By Cecilia Nasmith/Northumberland 89.7 FM/Today’s Northumberland
A sixth annual contingent of superstars has joined the ranks of those singled out for the Cobourg and District Sports Hall of Fame, with the eight newest names announced Sunday at the Baltimore Community Centre.
As always, emcee Joel Scott announced them in alphabetical order.
Jennifer Ashley
Dubbed Cobourg’s Ms. Everything by Ron McLean, she first distinguished herself on the Tony’s Pizza Basketball Team in 1977, though she also won gold medals with the Cobourg Angels softball team.
After graduating from CDCI West (as valedictorian), she got her PE and teaching degree from the University of Toronto, where she played on several teams (including varsity hockey).
A tireless volunteer, she served as player, coach, teacher, executive member and trusted mentor.
She was a three-time gold medallist in the World Master Games Softball, as well as in track and field at the Ontario 55+ Games.
In 2015, at Cobourg’s Civic Awards ceremony, she won the Layton Dodge Athletic Award
Bruce Covert
Covert is a lifelong resident of the community who played football and basketball at CDCI East, and later distinguished himself as a basketball referee. Over the course of a 50-year career, on a provincial level, he refereed more than 1,000 competitive games at local, provincial, national and international levels.
He won the 2016 award from the John A, Willox Award from the Canadian Association of Basketball Officials in recognition of outstanding contributions, as well as the Ontario Association of Basketball Officials’ highest honour, a Life Membership.
Bill “Cowboy” Elliott
Known to all as Cowboy, he played baseball and hockey as a kid, and softball and hockey as an adult (also enjoying darts, bowling, horseshoes and golf).
He was also a tireless advocate for sports in the community, and his fundraising skills were legendary.
He was not one to wait for someone else to take the initiative – it was said that, if he was around, a 50-50 draw or charity euchre tournament was bound to follow.
Cobourg bestowed upon him its 2021 Citizen of the Year Award to recognize his talent and energy and time given to the community.
Lionel “Tut” Gutteridge
A lifelong resident of the community (except during his military service in World War II), he was a founding member of Legion Minor Softball (as well as its first president) and an executive member of the Cobourg Church Hockey League (including service as president at the same time he acted as a referee).
He was awarded the Cobourg Legion’s Certificate of Merit for 30 years of service in minor softball, and was honoured with lifetime memberships from Cobourg Legion Minor Softball and the Cobourg Community Hockey League.
Upon his death, the park near his home was renamed in his honour.
Craig Minifie
Minifie’s name pops up frequently in the annals of the Cobourg Men’s Town Fastball League, with the most amazing string of records in its 48-year history – most hits (473), most runs (288), most home runs (65), most doubles (68) and most RBIs (274), ranking third in games played (471) and 11th in triples (12).
He is a five-time winner of their MVP trophy – all while playing with other leagues, including those in Port Hope and Hamilton Township (where he also won awards).
He went on to be a Canadian Masters champion and was elected to the Canadian Masters Fastball Hall of Fame
Denine Page
Page began figure skating at seven, performing her first solo two years later.
By age 12, she was skating seven days a week in Cobourg and Oshawa, and attending skating schools throughout the province and beyond.
She would later coach gymnastics at the local YMCA while continuing to coach skating as well. In 1975, she was approached by a group of parents for help in establishing a Baltimore Skating Club, which she did in 1976 (and with which she has volunteered ever since).
As a coach, she has received 67 certifications and has seen many of her skaters qualify to compete at All-Ontario Championships.
Gerald “Dick” Turpin
Turpin spent more than 30 years coaching and mentoring hundreds of minor softball players in the Cobourg Legion Minor Softball League as well as serving in an executive role.
Coaching coups include his work with the 1967 Winchester Juveniles and the 1968 Hiller’s Juniors at provincial championships.
In 1993, the OASA recognized him with its F.R. Feaver Memorial Trophy for outstanding contribution to the game of softball. As well, the Cobourg Legion created the Dick Turpin Award for sportsmanship and dedication.
Justin Williams
Williams was known in the NHL as Mr. Game Seven because he participated in nine game-seven playoff games (winning eight of them).
He is tied for most-ever goals in these games, and has the record for the most game-seven points (15).
Born in Cobourg, he was first drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2000 and would also go on to play for the Carolina Hurricanes, Los Angeles Kings and Washington Capitals.
He would win three Stanley Cups – the first ever for the Hurricanes in 2006, and in 2012 and 2014 for the Kings (the latter game winning him the Conn Smythe MVP trophy).
Locally, he has raised money for Northumberland Hills Hospital, established a youth hockey camp and brought the Stanley Cup to town in 2014.
Board member Gil Brocanier paid tribute to CDSHF founder Ross Quigley, a well-known athlete and volunteer who had the original vision.
He got to work on it in 2013, scanning old sports stories (many by first-year inductee, Cobourg Daily Star reporter Layton Dodge) and putting them in binders.
He would accrue more than 100 binders representing various categories.
Quigley recruited a few volunteers in 2016, who incorporated in 2017, sent out a first call for inductee nominations in 2018 and inducted the first eight in 2019.
Early key supporters included the Rotary Club of Cobourg for $10,000 in start-up funds, the Town of Cobourg for display and storage space and Frank Bouwmans Cabinetry for 16 beautiful display cases.
Analyzing the website, they have found the second-most visits are to Layton Dodge’s images over his decades-long career as the town’s premier sports reporter.
The most visits are to check out Rev. Dr. Kevin Fast, who was in the second group of inductees.
Dr. Fast and his fellow 2021 inductees were honoured at the announcement ceremony with certificates from MPP David Piccini, who declared it his first activity as a newly re-elected MPP.
Gord Brooks – Cobourg’s first NHL player, with 70 games between 1971 and 1975, Brooks went on to play in the NAHL and AHL.
He won the AHL’s John B. Sollenberger trophy in 1978 as the league’s scoring championship, and made their first all-star team. He won an IHL championship in 1981 with the Saginaw Gears and, after retirement, won an Allan Cup playing senior hockey for Brantford.
Neil Cane – Withh an athletic career that included hockey, softball, baseball and high school sports, Cane won multiple Ontario Amateur Softball Association championships and an MVP honour from the Cobourg Mercantile Hockey League.
He went on to become a respected coach, umpire and referee throughout the region, and – while working at the Baltimore Recreation Complex – was instrumental in fundraising for two arena constructions and facilitating its development into a first-class community facility.
Rev. Dr. Kevin Fast – Not long after moving to Cobourg in 1992 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Dr. Fast was invited to participate in Cobourg’s Highland Games, where he astonished himself by winning.
From there, he went on to perform other feats of strength pulling everything from planes and trains to fire trucks and houses.
As of 2020, he set 34 world records for feats of strength and was mentioned in the Guinness World Book of Records for setting 31 records. Locally, he has put this gift to good use by raising thousands of dollars for many charities.
Margaret Anne Matthews – Matthews was 12 when she helped the Sinclair Mustangs capture the Ontario Novice softball championship.
Going on to the Cobourg Angels, she would win two more Ontario titles at Junior B level and eventually five more.
CDCI West voted her its most valuable player in both basketball and volleyball in 1978. She would also receive a coaching award, and be named Athlete of the Year by her school and by the Town of Cobourg.
Daniel Ross Milligan – Introduced to lawn bowls at the age of 13 by his dad, Milligan won the provincial singles championship in 1981 and become a member of Canada’s national team.
At his first international competition in 1984, he became Canada’s first outdoor medallist in 30 years (bronze).
In 1985, he played in the first Pacific Games in Australia and, the following year at the commonwealth Games, won Canada’s first silver medal in more than four decades.
He won Canada’s Confederation Medal in 1992 for his contributions to the sport, and was inducted into the Ontario Bowls Hall of Fame in 2018.
Kenneth Wayne James Petrie – Petrie devoted much of his adult life to minor sports in Cobourg, including the Cobourg Church Hockey League, Legion Minor Softball Association and the Cobourg Baseball Association, working tirelessly as coach, manager, trainer, fundraiser, executive member and committee member.
He was president of the CCHL a record 11 times and was named a life member. Teams that he coached racked up the championships, including 10 provincial titles.
Fred Simpson – Born at Alderville in 1878, Simpson began long-distance running and finished third in the 10-mile Peterborough Examiner Road Race and second in the first Hamilton Herald Road Race.
At the 1908 Olympics in London, he represented Canada and finished sixth – winning the Hamilton Herald Road Race that same year.
He turned professional the following year and raced on a circuit that took him throughout the US and Canada.
Clarke Sommerville – Opening Sommerville’s Sporting Goods in Cobourg in 1952, Sommerville quickly immersed himself in the local sports community.
He played a key role in starting and funding the Cobourg Cougars (then a Junior B team). A lifetime executive member, he served in many roles including general manager.
Back at his store, the pop cooler became a favourite spot for all to gather to discuss current issues and make important decisions about local sports.
Looking ahead, Brocanier announced that tickets should soon be available for the induction banquet June 20 at the Best Western Plus Cobourg Inn and Convention Centre.
And for the 2026 group of inductees, he added, nomination information is available online and the deadline is Sept. 30.
And this will be the fourth year the Ross Quigley Youth In Sports Award will be offered in memory of the CDSHF founder to recognize and reward athletic, academic and community involvement.
The $1,000 bursary is given annually to two students (not of the same gender) who attend a Northumberland school and reside in the area covered by the CDSHF – the Town of Cobourg, Alderville First Nation, and the townships of Hamilton, Cramahe and Alnwick-Haldimand.
Information is available in school guidance offices, and forms can also be found on the website. The deadline for these nominations is May 1.
