Seven inductees named to Sports Hall of Fame
Peterborough’s rich sporting diversity is reflected in the Peterborough and District Sports Hall of Fame 38th induction class.
A local athlete turned Hollywood actress and the first couple to ever go in together highlight the 2017 class. The seven individuals represent sports like rifle shooting, boxing, figure skating, softball, slopitch, hockey and synchronized swimming.
Estella Warren went on to a motion picture career after initially making her mark in the pool while the late Ernie and Ruth Ferguson helped found the Peterborough Figure Skating Club 70 years ago. Hall officials said a special meeting was held to approve the Fergusons as the first couple to be inducted together.
Joining them are athletes Mark Bedlington, Pat Devlin, Jim Fife and builder Don Sherry. Their nominations were announced Wednesday night during a press conference at the Hall. They will be officially enshrined at the annual induction dinner June 2 at the Evinrude Centre on Monaghan Rd. Tickets are $40 and available at the Hall Tuesday and Thursday mornings or by calling 705-743-6897.
See profiles of the inductees on Page B11.
Here’s a closer look at the 2017 Peterborough and District Sports Hall of Fame inductees:
MARK BEDLINGTON – Running Game Target
Bedlington is a Bridgenorth native who competed in the sport of rifle shooting in 50 metre and 10 metre air rifle moving target. He was a member of the Canadian national shooting team from 198095. He dominated the sport in the 1980’s and early 1990’s, winning 10 Canadian championships. He finishing 12th at the worlds in East Germany in 1985. He competed at four Pan American Games winning a bronze medal in 1987 in Indianapolis. He participated in two Commonwealth Games in 1990 and 1994 in Victoria, B.C. where he won a silver medal in the individual event and gold with his brother Matt in the team event. He was a member of the Canadian team at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
“There are three shooters who are already in the Hall of Fame and I have a connection to all of them,” Bedlington said. “The shooting fraternity is small so it’s nice to be here.”
PATRICK DEVLIN – Boxing
Devlin first walked into the Peterborough Midtown Boxing Club in 1976 at the age of 15. He went on to have 105 fights with 86 wins in the lightweight, lightwelter weight and welterweight divisions. He was a silver medalist at the 1978 Ontario Winter Games; the Ontario open class champion in 1979, 1980 and 1981 and 1980 silver medalist at the Canadian championships.
He won silver at the 1984 Olympic qualifying Ontario championships and was the silver medalist at the 1988 Alberta championships. Devlin was a recipient of the 1980 Provincial Government of Ontario Award and the City of Peterborough Civic Sports Award in 1978, 1980, 1981 and 1983.
Devlin fought five Olympians; the most noteworthy being Canadian and world champion and Olympic silver medalist Shawn O’Sullivan, in which O’Sullivan won a split decision.
“It’s a humbling experience and I’m very honoured to be part of this,” Devlin said. “I feel like a big fish in a small sea living in Peterborough. In Toronto or Vancouver you’d have to be an Olympic or world champion to be inducted into a sports hall of fame.”
RUTH and ERNIE FERGUSON – Builders: Figure Skating
Ruth and Ernie Ferguson became interested in figure skating in the 1940s and skated on the Trent Canal, Omemee Arena and any other available ice surface that they could find. A relative, uncle Tom Doughty learned of their need for ice time and arranged with Jim Harkness and Herb Martin to skate at the Peterborough Curling Club on Charlotte Street.
During the winter of 1946, they sent out flyers to local schools and were overwhelmed with the response. In 1947 The Peterborough Figure Skating Club received its Charter and became a member of the Canadian Figure Skating Association.
The PFSC moved to the Civic Arena and in 1950-51 held its first competition. The club later moved to the Memorial Centre and expanded into other local arenas. Last month the PFSC celebrated its 70th anniversary and recognized the Ferguson family’s contributions at its gala ice show. Ruth passed away in 2009 and Ernie in 1993. They are survived by three children – Ernie Jr., Wayne and Arlene Deck – who all skated. Deck, at age 80, skated during the anniversary show to honour her parents.
“It was a big stumbling block for the Hall to accept them as a couple but two years ago they said, yes, they would accept them as a couple,” Ernie Jr. said. “That was a very happy event. They danced together and were together all the time. They just enjoyed skating. They didn’t enjoy the limelight. They had other people do the administrative work; they just wanted to work with the kids.”
JIM FIFE – Softball
Fife was a good all round athlete growing up in Norwood. He was invited to the Toronto Marlboro training camp in 1961 but softball was his specialty. His Norwood team were the 1962 OASA juvenile C zone and 1963 OASA juvenile C champions. In 1963, this young pitching star moved up to the Peterborough Men’s Softball Association city league and he won Rookie of the Year and lead the Steelworkers to the championship.
From 1963 to 1969 he was one of the league’s elite pitchers winning three league championships; 1963 OASA Industrial southern Ontario finalists; a 1967 OASA Intermediate Championship; was league MVP in 1967 and managed Peterborough Heating to the 1968 OASA Junior A title. Fife pitched two perfect games. He later coached and was an administrator in minor softball.
“I’m just thrilled about this,” Fife said. “I was shocked when Ken Rutan called to tell me. I’m very honoured and humbled by it. I think of all my teammates I played with. The guys who made the great fielding plays and came up with the timely hits.”
A. DONALD SHERRY – Builder: Softball, Slo-Pitch, Hockey
Over the span of nearly 50 years Sherry was involved in many organizations. He umpired all levels of fastball/softball and slo-pitch in Peterborough and surrounding district. During this time he took on many roles within the umpire association.
He was one of the organizers of the Peterborough Umpire’s Association and helped in the merger with the Kawartha Umpire’s Association to create one organization. From its formation in 1991, he was an integral part of the growth and development of the Peterborough Men’s Senior SloPitch League. He served 11 years on the executive and played an active role in its operation. Sherry was also one of the original organizers of the Peterborough Senior’s Hockey Club.
A public school teacher, Sherry also gave his time to coaching school teams, church league hockey and softball. He was a player/coach/ manager for St. Barnabas in the Men’s Church Slo-Pitch League where he also served as the league’s umpire liaison. He volunteered for the Liftlock atom hockey tournament for many years.
“Don passed away 10 years ago,” said his wife Getha. “It’s nice he’s being remembered while there are a few people still around in the sporting community that remember him. He spent a lot of time to organize the seniors slo-pitch and seniors hockey which is now up to 19 teams. He’d be thrilled.”
ESTELLA WARREN – Synchronized Swimming
Warren’s impressive career in synchronized swimming began with the Kawartha-Trent Synchro Club coached by Jennifer Ruth. Due to her creative modifications of traditions, she revolutionized the sport.
Her talent was evident from an early age and at 12 Estella moved to the Olympium Club in Etobicoke to further her development. She competed in solo, duet, figures and team events. In 1992 she captured twp gold medals at the Eastern Divisional Championships; three gold and one silver at provincials; one silver and two bronze at the Canadian championships and one silver as a member of the senior national team at the Roma Cup in Rome, Italy.
From 1993-96 she amassed 14 divisional, 16 provincial, seven national and two world gold medals along with six silver and two bronze at nationals and one silver and one bronze at worlds. In 1994, Warren was selected to both the national junior team and national senior B team.
In 1995 teammates elected her Canadian junior team captain. She was promoted to the senior national team and received an invitation to attend the Canadian Olympic Team camp. In 1996, she was named YTV Canadian Athlete of the Year and was runner-up for the Sport Canada Elaine Tanner Award.
While she was a candidate for the 1996 Olympics, she elected to pursue a modelling and acting career including roles in with Sylvester Stallone and
Warren was en route to Denmark for a film shoot Wednesday and was unavailable for comment.