The first inductees into harness racing and rowing highlighted a group of nine covering sports like baseball, bowling, golf, softball, hockey and lacrosse. They were honoured in front of a crowd of 320 at the Evinrude Centre.

Robert Abbott: Golf

The late Mr. Abbott came to Peterborough when he selected the city as site of the Raybestos Plant.

Speaking on his behalf, his daughter Jane Zeidler said his decision was influenced by his love of golf. "His decision was cinched by the Peterborough Golf and Country Club," she chuckled.

He arrived at age 35 and won the club title 13 times and was runner-up nine. "Had he come to Peterborough at 20 he could have won the club championship 25 times," she said.

Born in the U. S. in 1889, he lived in Peterborough for over 39 years. He excelled in baseball, football, hockey, basketball and track while at university, but golf was his game. He was 1905 United States Intercollegiate Champion and captained the 1907 Yale University golf team.

He was a successful senior golfer at provincial and national levels and was a director of the Royal Canadian Golf Association and president of the Ontario Golf Association.

John Bax: harness racing

Bax showed his humility by telling the crowd: "There is an old adage, 'It's better to be lucky than good' and I'm an example of that."

Bax was recognized in 2001 with the O'Brien Award-Canada's top trainer of standard-breed race horses.

He has developed champion trotters Good Times and Duke of York winning European and North American championships. Duke of York won the 2001 Breeders Crown and Good Times represented Canada at the European Championships placing third.

Good Times won the 1998 Maple Leaf Trot-Canada's most prestigious race for trotters. Bax developed the champion filly Pepsi Lavec who won the 2001 Canadian Breeders Championship.

Bax says his family shares his passion. "To be able to combine your work, sport and kids, how lucky can a guy get," he said.

William Patrick (Pat) Calladine: Softball/Baseball

"He was a sincere man with a good sense of humour and a lot of friends," Jack Coursey said, of his late uncle Pat.

Calladine moved to Peterborough in 1913. He distinguished himself as an athlete, a manager and a tireless organizer in hockey, softball, baseball and
lacrosse.

While he was considered to be the best softball catcher in the city for many years in the 1920s and 30s, he is remembered as one of the best and most respected umpires in the province.

He was instrumental in reviving the men's city softball league and served as president from 1947 to 1952 and the executive until his death in 1957.

Diana Drury: Fastball, hockey, lacrosse, basketball.

While she lives in Kingston now, Drury says her upbringing in Peterborough contributed to her success.

"A lot of my growth came from my early experiences in Peterborough," said Drury. "Sport has given me the opportunity to travel the world and meet lifelong friends. The memories, life lessons and friends can never be replaced."

Born in Peterborough in 1961, Drury excelled in track, basketball, hockey, lacrosse, softball and bowling. She was named Peterborough Junior Female Athlete of the Year in 1977 and was elected to the Kenner Hall of Fame in 1998.
She won a provincial fastball championship with Lakefield in 1978 and 1980. She coached the Peterborough U. E. midget boys' box lacrosse team to a national championship in 1981. She was a member of the national women's field lacrosse team from 1982-86.

After an outstanding university career at Queen's in hockey and softball, she was named Canadian College Athletic Association (CCCA) Coach of the Year in 1992 and CCAA Outstanding Coach from 1989-93 for her work with St. Lawrence College in Kingston. She received the Government of Ontario Ten-Year Award for Contribution to the OCAA and was inducted into the OCAA Hall of Honour in 2003.

Carol Gibson: Softball, basketball, swimming, skating

"I consider it an honour and a privilege to be inducted into the Peterborough and District Sports Hall of Fame alongside my husband Jack Gibson and son Doug," said Gibson.

Born in Peterborough in 1934, Carol Gibson was a good, all-around athlete in softball, basketball, track and field, figure skating, swimming and diving. She played in the city women's softball league at age 11. She was on the 1951 COSSA-winning PCVS basketball team and on many notable city league basketball champions.

Gibson was an original member of the Peterborough Figure Skating Club and has been involved with Peterborough Church Softball League the past 45 years.

Rick Johnston: Baseball

"It's a special and proud moment for myself and my family to be recognized," said Johnston.

"Peterborough is a special place I'm proud to call my home." Johnston has travelled 16 countries to play baseball in Olympic, world and other international championships.

Born in 1964, Johnston moved to Peterborough as a young boy in the early 1970s. He's one of the best baseball players the city has produced.
He played minor baseball in Peterborough and junior in Toronto from 1982-85 and returned to Peterborough to play for the Peterborough Senior Tigers in 1988. He was a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Inter-County League winning the league championship in 1994 and 1995 and league MVP honours. He won provincial A championship with East York in 1982 and 1983.

He was a National team member for six years and played at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Korea and was a member of the 1987 and 1991 Pan-American
Games and Intercontinental Cup teams.

He has also been a scout for the Tampa Bay Rays; coached the Croatia National men's team; coached the 2002 Ontario silver medallist at the Canada Summer Games; was manager of the 2006 gold medallists at the Ontario Summer Games and was named 2005 Canadian Baseball Coach-of-the- Year.

Carol Love: Rowing

Rowing in Peterborough would not be as strong as it is without Love's efforts to build Trent University and Peterborough rowing clubs and high school programs, on the Otonabee River.

"I've seen my share of sunrises on the river and I've never tired of the magic and beauty," she said. The PRC is the sixth largest club in Canada, she said.
Love rowed for Canada's women's eight at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. She won a world championship bronze medal in 1977 and was a gold-medal winner at the 1981 Canadian Henley.She was awarded the 25 Year Service Pin by Rowing Canada and won the Ontario University Athletic Association Coach-of-the-Year in 2004 and 2006.

James Douglas (Doug) Miller Jr: Bowling

"I'm very honoured to be selected to be a member of the Peterborough and District Sports Hall of Fame," said Miller.

He founded the Youth Bowling Council which has put two million children through its program since 1963.

Born in Peterborough in 1927, Miller played lacrosse, hockey, boxing and bowling. Miller made a significant contribution to the development of bowling in Ontario and across Canada as a builder, administrator and fundraiser.

Edward Kevin (Mickey) Murray: Hockey

Born in Peterborough in 1898, the late Mickey Murray excelled at hockey and baseball.

He's most famous for his play for the American Hockey League's Providence Reds (now Bruins). To this day he has the best all-time GAA in Reds' history, for any goalie appearing in more than 100 games. He's also tied for first in all-time shutouts(23). He also played one NHL game for Montreal in 1930. In a 1932 article in The Examiner, he was picked as the first team all-star goalie for the Peterborough Dream Team.

It was an emotional moment for his nephew Jim Murray to speak for his uncle.
"I feel unbelievable," said Murray. "I feel like Mark Messier when he was inducted (into the Hockey Hall of Fame). Does anybody have a Kleenex?"

Credit: The Peterborough Examiner