Turner the hockey player was a white guy from Regina.
Turner the recreation director was a black guy from New Jersey who broke a colour barrier. He became Ontario's first black recreation director. In fact, he just might have been the first black recreation director in not only Canada, but all of North America.
Remember now, this was a period in U.S. history when blacks were not allowed to drink from "white only" public fountains, enter "white only" restaurants and could not attend "white only" schools.
However, when it came to sending blacks to fight (and die) in Vietnam, the colour barrier was lifted.
Turner broke the colour barrier when the town of Colborne (population 1,500) hired him as its first recreation director in 1954.
Four years later, Cornwall hired him as its first recreation director.
It was a bold step for a lily-white community that in 1960 had its share of rednecks.
Turner was a graduate of New York City University (bachelor of physical education), spent a season with the Chicago White Sox one year after the courageous Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball's colour barrier and toured for one season with the Harlem Globetrotters.
His legacy is a recreation program that is second to none in the small city category.
He laid the foundation.
Sadly, Turner never got to see the seeds that he sowed grow into what we have today.
He died, at age 35, on April 23, 1962.
His heart stopped during a minor operation at Cornwall General Hospital.
He was revived, but spent several days in a coma before passing away with his wife Dorris, his mom and two aunts at his bedside.
Thousands filed past his casket in St. Paul's United Church.
He is buried in Athens, Ont.
A few weeks after his death, city council voted unanimously to name the new recreation centre that was built during his tenure after him: the Bob Turner Memorial Centre.
A bronze bust of Bob Turner was commissioned by council and placed in the showcase in the centre's lobby.
The bust for some unexplained reason has been mothballed and next year the centre will be torn down.
City council has refused to name one of the ice pads in the new Benson Centre after Turner.
They either don't understand the historical significance of Turner's tenure, or ...
One councillor scoffed at the notion of naming an ice pad (the names have been sold off) after Turner .
"If he (Turner) hadn't been black, they would never have named it (centre) after him," the councillor told this scribbler.
Yes, and if Jackie Robinson hadn't been black nobody would have named a school after him.
Like Robinson, our Bob Turner helped tear down a barrier.
By hiring Bob Turner, the city council of the day made Cornwall a model of racial tolerance, at a time when racism, especially in hiring, was discreetly practised in this country.
Many residents of Colborne (near Belleville) attended his funeral (in Cornwall).
A few days later one of them wrote a letter to the Colborne weekly newspaper: "Bob's life had known no limits and his deeds would be a living memorial to every man, woman and child who had known him. We, from Colborne, listened and how vividly we could recall the fine things this man had also done for our town."
The parent of a band member said Turner was "a man who had an enormous impact on the young people of the village (Colborne)."
An editorial in the Standard-Freeholder said, "Bob Turner was one of Cornwall's most popular city officials, particularly with children. Since coming to Cornwall, Mr. Turner organized and correlated physical, social and cultural activities in a recreation program which has been described as one of the best in the province."
Mayor Nick Kaneb said of Turner, "He often went beyond the line of duty in performing his duties."
While this community, sadly, seems to have swept Bob Turner's memory/legacy under the rug, or at least is doing a pretty good job at trying to do just that, his legacy is alive and well in Colborne.
In 2009, when the local marching band, which Turner nurtured while recreation director, held its anniversary, his widow and two daughters were the town's guests of honour.
We keep hearing that the city council plans to keep Bob Turner's name alive with some sort of plaque at the new Benson Centre.
Sounds like a shameful downgrade from having your name on a recreation centre, but, nevertheless, city council missed an opportunity to tie this kind of announcement to its proclamation of Black History Month.
August 31, 2026
Today, August 31, we join people around the world in recognizing the United Nations’ International Day for People of African Descent.
Today is a day to celebrate our history, resilience, achievements and contributions. But it is also a day to confront history honestly.
For the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) - Canada, recognition must be accompanied by truth, accountability and action.
Canada has a history connected to the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans and the institution of slavery. That history must be acknowledged—not to assign guilt to Canadians today, but to recognize the truth of what happened and understand its continuing consequences.
An apology cannot undo the past. But it can acknowledge the truth, honour those who suffered, and help establish a foundation for meaningful reconciliation and justice.
The United Nations has made clear that the legacy of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade demands recognition, justice and action.
Nations have a responsibility to ensure the full and equal treatment, dignity and protection of people of African descent in the societies and countries they have profoundly contributed to building and developing economically. This responsibility includes strengthening laws, policies and institutions to eliminate the racial discrimination, inequality and systemic barriers that continue to affect people of African descent, including in countries where they were brought through enslavement, forced migration or other forms of coercion. Recognition of these contributions must be accompanied by concrete measures to protect human rights, advance equality and address the enduring consequences of racial injustice.
Canada should not stand outside that conversation.
On this International Day for People of African Descent, CBTU Canada renews its call:
Canada must recognize its history.
Canada must acknowledge its responsibility.
Canada must apologize.
Remembering must lead to recognition.
Recognition must lead to accountability.
And accountability must lead to action.
CBTU Canada remains committed to the campaign for recognition, justice and an official federal apology.
In solidarity
The Executive Board of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) - Canada
(Le français suit / French follows…)
August 23 is more than a date. It is a day to remember the courage, resistance and determination of those who challenged a system built on the trafficking and enslavement of Africans and their descendants.
The International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition reminds us that history is not simply something to be remembered; it is something that continues to shape the societies we live in today. The legacy of slavery is reflected in the institutions, policies, inequalities and experiences that continue to affect Black communities.
Remembrance must therefore be accompanied by recognition, accountability and action. Honouring those who resisted slavery means confronting the historical realities that continue to influence the present and ensuring that future generations inherit a more just society.
This is why the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists–Canada continues to call on the Government of Canada to acknowledge its role in the trafficking and enslavement of Africans and to issue a formal federal apology. Our national apology campaign is part of a broader effort to advance recognition, accountability and reparatory justice.
On August 23rd, we remember those who endured. We honour those who resisted. And we recommit ourselves to the work of building a future grounded in justice, equality and dignity for all.
In remembrance. In recognition. In action.
The Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) Canada Executive Board
