Fonds RG 7 - Sports Department fonds

The first Sports Committee of the Canadian National Exhibition was established in 1925 consisting of executive and advisory members to whom the head of the Sports Department was responsible. Several years earlier, in 1920, an Aquatics Committee and a Horse Racing Committee had been formed. The Horse Racing Committee was discontinued after 1938 and the Aquatics Committee was discontinued after 1929, the latter returning only briefly for the 1948 and 1949 exhibitions. After this time, responsibility for aquatic events was taken up by the Sports Committee. Sporting events, however, had been a regular feature of the CNE prior to the formation of the Sports Committee. During the latter part of the 19th century, they had been administered by the Special Attractions Committee.

The Sports Department was responsible for implementing the decisions of the Sports Committee, monitoring CNE sports facilities, seeking out new and different sports features, and promoting CNE sports events. The records indicate that the Sports Department has made use of a broad spectrum of resources to produce the annual CNE Sports programme: the Federal, Provincial and Municipal Governments, as well as local sports clubs, professional and amateur sports organizations, and commercial enterprises.

In 1910, Elwood A. Hughes, who later served as CNE General Manager from 1934-1952, was appointed Athletics Director, the first staff position for sports. Succeeding Hughes as Sports Manager were: George N. Duthie (1934-1968), Kenneth H. Twigg (1968-1972), Gordon R. Walker (1973-1977), Douglas J. Gerrard (1977-1980) and Pat Martin (1980).

Kenneth Twigg's official title was Sports and Stadium Manager because until 1976 the Sports Department Manager was also responsible for operating the CNE Stadium. In 1977, when the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto created a separate entity, Exhibition Stadium Corporation, to run the stadium, Gordon Walker acted as both CNE Sports Department Manager and the General Manager of the Exhibition Stadium Corporation. Walker resigned as Sports Manager in 1977 to focus on his role as General Manager of the Exhibition Stadium Corporation and was succeeded by Doug Gerrard.

Pat Martin assumed the position of Sports Department Manager in 1980, but the restructuring of the CNE that followed upon the recommendations of a 1979 Management Review caused his position to be changed to Attractions Manager. The position of Sports Manager ceased to exist and the responsibility for administering sports events was then transferred to the newly created position of Sports Supervisor who directed the work of the Sports Coordinators. It was at this time that two Sports Coordinator positions were made permanent, full-time positions as was the position of Sports Department Secretary.

The Sports Department, up until 1981, had relied entirely on part-time staff and volunteers to organize sports events for the CNE. In the late 1960s, Sports Manager Ken Twigg was responsible for creating the part-time position of Sports Coordinator. Donald Duthie, son of the late George Duthie, Marvin Pearl and George Shepherd were the first to hold this position. As the sports programme grew, other coordinators were retained as the need arose.

The Sports Coordinators were generally retained from July to September. Prior to July, the Sports Manager would confirm which competitions would take place during the CNE, the dates, location and the name of the contact person from the sports organization responsible for presenting the event. This information was then turned over to the Sports Coordinators who became the liaison between the CNE Sports Department and the organization running the event. The Coordinators were also responsible for coordinating the requirements of the competitions (first aid, sports equipment, awards, trailers, carpentry, signs, etc.) with the CNE Works Department and outside suppliers.

As mentioned above, for a long period the Sports Department relied heavily on volunteers. One long-time volunteer, Bill Leveridge, enjoyed a unique relationship with the CNE Sports Department. In 1935, George Duthie invited Leveridge to perform volunteer office work for the CNE Sports Department. In 1937, he became a member of the Softball Committee, and in 1948, a member of the Dog Derby Committee. In 1952, he was appointed to the Sports Advisory Committee, becoming a member of the Sports Executive Committee in 1960. In 1975, Leveridge was approached by Gordon Walker to write a history of sports at the CNE. Accepting the invitation, Leveridge worked on the book "Fair Sport" from 1975 until 1978 when it was published for the CNE's 100th anniversary. Also in 1978, Leveridge was selected to plan and coordinate the Pepsi Challenge Swim, a 30-mile marathon swim from Niagara-on-the-Lake. In early 1980, with the unexpected resignation of Douglas Gerrard, Bill Leveridge acted as Sports Manager until the appointment of Patrick Martin in April 1980. Subsequent to this appointment, Leveridge continued with the Department in the role of Sports Administrator, responsible for the preparation of the Attractions Department budget and budgetary control. Throughout, Leveridge also acted as an "unofficial" Sports Coordinator, assisting with the organization of CNE sports events.