley – a past inductee and a leading player behind organizing the hall of fame – approached her and said, “Do you think you could give us a hand some time? We are thinking of starting a sports hall of fame.”
“Here we are, nine years later,” she said.
“When I started this journey 40 years ago, little did I know the experiences I would have would be so profound,” she added – from attending the funeral for a talented Junior C player who took his own life to winning the RBC Cup on home ice.
“I have been so fortunate to have been given opportunities that allowed me to meet people from all walks of life, to make life-long friends and to experience the good, the bad and the ugly. I have enjoyed every minute, and I have absolutely no regrets.”
As Basinger turned to leave the stage, emcee Joel Scott stopped her to read a surprise letter sending greetings, the writer saying he was “incredibly grateful to call you my friend.”
Scott read on.
“As a young hockey player, I remember a lot of Cobourgians who helped me along my way, but nobody as special as you.
“I love you Liz. Your biggest fan, Steve Smith”
CHRIS CROOKS
The wrestling Crooks began in Grade 7 would have a profound effect on his future life and on the lives of countless others. On the University of Guelph Wrestling team, he was a four-time All-Canadian, a two-time CIAU gold medalist in 1983 and 1985, a two-time CIAU silver medalist in 1982 and 1984, and a CIAU bronze medalist in 1981. He was named team MIP in 1980-81 and team MVP in 1984-85. As a graduating athlete, he was also named the W.F. Mitchell Sportsman of the Year in 1984-85. He also helped lead Guelph to three consecutive national team titles (1981, 1982 and1983), and won the 1981 Canadian Junior Championship (where he was MVP). He earned a bronze medal at the Junior Pan American Championships in 1981. He won the 1984 Ithaca New York Invitation (and was MVP), and won the prestigious 1985 Michigan Open. At the Senior Canadian Wrestling Championships in 1987, he placed fourth. In recognition of all his accomplishments in 2007, Crooks was inducted into the University of Guelph Sports Hall of Fame. Upon graduating in 1985, he was an Assistant Coach at the University of Guelph and Mount Allison University. Crooks's teaching career began in Ajax in 1987, where he coached wrestling, both at school and for the Durham Region Wrestling Club (currently known as “Team Impact”). He moved to Northumberland County in 1990, where he taught and coached for the next 25 years. At CDCI West and East, he coached cross-country, wrestling, rugby and track-and-field, with numerous students qualifying for OFSSA. As a coach at the Kawartha Wrestling Club, he coached several provincial champions and national medalists. Crooks has always been more than a coach mentoring youth and encouraging them to do their best in school and life. In 2015, he took a teaching job in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. There he started the Cambridge Bay Wrestling Club, a program that used wrestling as a vehicle for growth and social development. The program involved Inuit youth who had experienced trauma through various incidents, including suicide. The goal of the program is to develop discipline, resilience, leadership, teamwork, sportsmanship and improve mental health. The wrestling program produced Nunavut’s first gold medalist at the 2022 Canada Summer Games. Crooks is currently President of Wrestling Nunavut and the Cambridge Bay Wrestling Club.
All the medals and accolades received in competition are important, Crooks said, but we learn valuable lessons from others. He shared stories of the students he had coached who never won, never placed, sometimes never even finished – but they kept showing up. Sometimes there were barriers of various kinds that they were struggling with, but they struggled on and showed up every day.
Crooks said he'd been fortunate to coach his own children, but the story goes on.
“I have grandkids now – they will keep me going, and we will see what the future holds,” he said.
DANNY FREI
Inspired as a teenager by former CDCI West teacher and CDSHF inductee Jerry Lawless, Frei began his own legacy of mentorship at age 19, launching a 32-year teaching career at Dale Road Senior Public School while completing his Bachelor’s degree at Trent University. An avid outdoorsman with a keen interest in science and exploration, he championed indoor and outdoor athletics to promote healthy minds and bodies while fostering leadership and character. Core to his extracurricular program was Dale Road Outers Club, which he led for more than 25 years, introducing generations of students to such outdoor pursuits as hiking, camping, canoeing, snowshoeing, and cross-country and downhill skiing. Its primary activity was the October Camp, where Grade 7 and 8 students embarked on an overnight outdoor experience. An estimated 3,600 students participated, where they were encouraged to plan, organize, and take controlled risks outside of their every-day comfort zones. Each year 10 to 20 participants were selected to join the Dale Road Canoe Trip, where students were further challenged and developed advanced leadership skills. Frei also organized the annual Dale Road downhill ski trip and coached the school’s Gymnastics team. Outside of school, he played an important role in the sport of whitewater canoeing and kayaking, first as a safety-and-rescue instructor and also as a judge in provincial, national, and international events – and by founding a local club, which saw some of his former students (including his sons) compete at the provincial, national, and international level. In 1990, Frei served as Team Manager for the Canadian Junior Whitewater Slalom Team, helping send Canadian athletes to the Junior World Championships and recognizing that international competition experience was essential to junior athlete development. Many of those athletes went on to represent Canada internationally and to mentor the next generation. Frei’s life-long interest in shooting and hunting sports (including 35 years of service and executive roles with the Northumberland Pistol and Revolver Club) was recognized in 1994 when he became one of the first licensees to teach and examine the Canadian Firearms Safety Course in Ontario. In the ensuing 25 years, his name became synonymous with education in the safe use of firearms for the local hunting and sports shooting community. His lifelong commitment to sharing his passion for outdoor adventure leaves a lasting legacy in the Cobourg District community and beyond.
Frei passed away earlier this year, and was represented by his sons David and Brian.
David asked for a show of hands of anyone who had participated in any of his dad's many programs and initiatives.
“It's amazing how many people he touched,” he commented.
Brian offered a behind-the scenes look at how Frei started just by taking his Dale Road science class to a local creek for hands-on exposure to the environment and biology. He went on to tackle bigger and bigger challenges, such as the logistics of transporting students and equipment for competitions domestic and international.
“By the time he retired, he had a community of volunteers. He would have one adult supervisor trained and certified by the board for one student. He built that over time,” Brian said.
JOHN HAYDEN
Athlete, teacher, coach, volunteer, referee, convenor, executive member and visionary, Hayden left a legacy to the local sporting community based on generosity, leadership, loyalty and dedication. Born, raised, and devoted to all things Cobourg, he first made his mark on the local sporting scene as a stand-out softball pitcher, leading from the mound as the Dairy Queen Juveniles and then Juniors captured back-to-back OASA Provincial Championships in 1970 and 1971 – the first of which saw him named the Most Valuable Pitcher of the tournament, and the latter of which saw him toss a two-hit shutout in the championship game. A long career in local education followed, focusing on special needs, and finding fulfillment and pride in the lives of his students. But Hayden didn’t leave sports behind. In addition to coaching numerous school team sports, he immersed himself in the local sporting scene. At various times, he served as a basketball referee and a baseball Umpire, but his true love could be found in coaching. Beginning in 1971, as a Peewee House League Hockey coach in the CCHL, he added another pair of OASA provincial softball championships in 1977 and 1978 as the coach of the Red Wing Squirts. In 1982, he turned his attention to the Cobourg Angels program where, as a coach, he added two more Provincial Championships in 1984 and 1985 and served on the Association’s board of directors. Also in 1985, he began coaching with the Cobourg Minor Soccer Club and, over the next eight years, he also served stints as the group’s Vice President and President, playing a pivotal role in growing the sport locally. But if he had to pick a favourite, it was undoubtedly basketball. Hayden was part of the trio who founded the Lakeshore Minor Basketball Association (now the Northumberland Minor Basketball Association). His administrative talents, knowledge, and local contacts were invaluable in establishing the league, but almost as important was his calm and steady manner, and his unwavering focus on player development and team unity over politics. His organizational skills were recognized in 2010, when he was named the chairman of a feasibility study for the future Cobourg Community Centre, and in 2017, when he was named as one of the original board of directors for the Cobourg and District Sports Hall of Fame.
Colleague Jan Bangs, with Hayden's wife Adriana beside him, described how supportive she and their children had been. Some of the old photos in the hall of fame that feature past championship teams had a personal meaning for Hayden – his grandfather would be in one, his father in another. The torch passed smoothly into Hayden's generation.
Even in those years where his health was declining, Bangs said, he was still coaching basketball at St. Mary Secondary School – and in fact deserves credit for helping keep the school's basketball program alive.
JAKE MAARSE
In Holland in 1963, Maarse launched his skating career in a winter whose level of cold was almost unprecedented, as an eight-year-old entering the Eleven City Race (the Elfstedentocht). Held on natural ice, this long-distance (almost 200 km.) event is the biggest ice-skating tour in the world and spans all 11 historical cities of the province of Friesland. It can only be held when the ice is at least 15 cm. thick – only three times since 1963, that race having gone down as "the hell of '63," when only 69 of the 10,000 participants were able to finish the race, due to the extremely low temperatures of -18 °C, powder snow and a harsh eastern wind. That year's winner, Reinier Paping, needed 11 hours to finish the race and became a national hero. Conditions were so horrendous that many of the contestants had frostbite, broken limbs, and damaged eyes. As a result, the race would not be contested for the next 22 years. But for Maarse, that race began his life-long passion for long-distance skating. Emigrating to Canada in 1976, Maarse and his wife eventually settled down near Cobourg, working as a horticulturist and renewing his love of long-distance skating by competing in various events throughout North America and Europe. In 2001-03, he was the only skater competing in all three distances at the Lake Placid marathons, winning all three (10K, 25K, & 42K) in 2002. In 2004, he co-founded Marathon Skating International. That same year, he helped with the establishment of the MSI Race Series with seven events contested throughout North America. In 2011 and 2016, he participated in the Alternative Eleven Cities races which were held in the Weissensee, Austria, where 10,000 skaters come together every year to celebrate long-distance skating. In 2018, he helped organize Friendship races with about 100 skaters from Canada, the USA and the Netherlands. Maarse remains an active skater, and is involved in fundraising skating events for charity every year through the Rotary Club of West Ottawa.
Maarse fondly recalled his life in Cobourg before moving to Ottawa in 2002.
“We basically started to become Canadians here,” he said.
As for the skating, “I hope to be able to do this for many years to come.”
CHRIS MARKLE
One would be unable to speak about the history of golf in our community without Markle's numerous accomplishments, starting in 1974 when Dalewood Golf and Country Club opened and he immediately made his mark by capturing their Bantam championship. In the years since, at Dalewood alone, he claimed four Club Junior Championships, 19 Club Men’s Championships and (so far) six Club Senior Men’s Championships. Representing Dalewood in 1996, alongside club pro Graham Gunn and Woman’s Champion Jeanne Beaith, the trio won the CPGA of Ontario Championship. Beyond Dalewood, Markle has won numerous regional championships, including the 1995 Pinecrest Open Championship, and most notably in 2002, when he bested 144 of the province's top male golfers at the Kawartha Golf and Country Club to win the Ontario Mid-Amateur Championship. The next year in the same tournament, he finished in second place and took home fifth place in 2005. Three years after that, he claimed the 2008 Kawartha Golf and Country Club Men’s Invitational Championship. Beyond the golf course, Markle coached a variety of boys’ and girls’ hockey teams. He was named Coach of the Year in 1999, helped guide the 2001-2002 OWHA Provincial Gold Medal Winners and the 2004-2005 Silver Medal Winners. He was recognized early in 2024 as one of nine active 50-year members of the Dalewood Golf Club – the same year he recorded his eighth hole-in-one. Markle has long been considered an ambassador by some (and the Godfather by others) when it comes to golf in the local region and beyond. If there is a local competition – be it a Member Competition at Dalewood, a Lefty-Right Tournament with his buddy Dan O’Donoghue, a Regional or Provincial Qualifier, a Charity Event or even a competitive/fun outing with a group of friends – you casn count on him not only partaking, but usually at or near to the top of the leaderboard on most occasions. And afterwards he can often be found in the backyard of his home, which conveniently sits behind the first hole at Dalewood.
And it all started when took his first shot at the age of 11, Markle said.
“Golf has been really good to me.”
SHARYL ANN MILLIGAN
Sharyl Ann Milligan has been a trailblazer in lawn bowling for more than 50 years, as a national team player, official, coach and administrator. She has performed all of these roles, with much success and achievement, on the local, provincial, national, and international levels. Throughout the 1980s and '90s, while also serving as the secretary for the Ladies Provincial Lawn Bowling Association/Ontario Lawn Bowls Association, Milligan was a fixture in district, zone and provincial competitions in both singles and team events. The Provincial Ladies Champion in 1990, she also was a valued member of the national team during this same time period, representing Canada in the first Atlantic Rim Championship in 1993 and capturing the North American Challenge in 1994. SAM, as she is known to family and friends alike, was a member of the 1995 Pacific Rim Bowls team that placed fourth in New Zealand. In 1993, in addition to her playing commitments, she was selected to the National Officiating team for the Mazda Pacific Bowls Championship, as well as the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, B.C. In 2002, she was chosen as Canada’s only Technical Official in Lawn Bowling at the Commonwealth Games held in Manchester, England, and also began an eight-year tenure on the World Bowls Laws Committee. That same year, after retiring from working with youth more than 40 years, Milligan made it her task to revive the Cobourg Lawn Bowling Youth Club, which had been shuttered years before. Beginning with the simple credo to give back to a sport that had already given her so much joy, Milligan arranged to go to local schools and arrange indoor orientation in the sport, in the hopes that some of the students would sign up for more at the club in the summer. It did happen in time, and Milligan introduced a new generation to Lawn Bowling. Thanks to her guidance and coaching, the club’s more advanced students have played in a number of open youth tournaments held across the province and throughout Canada, and she has personally coached local youth who have medaled on the world stage. One of her pupils, Baylee van Steijn – the 2014 and 2015 Ontario youth bowler of the year – won the Gold Medal at the 2019 Ontario Youth Singles and represented Canada at the 2023 World Outdoor Bowls Championship. That same year, in recognition of her service and dedication to the sport, Milligan was inducted as a Builder into Ontario Lawn Bowls Sports Hall of Fame.
“The inclusive nature of this sport allows people of all ages, abilities and walks of life to participate at any level, from club to the world stage,” Milligan declared.
“I could not have dreamed, as a young girl, that a day like this could happen.”
As her brother Dan was inducted into the CDSHF in 2020, the Milligans are now the first brother-and-sister inductees.
KEN STEVENSON
Born in Cobourg on May 11, 1957, Stevenson has always offset his small stature with a strong desire and drive to succeed, whether it be on a ball field, a hockey rink or putting in the countless hours in the gym to become an elite level bodybuilder. Stevenson first made his mark locally on the golf course in 1974 by winning the Dalewood Golf and Country Club’s Junior Championship. The very next year, he was a part of the Sommerville’s Juvenile Fastball team that captured the Provincial Championship. Two years later, he added another Provincial Championship to his sporting resume with the Grafton Junior Fastball team. In the fall of 1976, Ken joined the Cobourg Cougars and had what could only be termed as a “dream” season for the local hockey outfit. Scoring 40 goals as a rookie in the 1976-77 season, Stevenson would not only claim the team’s Rookie-of-the-Year honours but would also be voted the team’s most popular player – a tribute to his goal-scoring prowess and his hard work on the ice. Unquestionably, the highlight of that year for him would come on the night of January 21 in Frankford, when he tied a team record with six goals in a game and also added an assist. Later that year, he was rewarded for his achievements by being named as Cobourg’s Male Athlete of the Year. In 1991, Stevenson retuned to the local hockey scene as the head coach of the Cobourg Jr. Cougars Rep Novice team. Over the next eight years, he would also do the same for the Rep Atom, Peewee, and Bantam teams. At the same time, he began the process of re-entering athletic competition, this time in competitive bodybuilding. In 1999, he won the Men’s Master’s 40+ Division, and claimed the title of Mr. Ottawa. The very next year he placed third in the same competition. In 2005, he also placed third in the Men’s Master’s 40+ Fame Championships, only to follow that up with three straight first-place finishes in that same competition in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Two years later, Stevenson would compete in the Men’s Master’s 40+ UFE Championship, again claiming first place, in all claiming four finishes at the top of the podium in 2012, 2014, 2017, and 2018 (with a second-place finish in 2016).
“This is an absolute honour to be here on this stage, sharing this honour with all of you,” Stevenson said.
He also thanked Ross Quigley - “if he was here today, I would love to say hi to him and thank him for all his dedication.”
Host Bryan Marjoram added his own tribute to Quigley as the time came for the presentation of the Ross Quigley Youth in Sport Awards.
Quigley was a talented all-round athlete, Marjoram said, and more.
“He was all about people and his love for his hometown of Cobourg.”
The Ross Quigley Youth In Sport Award is a $1,000 bursary toward the recipients' post-secondary education and, each year, two winners (not of the same gender and living in the CDSHF catchment area) are selected.
DAWSON BADALI
Returning to the stage after receiving a certificate for being CCI's top male athlete of the year, Badali was noted for excelling in Varsity Tennis from 2022 to 2025 (OFSAA), Varsity Golf from 2023 until 2025 (COSSA), Junior and Senior Badminton (OFSAA) from 2022 to 2026, Varsity Wrestling through 2023 until 2026, Varsity Track and Field from 2024 until 2026, Varsity Frisbee from 2024 to 2026 (OFSAA), Varsity Disc Golf in 2024 until 2026 (Third place finish), Junior Volleyball from 2022 until 2024, Junior Basketball (COSSA) from 2022 to 2024, and Junior Hockey 2023-2024. To top his year off, more accolades came his way at the recent School Athletic Banquet – Senior Male Athlete, Student Volunteer award, MVP Senior Badminton winner, MVP in Varsity Golf, MVP in Varsity Tennis, and the Coaches award in Wrestling. Dawson did not let all this achievement interfere with scholastics – he had a grade average of 92% and more than 110 high-school volunteer hours. He has been accepted at Queen's University to obtain his Bachelor of Arts, with plans to teach and coach high school sports.
SOFIA JONES
A Grade 12 CCI student, Sofia is a four-sport athlete – Varsity Swimming from 2023 to 2026, Novice-Senior Cross-Country Running from 2022 to 2025, Junior Soccer from 2023 to 2025, and Senior Track and Field in 2025. In the community she was a Northumberland Aquatic Club Senior Swimmer from 2022 until 2024, and she was also a Senior Performance Swimmer from 2024 to 2026. Sofia earned her National Lifeguard certification in 2022 and began her life-guarding at Port Hope's Jack Burger Sports Complex. In that same year, she earned her Swim Instructor Certification and instructed from 2022-2023. She also received her Coaching 101 certification in 2023. Sofia demonstrated outstanding leadership in sport through her coaching and swim school instruction. She had an 85% grade average, and accumulated 50 volunteer hours. Sofia has been accepted at five universities – Queen's, Guelph, Brock, Western, and Trent. She has decided to pursue the Bachelor of Science (Honours)/ Bachelor of Education program at Queen's University.
Looking ahead to the 2027 inductions, Scott reminded everyone that nominations are being taken through Sept. 30. Details can be found at www.cdshf.ca
