Canada

COBOURG PLANT OPENS DOORS TO PUBLIC SATURDAY

Reprint from Cobourg Sentinel-Star June,1970

This is Winchester Canada's big week in Cobourg. The company and its 265 employees have just moved into their new 86,000 sq. ft. plant on Brook Road North, and on Thursday official dedication ceremonies will be held. This Saturday - June 13 - citizens of Cobourg and district are invited to visit the new plant and see how world-renowned Winchester and Cooey guns are made. Employees were the first to open the celebrations with a big family tour a few weeks ago.

On Thursday, with Cobourg resident and Canadian president and general manager John E. Feldhaus as host, the new plant will be dedicated at 2 p.m.. Attending will be Alex Carruthers, MPP, Durham, Russell Rowe MPP., Northumberland, Mayor Jack Heenan and members of council, with Rev. George Malcolm, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church and chairman of the Cobourg Council of Churches giving the invocation. 

Special company guests in Cobourg will include Harlow Reed, executive vice-president and chief operating officer of the $1 billion-plus parent U.S. Olin Corp and William L. Wallace, Winchester Group vice-president.

The company has recently moved from its former plant in the town's west end, where it had been located since coming to Cobourg in 1929. Winchester Canada Limited sells a full range of Winchester guns imported from the U.S. as well as those made in Cobourg. There is also an ammunition plant at Cobourg. 

Beginning in Toronto as the H.W. Cooey Machine & Arms Co. Limited, in 1903, its founder was a machinery specialist. During World War I, the company produced small arms parts and other machinery, always conscious of quality and good design.

Just after the war Mr. Cooey himself designed the famous Cooey .22 caliber rifle which soon became well recognized across Canada as well as internationally. By 1929, there had been several expansions in Toronto and Mr. Cooey bought a vacant plant in Cobourg and the company came here. During World War II of course, war production was vitally important to the Cooey plant, and out came parts for guns as well as training rifles.

In 1961, when Mr. Cooey died the company was sold to the then Olin Mathieson Chemical Corp., under the Winchester-Western division. Several new lines were brought into company activity, a large expansion of plant and office space undertaken, and employment began to jump from under 100 up to today's 265.

Here's Winchester's Management team

Cobourg's Winchester plant is headed by an energetic management team with Canadian president and general manager John E. Feldhaus at its head.
Mr. Feldhaus joined Winchester Canada in October, 1968 after 18 years with the U.S. parent company. He is a graduate of Westminster College, Fulton, Mo., and has an MBA from St. Louis University, St. Louis, Mo. 

In 1950, he became a management trainee with the U.S. company, and moved successively and successfully through positions as a business research analyst, marketing assistant, assistant to division general manager, to marketing research manager, assistant director of sales to a 1967 posting as director of market planning. Just under two years ago, he came to Cobourg to head Canadian operations. In the community, he is a director of the Chamber of Commerce, and involved in church and Boy Scout activities.

Many of the other executives are also well known.
Charlie Thompson, director of manufacturing, joined the company early in 1967, and is a former materials manager at Canadian Trailmobile and project manager at Canadian Westinghouse. He is a professional engineer, graduate of Upper Canada College and University of Toronto. 

Frank Moore, director of marketing, has been with the company since 1962. He is in charge of marketing, sales and distribution of Winchester-Cooey firearms and Winchester ammunition throughout Canada. Under his direction also come product service, advertising and public relations, field force, customer service, market planning and the Quebec branch. 

Previously, he was a sporting goods manager in Vancouver, a merchandise manager for sporting goods in Winnipeg, then a Winchester field representative for seven years before becoming director or marketing last year.

Jim Morse, controller, has been two years at Winchester. He is in charge of accounting, analysis, office administration. Previously he was a financial analyst with Massey Ferguson and Ford of Canada. He is a graduate of University of Toronto with a BA and MBA. 

George Cook, manager of technical services, has been four years with the company, and is responsible for quality control and new product design and development. He was a toolmaker in the U.K., a gun fitter with the British armed forces, and a toolroom foreman in guided missile division of English Electric Company in the U.K.

Harold Nelson, industrial relations manager, since 1966 is known throughout the Cobourg community and is very much involved in a number of community ventures, including the IAPA, Cancer Society and Chamber of Commerce. He is responsible for the usual duties of personnel and labor relations, but also for a special duty of "community relations". Previously he was with Canadian Westinghouse in personnel work.

Bill Long, manager, ammunition manufacturing, has been with Winchester since 1962. He was in the Canadian armed forces from 1943 to 1959 and was then ammunition plant superintendent for Gevelot. He is commanding officer of the local Air Cadet squadron and a member of the education branch of the RCAF Reserve.

Costs $2 Million

Total cost of the new Winchester plant is well over $2 million. When work began on the 50-acre site last summer, costs were estimated at $2,198,000.

Ontario Development Corp, a provincial government agency, granted a $250,000 forgivable loan to help finance the project; the loan does not have to be repaid, provided the company meets certain conditions over a six-year period. It was provided under the province's "Equalization of Industrial Opportunity Program".

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45 Winchester employees over 15 years with firm

Reprint from Cobourg Sentinel-Star June, 1970
 
Winchester Canada is proud of its many long service employees. While it has been a steadily growing company - now with 265 people or three times its figure of 10 years ago - there are still several who have been working with the company from its earliest years in Cobourg. Steve Niles and Walter Lloyd both started within a few days of each other in October, 1929 with H.W. Cooey Machine and Arms Company Limited. They now have nearly 41 years service.

George Dawe joined Cooey in 1931; Albert Dawe in 1934. By June 18 this year there will be 18 employees with over 25 years service. That's the anniversary date of Maurice Alderson's joining the company in 1945. There are 44 Winchester people with 15 years or over with the company; 54 with 10 years and over. Following is the list of present-employees with 10 years or over service with Winchester or Cooey, and the dates of their joining the company:

OVER 40 YEARS
1929    Steve Niles    Walter Lloyd    
OVER 30 YEARS
1931    George Dawe        
1934    Albert Dawe        
1937    Harold Mason        
1940    Harry Lamble    Howard Boundy    Hayden Lean
OVER 25 YEARS
1941    John Hilliard    Clarence Hynes    
1943    William Lingard  Laura Batchelor  Phyllis Cochrange
            Erwin Hie        Carson Andrews    Norah Wilby
1945    Neil Hobart      Albert Speirs         Maurice Alderson
OVER 15 YEARS
1946    Louis Davey        
1947    Ruby Kemp    Ruby Lean    Marion Long    John Ling        
1949    Mary Bourgeois  George Heeley   John Wielonda
            James Ford    John McEntee    
1951    John Kniff       Cecil Sherwin    Ruth Bolderstone
1952    Charles Dewey   William Wamsley   Herbert Kniff
            Helen Oliver   Phyllis Ling    Ralph Farrell
1953    Irene Dawe  Austin Gall  Reta Wood  Bernice Massey  Jack Bell    
1954    Edward Bell   Patricia Petruk    
OVER 10 YEARS
1957    Dora Boundy   Frank Ferguson    Edith Ford
1958    Arnold Holdsworth   Kevin Perrow    Grace Griffiths
            Hendricus Jacobs        
1959    Douglas Sopher    Henry Raggers    
1960    Owen Cooney        

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Winchester Closing Will Change Their Lives
BY SUSAN EDWARDS

Reprinted from Cobourg Daily Star October 9, 1979

Winchester Canada in Cobourg is closing at the beginning of the new year. The assembly and manufacture of guns, rifles and ammunition presently employs about 300 people in a town of 11,000.

"The prospect of being unemployed bothers you," said a woman employee who asked not to be identified, "because you don't know what's next." The employee, a woman in her early twenties, works in the ammunition plant assembling and packing .22 caliber bullets. She has worked for Winchester in both the firearms and the ammunition factories for five years.

“You don't know how many shifts you'll be on," she said. “Right now I'm in a car pool with some people who work here and my babysitter knows my schedule." She lives with her husband and young child in a hamlet near Cobourg. They have their own home and have a small loan to pay.

"There are going to be a lot of us out there looking for work," she said. "Chances may not be that good of getting something right away. You put your name in a few places and wait and see."

Winchester Canada is the second biggest employer in Cobourg. According to the town's figures for 1977: General Foods Ltd. employs 925 people, United Tire 230, General Electric 210 and General Wire and Cable around 200. There are a number of smaller factories with work forces of less than 100.

The employee said that she will be looking for a job in a plant after Winchester closes. She likes working in a factory, she said. "The pay is better. You come to work, do your job, leave and you don't have to think about it ". Although she has received her notice - along with 46 other employees who will be leaving November 23 - she has not actively searched for work because there is a possibility that the manufacturing business may be purchased by another company.

According to Norman Cant, the director of operations for Winchester Canada, a company, so far unnamed, has offered to help finance a deal which would include the participation of both management and workers. A similar arrangement was made with the employees of Pioneer Saws in Peterborough a few years ago when it was scheduled to close.

Ever since the Winchester management announced on August 21 that the manufacturing and assembly plants would be phased out, Cant has been looking for a new owner. At the time of the announcement, Cant said that the company had three options to investigate for the disposal of the physical facilities. 

The first, he said, would be to find a group which would be interested in purchasing the business as an on-going concern. "We want to sell the plant with the equipment and the existing labor force."

The second, he said was to sell the plant, the machinery and the expertise of the employees to a metal wood industry.

The third option which he mentioned was to sell the company's assets, the buildings, which consist of two plants, one with 122,000 square feet and the second of 12,000 square feet, the equipment and the 63 acres of land, 32 of which are serviced, as separate parcels.

However, in August, Cant said that the management "was not ready to take that direction yet." It is November and he is still negotiating to sell the business.

Cant has a vested interest in finding a company to purchase the firearm business. As soon as he winds up the affairs of Winchester Canada sometime towards the end of February, he too will be looking tor work. Cant who is fiftyish and has a house and family in Cobourg said "I'm energetically seeking a new owner because that is the way I'm going to remain employed." He added immediately, "I firmly believe that this business could make a go of it."

His statement is not just wishful thinking. The H.W. Cooey Machine and Arms Company operated in Cobourg from 1929, the year it moved from Toronto, to 1961, when the Olin Corporation bought it and placed it under the supervision of the Winchester Group, whose head office is located in New Haven, Connecticut.

In fact New Haven is the place where the decision to close the manufacturing and assembly plants of Winchester Canada originate. The sales and distribution offices will remain open.

The Winchester Group is one of five within the multi-national Olin Corporation, whose head office is in Stamford, Connecticut. Apart from the Winchester Group which produces fire-arms, ammunition and components for military, industrial and recreational use, the Olin Corporation also owns chemical, paper, home, ski and water businesses in 23 countries around the world.

According to Cant, each group within the Olin Corporation. including the Winchester group, operate as a separate entity and must "stand on its own feet." Winchester however has not been standing firmly for a while. Duncan Barnes, a spokesperson for the Winchester Group in New Haven, said that the company has not shown a profit for several years.

He said that the group's losses were one of the reasons that Olin’s third quarter profit for 1979 dropped to $10.8 million from $18.3 million in 1978. He said that the gains in the other groups covered the losses in Winchester. The poor profit record of the Winchester Group, Cant said, resulted in a study in early 1978 of its world-wide operation in order to learn "what the company was doing wrong and what it was doing right."

The report, Cant continued. recommended that the group concentrate on manufacturing the higher-priced recreational firearms rather than guns and rifles throughout the price spectrum. The operation in Cobourg produces the lower priced Cooey range of firearms which, Cant said, no longer fits into the future of the Winchester Group.

Cant went on to say that because the lower priced firearms are being discontinued in the United Stales as well as in Canada, there is room in the American plants to make the Winchester rifles and guns which are presently assembled in Cobourg. The parent company's decision to specialize, Cant said, also fit with the fact that the assembly division of Winchester Canada became unprofitable when the Canadian dollar started to decline.

He said Winchester which was a net importer of goods was losing 14 to 17 per cent on the dollar whenever a shipment of parts for the Cobourg plant crossed the border and each time Winchester Canada transferred money to the Winchester Group in New Haven. Consequently, in August, Winchester Canada announced that production would be phased out in an orderly manner over the next few months."

One woman employee remembers that Tuesday afternoon. She said that they had heard a lot of rumors beforehand. "We thought the place had been sold and that the management had not told us. When we heard that it was going to close down we said That’s it."

Joe Leduc, a shipper, and the vice president of the International Association of Machinist-local 788 had also heard rumors before the announcement. He thought that there would be layoffs and cut backs, but not that the business would be closed down. He said that he was shocked when he heard the announcement. 

"Then after about two weeks I became disappointed. Disappointed because it seems that a multinational corporation has come into this country, taken what it wanted and pulled out. When the company fell onto hard times in Canada, it left." Perhaps, Leduc is luckier than most of the 207 people who presently work in the plants. As he sits on the union committee he will remain on the job until the end of the year.

Nevertheless, he will be out of work in January and despite an array of working experience which includes waiting on tables in a cocktail lounge, driving an ambulance, guarding prisoners and working in a garage, the 51- year-old Leduc thinks that he will have a hard time finding work. "It's tougher now to get a job,” he said. "My age will be a problem."

Leduc has not started to look for another job yet as he has not been given his notice - Winchester is giving 12 weeks notice to every employee - and he said it would be unethical to look for work until he has received it. Although he owns his own house outright and does not owe any money, Leduc doubts that he would be able to manage on less than his present pay cheque. 

"I don't think I live extravagantly or have a high lifestyle," he said, adding, "I live on the lean now." "I would take a job within a 25- mile radius of my house, he continued. "I don't want to move. I have worked all my life for the home I have now."

Winchester is trying to help Leduc and others find work. Allan Jeffers, the director of administration and personnel, said that the company has joined forces with Employment and Immigration Canada, and together they have organized two committees, one for salaried and one for hourly-rated employees to place people in new jobs. 

The committees are staffed by two members of the group concerned, two people from management and the chairman of the program, Mr. Clifford Cadd, an outsider with no interest other than to help. Jeffers said that the employees are asked to complete a questionnaire listing their skills and interests, then Cadd, he continued, "goes out and pounds on doors."

The company is also holding outplacement seminars for managers, technologists, and supervisors, who, too, will soon be out of work. Jeffers explained that the seminars are conducted by a representative from Olin. Their purpose, he went on, is to put people in the right frame of mind to find a new position through self-analysis and evaluation, resume and letter preparation and recruitment and interview plans.

Finally Winchester has taken the management from other local industries on a tour through the two plants to show them the variety and types of skills which their employees possess, Jeffers said. Jeffers is concerned about the problems the employees will face while looking for work. In the new year, he will be facing them too.

Although Jeffers, who is 40, married and has two children and a house to support does not want to be unemployed, he said that he was not frightened by the prospect "I'm going to be as positive as possible,” he said. “I will move if a good career opportunity develops. I'm not closing the doors to any job.” 

It has been the union, the International Association of Machinists, local 788, which has been actively seeking support from all levels of government for any company which purchases the firearm business from Winchester Canada. Ben Burd, the president of the union and the union committee has talked with Alan Lawrence, the federal minister for corporate and consumer relations and Larry Grossman, the provincial minister for industry, trade and tourism. Both promised unspecified aid to the company which offers to purchase the firearm business.

Burd and his committee have also approached the Cobourg town council to ask for a 50 per-cent reduction in municipal taxes for the first year or years to the company which purchases the business. Members of the council said that they thought the proposal had merit and that they would discuss it further. In spite of the efforts of management to find a buyer and the union to round up government support for it, the business remains unsold and the company is starting to wind down its operations.

Thirty-six people will he laid off on November 10 and 47 on November 23. By the end of December, all 207 plant employees will be out of work as well as about 30 of the office staff. In Cobourg with retail sales of approximately $50 million a year Winchester's annual payroll of $3.5 million will be missed; however, probably not as sorely as the individual pay cheques.

"I'm working now and getting a pay cheque," said one woman employee. "When I don't have my pay cheque, then I will know what it is like." Right now, when I go shopping. I don't worry about prices " she continued. "When I am through here, I will have to think about them."

Reprint courtesy Calibre Magazine 

For a variety of reasons, the history of the gun industry in Canada is somewhat abbreviated. While our neighbors to the south lay claim to such storied names as Horace Smith, John Browning, Eugene Stoner, and even one of our own in John C. Garand, Canada’s own experience in the realm of gunmaking has been generally sporadic and typically short-lived. Sure, we had the Ross rifle for a while there, but we all know how long that lasted. Then came John Inglis, who’s huge manufacturing firm did turn out massive quantities of legitimately excellent Hi-Power pistols and a myriad of machine guns for the Allied war effort… but now produces far less exciting products in the form of home appliances. And of course today we have Colt Canada, nee Diemaco. But even as difficult as Colt Canada’s, Inglis’, and Ross’ businesses ventures have proven to be, all have been predominantly federally-supported arsenal efforts. The civilian side of the industry has had an even tougher road to hoe.

Cooey participated in local parades; trucking racks of long guns around town

But a few decades ago, long before the socio-cultural political assault on gun ownership began in this country, one company rose from a single ignominious machine shop in Toronto to a mainstay of our national firearms industry: The H. W. Cooey Machine & Arms Company.

Like almost all great gunmakers, the story of Cooey begins with the story of a single man: Herbert William Cooey. After dropping out of an apprenticeship with the Grand Trunk Railroad and quitting a job on an assembly line, the then 23 year-old H. W. Cooey opened his first machine shop up at the corner of Queen Street and Spadina Avenue in Toronto in 1903, referring to himself as a “mechanical expert and practicing machinist.”

Cooey’s first plant at Spadina & York

By 1907 he’d proven his own (rather arrogant) statement to be at least partly true, when he took the wraps off an automobile of his own design that incorporated a couple innovative features, including a pre-heated fuel source and double exhaust valves. At the same time, he’d also proven a shrewd businessman, and after just four years in business the H.W. Cooey Machine Shop was forced to move across town into a larger shop at Bridgman and Howland Avenue in order to meet the demand for young Herbert’s talents.

But it wouldn’t be until the First World War that Cooey would turn his prosperous machine shop towards the manufacturing of firearms. Called into action to make various small rifle parts (including the folding peep sights fitted to the aforementioned ill-fated Ross rifle) and small-bore training rifles, Herbert Cooey’s firm rapidly set about gaining a reputation for building extremely high quality parts.

At the conclusion of hostilities, Cooey’s already successful firm found itself buoyed even further by their extensive war effort and the substantial funds it earned as a result, and Herbert wasn’t prepared to let the momentum slow. Having already seen huge successes from his time as a manufacturer of firearm parts for the Ross rifle, he began working on a complete rifle of his own design.

Debuting in 1919 as the Cooey Canuck, this single-shot .22 bolt-action rifle was an overnight sensation, and proved to be one of the most popular rifles of its time. Considered highly accurate but very affordably priced, the Canuck gained international acclaim in 1924, when the rifle won the Certificate of Honour at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley Park; an industrial exposition created “to stimulate trade, strengthen bonds that bind mother Country to her Sister States and Daughters, to bring into closer contact the one with each other, to enable all who owe allegiance to the British flag to meet and know each other.” Winning a Certificate of Honour there was no small feat either; the Exhibition was the largest ever staged in the world in 1924, costing 12 million pounds and being attended by 27 million people.

Herbert Cooey and his wife, Suzannah

At the same time as Cooey’s Canuck was earning fanfare at the Exhibition, Herbert himself was working towards earning some accolades of his own at the 1924 Olympics held in Paris, France. Supplying the Canadian national team with the guns they would use in no less than 10 shooting events, Herbert himself shot with the Canadian men’s trap team, who would go on to win silver at the games.

By now the company known as H. W. Cooey Machine & Gear had committed itself to the manufacture of sporting arms, and changed its name to reflect that, becoming the H. W. Cooey Machine & Arms Company. Advertising the ever-popular Canuck (later renamed the Ace) in a myriad of papers and magazines, Cooey continued to put forth an image of excellent quality and wasn’t afraid to say so with ads that read “Make mine a Cooey – I want the best,” and “Don’t Take a Substitute.” But it was the ad in a 1922 issue of Rod & Gun Canada that perhaps best defined the Cooey rifle as “The ideal Christmas present for the red-blooded boy, whether he lives in the city, the town or the country.”

Cooey’s Single-Shot Rifles: The Cooey Canuck & Model 39

The Cooey Canuck set the stage for what would become, over the course of literally decades, one of the most iconic of Cooey firearms: The single-shot .22. Perhaps best known as the Model 39, this action would also come to be known as the Ace, the Bisley Sport, Model 75, and perhaps a dozen other models, brands, and assorted nomenclatures.

The Cooey single-shot .22 rifle would birth dozens of various models throughout its lifetime

The first of Cooey’s designs, this single-shot action that seems so rudimentary today was quite innovative when new, due in large part to the unique automatic half-cock safety. Billed by Herbert as a “patent pending system” (although there is no evidence of patents having ever been filed) this system employed a two-part bolt that used a half-cock notch on the striker assembly to retain the striker behind the bolt face when the bolt was closed, but did not actually bring the action to a fully cocked position. To do that, the shooter would have to grasp the tail of the closed bolt, and pull rearward. This engaged the striker upon the sear and completed the task of readying the rifle for firing.

As a result of this system, the Cooey Canuck was considered one of the safest rifles of its day, which combined with its diminutive calibre to make it popular among younger shooters and, more importantly, their parents. But don’t let that fool you: This is no toy. Although various models were obviously aimed at (no pun intended) younger audiences of the day, plenty of adults flocked to the early single-shot Cooey rifles due in no small part for their exemplary reputation for accuracy. Even today, well used examples are easily capable of shooting with accuracy that is on par with or better than many mainstream modern bolt-action .22s. And since they are some of the most simple, slow-shooting guns you’ll ever come across, it is highly unlikely that anything will have been worn out through too much use!

Simple, reliable, and safe, the Cooey made for an excellent gift for hundreds of thousands of young Canadians

By 1929, demand for Cooey rifles had outgrown the production capacity of Herbert’s facility at Howland and Bridgman, so the new Cooey Machine & Arms Company left Toronto in favour of a new facility in Cobourg. Taking over what was Cobourg’s largest industrial building and the former home of the Ontario Woollen Mill, the new building offered four and a half stories of square footage, and gave the firm the increased manufacturing capacity Herbert desperately needed in order to grow. And grow he did… by creating yet another iconic Canadian rifle: The Cooey repeater.

A Repeater Is Born: The Model 60 & Model 600

At the heart of Cooey’s new repeater was a new action, pictured here in the author’s Model 600, and easily identifiable by a new notch cut into the receiver to accept the cocking lug on the striker; Cooey’s first actual safety. With the rifle cocked, the bolt tail is pulled rearward and rotated, placing the cocking lug into the slot and preventing the rifle from firing. Coincidentally, as some of these more modern Cooey rifles wear, they can end up re-acquiring the automatic safety system of their forebears as the striker frustratingly ends up sliding into the safety notch upon closing the bolt. But that’s nothing that can’t be fixed! Furthermore, the half-cock notch of the earlier action was retained, allowing the rifle to be carried uncocked, but loaded and with the action closed.

The later Cooey Model 60 and Model 600 tube magazine-fed rifle continued the single-shot’s success

Of course, a faster action would be useless without a magazine to feed it, and at the time during which this Cooey repeater was being created there was no clear winner in the rimfire war; .22 Short, Long, and Long Rifle were all still commonly available and widely used. So, Herbert knew his repeater needed to be capable of carrying, chambering, and firing all three. And that meant one thing: He needed a tubular magazine. Slung below the action, with a removable follower, and a small loading port positioned forward and at the 6 o’clock position the Model 60’s magazine was long enough to swallow 11 rounds of .22 Long Rifle ammunition.

Marked as a Winchester rifle, this Cooey 600 was one of the rifles made after the Cobourg firm was purchased by Olin-Winchester, but before the plant moved to Lakefield

But that desire to remain compatible with three very different lengths of ammunition also meant that rounds would need to be fed from the magazine directly onto the bolt face using a Mauser-style controlled round feed. This brings us to yet another significant update to the venerable Cooey design; the dual spring-steel extractors on the bolt face. Wrapping around the top of the bolt, with protruding and bevelled claws stretching around the bolt face, this simple piece of stamped spring-steel allowed rounds to rise out of the magazine and be held affixed to the bolt face as the bolt was closed. The bevelled extractors prevented the round from rising too high on the bolt face, and the magazine below prevented the round from sitting too low on the bolt face, meaning the round would sit at approximately the right height to allow it to feed into the chamber, and the bolt to close behind it. During extraction, the dual extractor claws provided a ton of gripping area to pull the fired casing out of the chamber, and allowed the next round to push the fired casing up and out from between the spring steel claws, which would snap back around the loaded round now on the bolt face, allowing the cycle to repeat.

As one of Cooey’s most popular rifles, the Cooey Repeater (best known as the 60 and 600 but also having been available under numerous other names) was rugged and reliable, and brought the same level of accuracy Cooey’s single shot rifles were known for to a much more practical package. However, there is no getting around the fact that these are far more complex rifles, and they can be incredibly frustrating when they start to break down. Key parts to keep an eye on include the spring steel extractor, the magazine tube, and the follower. Usually, problems of unreliable ejection can be traced back to shooters too softly working the action, as the rifle’s ability to properly eject and feed rounds is directly related to the force with which the action is manipulated. However, be judicious in your heavy-handedness, as you obviously don’t want to beat the gun up unnecessarily.

The relatively unique Cooey action still works reliably all these years later, but parts can be difficult to source

Having created the wildly popular Model 60 repeating rifle in 1939, Cooey once again soon found himself embroiled in another war-effort economy. And again, he tooled up to support the effort, creating the Model 82 training rifle during World War II (which earned a contract for the procurement of 34,810 rifles by the army and R.C.A.F. Air Cadet Corps). Designed to mimic the look and, to a lesser degree, the handling of a full-size Lee Enfield rifle the Model 82 or M82 was little more than a Lee Enfield-style stock on a convention Model 39. However, the rifle’s historical relevance and relative rarity make it something of a collector’s piece today. And coincidentally, many are still in active service with the Royal Canadian Air Cadet Corp! But, just like in the months and years following World War I, the Cooey firm was keen to keep growing, and expanding their product offerings. So, with Herbert’s son Hubert taking on much of the design work at the company, the two Cooeys directed their engineering talents towards Cooey senior’s own passion: Shotguns.

The Model 84: Cooey’s Break-Action Smoothbore

It is somewhat fitting that one of the first guns designed by Hubert Cooey would also represent a massive departure from the Cooey tradition of rimfire rifle manufacturing. However, as disparate as a smoothbore may have been from Cooey’s bread and butter, Hubert was obviously raised in the Cooey culture and so knew that any shotgun bearing the Cooey name needed to marry practicality, reliability, and value. The best solution? A single-shot break-action.

The Cooey 84/840 is a Canadian gem; handling very nicely and proving incredibly robust

A massive change from the usual Cooey production, the Model 84 debuted in 1948 as a svelte and compact single-shot break-action shotgun in .410, 28-, 20-, 16-, and 12-guage. Simplicity was at the forefront of Hubert’s mind while creating the 84, as the simple single-shot design kept the lockwork separate from the action and required the shooter load the gun and then cock it in a separate action unlike many other break-action shotguns. As a result, shooters were expected to keep the gun broken or uncocked until ready to shoot, so there are no external safeties. Barrel lengths varied greatly from 26” to 36” long, and although early models were restricted to 2-3/4” long chambers, later Model 840s (the nomenclature change denoting guns made after the 1961 acquisition of Cooey Machine & Arms Co. by Winchester) had 3” long chambers.

The ethos of simplicity is even more evident in breaking the Model 84 down. Unlike most other break-action guns, there is no latch under the fore-end to secure the forestock to the barrels; instead it is simply held in place by spring tension. Simply pulling the forestock away from the barrels releases it. From there, the gun is further broken down by opening the action (which, coincidentally, can be done by pushing the lever left or right) and pulling the barrels off their pivot, like one would any other break-action.

Breaking down simply, and with so few moving parts, many 84 and 840s remain in use today

The Model 84 and 840 remained exceptionally popular throughout the gun’s 31-year production run. Over 1.9 million of these shotguns would leave the Cobourg factory before the Cooey brand was mothballed, and Winchester would follow up on the 84/840’s success with their own Model 370, 395, 168, and 37A; all based upon Cooey’s design. And it’s not hard to see why. With a slender receiver, a reliable action, and an excellent balance it is a very sought-after shotgun.

Unfortunately, tragedy would befall the Cooey family in the late ‘50s, with Hubert passing away suddenly and unexpectedly in 1957. Herbert would come out of retirement to head the firm that bore his name for a few brief years before selling Cooey Machine and Arms to the Olin Corporation in 1961, shortly before his own death in the February of 1962 at age 80. Two years later, Olin had already placed Cooey under the management of their Winchester-Western Division, and Cooey would launch their most successful design to date; a design that combined the firm’s knowledge of rimfire rifles with the more modern desire for a reliable semi-automatic repeater. That rifle? The last rifle a Cooey would design, and the only Cooey product still in production today: The Model 64.

The Model 64: Cooey’s Continued Living Legacy

Officially launched in 1964 (the same year Ruger launched the 10/22), the Cooey Model 64 had roots in the mid-50’s, when Hubert Cooey recognized Cooey’s need for a semi-automatic repeater to join their strong bolt-action lineup.

The Savage 64, originally known as the Lakefield 64b, was the last gun design penned by a Cooey

Borrowing heavily from his father’s work on the Model 39, Hubert took a similar bolt, receiver, and trigger design and matched it with a simple direct-blowback system operated via a small action spring mounted to the tail of the bolt assembly. Then, he fitted the trigger group with a simple lever-style safety not unlike that found on the Remington Model 700 (introduced in 1962), and designed a simple but effective 10-round box magazine from which the blowback action would reliably feed.

Still made in the Lakefield plant, where much of Cooey’s manufacturing equipment and staff went, the Savage’s design is almost unchanged

Unfortunately, as simple as the gun was, Hubert would die before the project was seen through to completion. Likewise, Herbert would find himself somewhat overwhelmed when he returned from retirement to take command of the company once again after his son’s passing, a fact that many indicate as a key motive behind his sale to the Olin Corporation. But Olin, the conglomerate behind Winchester, recognized the value in Hubert’s design and ordered Cooey to put the lightweight and simple Model 64 into production to give the brand something with which to compete against the likes of the Marlin Model 60 and equally new Ruger 10/22.

Like all Cooey firearms, the Model 64 was immediately regarded as simple, efficient, reliable and most of all, a bargain. Even ten years after its introduction the Model 64 would still be available here in Canada for less than $50. Sadly though, even with the long track record of producing excellent products, it wasn’t long before political and labour issues forced the closure of Herbert’s long-lived Cobourg facility in 1979. But, through some fortunate happenstance, the machinery and hardware used within the Cooey plant would find a new home down the road in Lakefield, Ontario with the aptly named Lakefield Arms Company; a company where many former Cooey employees would also find their next job.

In continual production for decades, the Savage/Lakefield 64 is one of only a handful of Canadian-made guns on the market today

But Lakefield Arms didn’t just get Cooey’s hardware. They also got the rights to Cooey’s Model 64. So, with the machinery moved and many of the same people manning it, Lakefield Arms retooled the production line and began production of their own Model 64; the Lakefield Arms Model 64B. Even after Lakefield Arms was purchased by Savage Arms in 1995 the production of Hubert Cooey’s Model 64 continued right up to the present day. Now known as the Savage Arms Model 64, it remains one of Savage’s most popular offerings, with no less than six different sub-models currently available.

Before Cooey was dissolved entirely, it is estimated that approximately 12 million firearms would leave Cooey’s various factories. From 1919 until April 1961, production schedules remained a relatively steady 20 firearms per day, which increased dramatically when the firm was sold to Winchester, who in turn replaced the Cobourg facility’s aged machinery with modern hardware. This increased the plant’s production capacity to 2,000 firearms per day. Over 67 different models of firearm would fill the Cooey catalog eventually, with numerous other firearms produced for other brands such as Hiawatha, Iver Johnson, Winchester, Mercury and various others.

While most Cooey designs are relegated to the history books, Savage’s 64 keeps at least one Cooey design in production

That Cooeys are basic, affordable guns cannot be debated. But there’s something about them. They are part of our nation’s shooting heritage. For many of us, they’re the first guns we ever laid hands on, and undoubtedly for many more they will provide a similar service again as we introduce our own young ones to the shooting hobby. They’re rugged, they’re reliable, and they represent a time in Canada’s past when it wasn’t untoward to give a young boy a rifle for his birthday. So if you happen to be lucky enough to own one of these rifles, hold onto it. Look after it. And use it. It’s what they were designed for.

Source:   https://calibremag.ca

By Patsy Currelly Hand

Cobourg Angels, Junior Angels, & Surrounding Teams 

1987 was a very successful year for the Angels.  With the loss of a few players and the addition of a few, the Angels were successful in acquiring another Ontario Senior Tier II championship vs. Sarnia.  Devlin pitched all games during the championship with 30Ks, 6 walks. The team were finalists in Senior Tier I with Elaine being named MVP pitching 43 innings. The team also were Metro League Champs.  Members of this team were:  Nancy Cronin, Patsy Currelly, Suzanne Morrow, Leah Anne Oulahen, Jacki Oulahen, Elaine Devlin, Barb Snedden, Jackie Dusenbury, Nancy Jane Dalgarno, Lynn Tracey, Debbie Gillis, Jennifer Dalgarno, Vicki Wodzak, Coaches: Ray Bickle, Jim Morrow, John Hayden, Scorer Sharon Greavette. 

As Paul Currelly was not on the field with the Angels, he along with veteran Angels, Faye Gaudet, Jan Bradford, current Angel Suzanne Morrow and Bill Zinkie formed the Cobourg Junior Angels.  This gave girls an opportunity to play rep ball in the squirt, novice, bantam, midget and juvenile division.  The current Angels put on clinics to teach girls the basics.  Paul spearheaded a new league, the Lakeshore Girls Softball Association and contacted centres along the lakeshore for the Cobourg girls to compete with.  This organization continues today and has grown to include house league teams.  

1988 brought with it many changes. The team moved up to Senior Tier I and played in a league which included teams from Chinguacousy, Cedar Hill, Agincourt, Richmond Hill, Pickering, Bramalea, Tonawanda (New York), Dorchester, St. Clements, Oakville, Kitchener, and St. Catharines.  Many weekends were spent on the ballfield playing double headers with the western teams.  Sandy Claus pitcher/player/coach joined the coaching team as well as Art Dalgarno (scorer).  

Paul Currelly returned to coach first base, Morrow on third.  They were Ottawa tournament champs and led their division throughout the year.  In the Tier I Ontario championships they went to the finals and lost to Oakville 4-2. Elaine Devlin was MVP at this tournament and was subsequently picked up by Oakville to go to the Canadians in Newfoundland.  She had an ERA of 0.64 over 42 innings. 

1989 marked the end of an era.  The team did well, winning the Milverton Classic Tournament, they ended up 2nd in the Senior Tier I league.  Elaine was picked up by BC to go to a New Zealand International Tournament and Jackie Oulahen got a tryout with the Canadian National team to represent Canada at the worlds, however it was not to be as she fractured her finger before tryouts. As a team, things started to break down off the field. During the season, Patsy and Paul Currelly decided it was probably going to be their last year. They didn't announce this so no one else on the team really knew. 

At the end of the season, a group of players decided that they weren’t happy with the direction the team was going and a handful of players called a player meeting to voice their opinions about their desire to invoke a staff change. As with many successful teams, individual egos can cloud good judgment and greed can replace gratitude. Comments were made that did not “sit well” with everyone.  The result was the Currelly’s followed through with retiring from the team. Jim Morrow and John Hayden followed.  Others left the team, too, including star pitcher, Elaine Devlin. The players were left without a coach and without enough players to field a team. 

Fortunately for them, the 1990 season progressed somewhat as planned.  Harnden and King agreed to sponsor the team.  A team from Scarborough coincidentally named the Angels had folded due to lack of players and they contacted the Cobourg girls to see if they could join forces.  Charlie Fraser stepped into coach as well as ex-Angel Marg Matthews, and former Angel pitcher Janice Crosgrey returned. The team did well and played in the Senior Tier I loop for regular season play and were able to capture the Ontario Senior Tier I Championship and went to the Canadians finishing 5th overall.  

Members of this team were:  Teresa Hutchison, Tami Waters, Su Morrow, Nancy Jane Dalgarno, Jennifer Dalgarno, Kirsten Leis, Nancy Cronin, Marilyn Lang, Jackie Dusenbury, Jackie Oulahen, Isobel Nichols, Janyce Gunn, Barb Sneddon, Janice Crosgrey, Sherry Hoffman. (Mary Jo McCarthy, Lyn McMahon, Wendy Dobbin and coach Marg Skillen were picked up for the Canadian Championships). At provincials, Isabel Nichols was the batting champion and Jackie Oulahen was named MVP. The Senior Angels continued for the 1991 season and competed in the Senior Tier I league but due to lack of players they folded after that season. 

The Junior Angels organization however picked up the torch.  1990 was an amazing year for the Sophomore Junior Angels coached by Paul Wakely and Henry Heideman.  Having gone to the finals in 1988 and 1989, they successfully won the Ontario title vs St. Catharines .  Marianne McMillan was the tournament MVP batting .471. Members of this team were: Marianne McMillan, Launa Foreman, Christina Winkworth, Tracey Davis, Lorrie Calbury, Lori Hibbard, Dianne Gray, Charlene Winkworth, Kelly Moore, and Karen Rose.

1992 saw the coaching duo of Paul Currelly and Jim Morrow reunite on the field to coach the Junior Angels Wimpy Mineral Intermediate team and later the Morrow Transport Intermediate Angels, along with coach Bryan Rose.  They continued to coach together until the 1995 season.  

1994 brought another Ontario title home to Cobourg.  The Jr. Angel Junior Tier II team coached by Pat Mowat were successful in capturing the title against Owen Sound.  Kristen Buttars captured the top pitcher award in the tournament and Connie Sturzenegger was the top hitter batting .667, including 1 HR, 3 triples and 6 singles.  Members of this Ontario Championship team were:  Kristen Buttar, Sharon Taylor, Connie Sturzenegger, Angie Adams, Anne Macklin, Janice McIvor, Racquel Nelson, Joanne Chadwick, Kelly Bax, Krissy Doherty, Kerri-Lee Dahmer, Ted Hook (coach) and Pat Mowat (coach). 

As time progressed and there was no longer a Senior Angel team, the “Junior” was dropped from the Angel team title.

2000 brought another Ontario title to Cobourg in Bantam Tier II, coached by Steve Jones, Joe Brouwers, Faye Gaudet and Greg Oulahen. The team beat Brampton in the finals and the team members were:  Amy Shannon, Stephanie Jones, Melissa Henke, Kristel Gallagher, Sarah Winter, Sarah Clarke, Julia Hayden, Liz Oulahen, Kelly Nalysnyk, Megan Brouwers, Dana Spicer, Karlee Haynes and Laura Burnham.   

In 2003, another Ontario Championship Gold medal was achieved by a Cobourg Angel team.  In the Midget category, the Angels defeated Ajax in extra innings to claim the title.  Members of this team were:  Arianne Allen, Alice Sutcliffe, Dana Spicer, Sarah Clarke, Amy Shannon, Stephanie Jones, Jessalyn Glinski, Sarah Winter, Kelly Nalysnyk, Dawn Armstrong, Erica Prins, Head coach Bill Shannon, Manager Susan Spicer, and assistant coaches Steve Jones, Andrew Allen, and Paul Currelly.

In 2008, 2009 and 2010 Dave Clarke’s Angels accomplished 3 consecutive Ontario Titles in Junior Tier II, a feat not previously achieved in the history of the Angels.  Members of this very talented team were in 2008:  Erica Dewey, Nicole Blake, Erin Dewey, Lisa Clarke, Allie Rutherford, Alex Oosterhof, Breann Coulson, Sarah Clarke, Sam Harrison, Christina Murchie, Taylor Cook, Coaches Dave Clarke, Steve Jones, Kerry McDonald and Angie Adams Darlinson (asst. coach).  

The 2009 team won four straight games to clinch their second Junior Tier II Ontario title.  Christina Murchie pitched all four games beating Halton Hills, Cambridge, Brampton and Ancaster. The highlight of the final game was an out of the park home run by Erin Dewey but it was her sister, Erica Dewey, who earned the tournament MVP.  This team included:  Erica Dewey, Nicole Blake, Erin Dewey, Lisa Clarke, Allie Rutherford, Gina Maloney, Sam Harrison, Nikki Wilson, Christina Murchie, Taylor Cook. Head Coach Dave Clarke, coach Steve Jones, Assistant coach Sarah Clarke and Manager Kerry McDonald.  

2010 would bring yet another Ontario Junior Tier II title to this team.  An achievement yet to be matched by any Angel team, past or present.  The Angels would beat Brampton in the final by a huge margin of 12-5!  Team members were:  Allie Rutherford, Lisa Clarke, Nikki Wilson, Taylor Cook, Erin Dewey, Jess McIntyre, Erica Dewey, Christina Murchie, Julia Bateman, Gina Maloney, Nicole Blake, Sam Harrison, Coach, Dave Clarke, Steve Jones, Mike Murchie and Manager, Kerry McDonald. 

Most recently, the Cobourg Angels represented the Town winning the Eastern Canadian Softball Championship, Novice Tier 2 in 2017 and were coached by Faye Gaudet, Kate Reed, Kristen Lalande and Chris Lalande. Players included Amelia Pettipas, Reagan Lalande, MacKenzie Mamers, Braelyn Farrell, Megan Geurts, Taylee Herman, Grace Rice, Ava Hughes, Megan Sheehan, Macie Hackney, Lilah Klassen, Kaycee Craig, (Madison Depencier from the Chatham Eagles was picked up for the Canadians).  Depencier won the top pitcher and batting recognition but it was Cobourg’s Reagan Lalande who would win the overall MVP honours for the tournament.  

The Cobourg Junior Angels organization continues to this day with both house league and rep teams in the mite to midget division.  What began as a dream for one man has flourished into an organization where girls not only learn and enjoy the game of softball but discover the importance of sportsmanship, teamwork, fair play and a positive work ethic, building self-esteem and confidence.  

Many, many Angels have returned to the ball field to pass these values to the next generation either as a coach, a manager, scorekeeper, executive member or supporter. The positivity of sport continues.

Cobourg Angels
1987      Ontario Senior Tier II Gold medalists vs Sarnia, Ontario Senior Tier I finalists vs Dorchester. Ontario Regional Gold Medalists vs Belleville, Metro League Champions.
1988      Ontario Senior Tier I Silver Medalists vs Oakville, Ottawa Tournament Champions
1989      Eastern Division Senior Tier I League Champions, Milverton Classic tournament champions vs St. Catharines
1990      Ontario Senior Tier I champions 

Cobourg Junior Angels Ontario Champions 1990-2020
1990      Ontario Sophomore (previously Juvenile) Championship
1994      Ontario Junior Tier II Championship
2000      Ontario Bantam Tier II Championship
2008      Ontario Junior Tier II Championship
2009      Ontario Junior Tier II Championship
2010      Ontario Junior Tier II Championship
2017      Eastern Canadian Novice Tier II Championship

Updated August 2020

Mandy Marie Bujold was born July 25, 1987 in Cobourg to Roger and Brigitte Bujold. She had two older brothers. The family liuved in Port Hope, then moved to Moncton, NB where she spent her youth and then to Kitchener, ON where they settled in 2002.

In Moncton her dad hung a heavy bag for her two brothers to pound away on. Mandy at 10, was drawn to it and was on it all the time. In 2004 Mandy was introduced to the sport of boxing and began training. Her first fight was in 2005 when she won at the Brampton Cup Tournament. In 2006 she won the Canadian Junior boxing title in the 50kg class. 

In 2007 Bujold won the senior Canadian title in the 50 kg class and gold at the American Women’s Continental Championships. In 2008 she made her first appearance at the AIBA Women’s World Championships. She has made almost annual appearances since. Her best result was 2014 when she finished top 8.

Mandy’s career highlight came in 2011 at the Pan American Games when she won gold. It was the first-time women’s boxing was included at that multi-sport competition. In 2013 she was the Canadian Golden Gloves Champion. In 2014 Bujold earned another multi-sport medal when she captured bronze at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. That year Mandy finished Top 8 in the International Boxing Association World Championships.

In 2015 Bujold successfully defended her Pan Am Games title and became the first female boxer to win 2 gold medals at the Pan Ams. In March 2016 she earned an Olympic berth with a gold medal win at the American Continental Qualifier. At the Olympics Mandy ranked #2 in the world, made it to the flyweight quarterfinals. She became ill the night before and ended up losing her match. In 2017 she won silver at the Continental Championships.

Bujold took some time to get married and then to have a child in November 2018. The 11-time Canadian champion and Boxer of the Year wanted to earn a berth on the Canadian Team to the Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Boxing Canada wanted her to move to Montreal to train but Mandy didn’t want to be apart from her family. So, she paid for the training costs herself and asked the public for financial support.

Bujold trained hard in preparation for the Olympic qualifiers.  In 2019 she won silver at the International Balkan Tournament. In 2019 she won gold in the 51kg weight class at the Canadian Olympic Qualifier. In early February 2020 at the Bocskai Memorial Tournament at Debrecen, Hungary Mandy earned a bronze. Fifteen years and 165 fights behind her, Mandy needed at least a fourth-place finish to qualify for the 2020 Olympics and become the only Canadian female boxer to earn her way to 2 straight Olympics. And then Covid hit. 

Bujold was prepared to compete at the Americas Olympic Qualifier for the Tokyo 2020 postponed Olympics. Mandy was not included in the world ranking list that would now be used to allocate Olympic quota spots because she had been on maternity leave while the events that would count had been held. Mandy appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which ruled that any decisions made about Olympic boxing qualification needed to include accommodation for women who were pregnant or postpartum during the qualification period.

And in 2021 at the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics Mandy ranked 17th.

During her athletic career she received a number of other awards Including the 2016 KW Citizen of the Year, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal, Oktoberfest Women of the Year (sports category), 2x KW Athlete of the Year, WOW award recipient, and alongside other local VIPs, had “The Golden Bujold” burger named after her by The WORKS Gourmet Burger in Uptown Waterloo.

Updated September 2024
 

Amateur Fights Held in Victoria Hall’s Beautiful Opera House!

It may be hard to imagine, but some sixty years ago fight nights were among the entertainment highlights for visitors to Victoria Hall.

One didn't have to look far for an eager audience or even competitors. In the first half of the 20th Century most of the fights took place at the schoolyards in the area. In the 1940’s and 1950’s Mr Craig taught boxing on the top floor of the Sutherland Block. The Sutherland Block was built by John Sutherland, one-time Mayor and Town Clerk. The Customs House was located in Cobourg for many years as was the Smith Junior Ltd, a soda fountain equipment and syrup company and Bastian Brothers. Mr Craig lived and operated a grocery business in Cobourg. His boxing ring had regular matches between locals. The Sutherland block was located at Charles St on the west side of Division St. 

Some of the boxers in the 1950s included Bruce Richardson, Billy McBride and Billy Brisbin. The referees for an October 1952 fight card at the Recreational Center were Timer Fox and Jim Miskelly.

On June 1, 1953 Jim Miskelly held a meeting that led to the formation of the Cobourg Boxing Club. Home became the Market Building south of Victoria Hall. There was a legal sized ring for sparring and training plus speed bags and heavy bags. It was a haven for the young men who had grown up with their dads away at war.

Another boxing team was created and stationed at the Ordinance Depot. Newspaper articles describe boxers fighting at Kingston and Borden.

Cpl Ronnie Headley who was coach of the No 26 C.O.D hockey champs was formerly one of Canada’s outstanding boxers. He was born in Ottawa and started boxing at 14. He turned pro at 19 in 1929. Over the next 6 years he fought 97 times and according to the Ottawa Citizen lost only 2x. In a tour of the British Isles he won 12, lost 1, drew 1. BoxRec records 26 pro welterweight bouts between 1925-1935, 14 wins (4KOs) and 12 losses (4KOs). Headley retired in 1958 to Cobourg.

Emerson Charles and his younger brother, George Charles were among the best of the local fighters. Emerson "Chief" Charles went on to fight professionally out of Patterson, New Jersey, compiling a very respectable record in 1948-1953 of 16 decisions; 8 by knockout, 11 losses, 3 by knockout and 3 draws. He fought a total 121 rounds in 30 professional fights as a middleweight at numerous eastern U.S venues including Madison Square Gardens (2) & St Nicholas Arena (4) in NYC, Coney Island Velodrome in Brooklyn NY and Red Wing Stadium in Rochester NY. In one memorable bout at the Arena in Philadelphia he lost a six-round decision on points to Joey Giardello, then World Welterweight Champ.

While he was still fighting out of Cobourg, local coverage had this to say about one of the “Chief's” matches…“Cobourg's new found pugilistic hero invaded the rings of Peterborough last Thursday night and scalped another victim”

Little has been recorded about George “Gung” Charles’ success in the boxing ring. One quote was “Another Indian chap from Cobourg, George Charles, won a decision. He started like a buzz saw with a two-fisted attack and showed a lovely left. It was a nice fight.”

At the University of Toronto Henry (Hank) Henshall earned the title of Featherweight Boxing Champion for four years. He came to CDCI in 1950 to direct all boy’s athletics. In 1954 he displayed the first symptoms of Muscular Atrophy. He continued to coach and teach, gradually having to cut back. He tried to build a healthy rivalry between West and East schools by organizing CDCI’s first harrier race. 200 runners participated. During the running of the second race in 1962 Henshall died. The race is called Hank’s Harrier. 

******************

IT'S UNANIMOUS
By Layton Dodge
November 20, 1970 Cobourg Sentinel Star

AMATEUR BOXING RETURNED TO Cobourg after a long absence Tuesday night. It was an instant hit. Nearly 200 curious fight fans turned out at Cobourg Pavilion for the seven-bout card promoted by Fred Richardson of the new North-East Athletic Club. They were not disappointed.

The fourteen boxers responded with rousing matches that always made up in action what they may have lacked in finesse. If crowd reaction was the sole judge, the semi-final bout between Cobourg's John Taylor and Toronto's Luis Reed rated the headliner of the evening. Taylor, in only his second fight, became the first North-East AC member to savor victory when he scored a unanimous and popular decision over the fancy-stepping Jamaican.

In his first scrap before his hometown fans, the 167-pound Taylor really won the crowd and the bout when he caught Reed with a booming right uppercut in the second round and knocked the Toronto boxer on the canvas. Following a close opening round, Taylor opened up in the second and controlled the fight thereafter. A flurry of punches by Taylor midway in the second round took most of the starch out of Reed and put him on the defensive. The Cobourg boxer had Reed in trouble again in the third round, staggering him twice with several combinations.

In the main event, 125-pound Tom Bland Jr. of Toronto Pioneer Club earned a unanimous verdict over John Biel of Oshawa. The loser didn't quite belong in Bland's class, although he did show an ability to absorb punishment well. Biel did land several solid blows in the bout but wound up with a bloody nose in return. It marked the second straight win this month for the 23 year old Bland. 

Three other Blands also appeared on the card in preliminaries. Fourteen-year-old Jimmy won a split decision from Curtis Redman Cress, posting his fourth consecutive victory in the process. Albert Bland, 21, dropped a split decision to Joe Rumundi of Toronto in a welterweight bout. David (Spider) Bland was overpowered by 17 year old John Riley of Toronto. 

Riley stopped Bland with a solid right and was awarded a TKO at 1:25 of the first round. Riley, who outweighed his opponent by 11 pounds, is trained by Bill Felstein, brother of Bob "Pretty Boy" Felstein, contender for the Canadian heavyweight championship. "He has a killer instinct," Felstein pointed out after the bout in reference to Riley. "I have to take some of it out of him and teach him how to box. For Riley, who's been lifting weights since he was 12 and looked every bit the part, it was only his second fight. 

Despite a lack of conditioning and training, heavyweight Ralph Miller of Cobourg stepped in against Oshawa's Tom Bouckley and gave an excellent account of himself, even though beaten on a split decision. Lightweights Paul Ferguson and David Quinlin, both of the North-East Athletic Club, flailed away for 3 rounds in another bout. Appropriately, the match ended in a draw. Both boys tired noticeably in the final round.

Cobourg officials for the fights included judge Glen Dafoe, who fought 55 times as an amateur; and old-timer Jack Henning, former Canadian middleweight champion in the 1920s.

*****************************

Moving On
By Layton Dodge
September 12, 1972  Cobourg Sentinel Star

EFFECTIVE TODAY. FRED RICHARDSON is moving his large family and the base of his small North East Athletic Club operations to Oshawa. Father of 11 children and the revival of amateur boxing in this area, Richardson is returning to live in the city where he formerly had a gym and a boxing club on Court Street.

“I’m not moving because I don’t like it here” Richardson emphasized.” It’s the travelling I want to cut down on,” he noted. Fred has been commuting from his residence at RR3 Baltimore to work at General Motors for more than two years. "I'll have my roots in Oshawa but, for sure, I want the boxing club to carry on here," Richardson told the Sentinel-Star on Wednesday. "Whatever I can do to help, I'll do it and there are ways; he said. 

The North East AC will be continued in Oshawa. Richardson expects to have a gym in Oshawa and to join forces with the Oshawa club's Ron Cyr with whom he's been closely associated in the past anyway. Heavyweight Ralph Miller, who has been an active member of the North East AC almost from inception more than two years ago, is expected to travel once a week to Oshawa for sparring sessions. So is Roy Sanders, a middleweight.

The two boxers, who'll likely work out here on their own, could be joined by Danny Washburn. In any event, Richardson intends to use the Cobourg district fighters in his monthly boxing promotions in Oshawa starting October 17.

The switch to Oshawa will be yet another stop for the North East AC. It's operated at one time or another out of Fenella, the Lions Scout Hall in Cobourg and out of Richardson's basement where he had his own home-built ring and bags set up.

Boxing never really caught on here in a big way. Many boys and young men tried the sport but few stayed at it for long. It's a game requiring mental and physical toughness only a minority care to bear. Richardson was disappointed that fine prospects like John Taylor and Mike Boyle didn't pursue boxing further but he never became overly discouraged. He always maintained that the number of boxers who trained with him was higher than in most centres of comparable size.

Richardson promoted several shows here. Only the first at the Pavilion and the one held at Cobourg Arena in May of 1971 could be termed successful at the box office. He took a financial bath in his latest endeavor this summer.

"Oshawa and the North East AC will work as a unit, especially in promotions and in training together at least once a week” assured the ring veteran who's been connected with the fight game for nearly 14 years. "You probably haven't heard the last of me," Richardson exclaimed. "I'll come back, I hope, and it's only a hope at the moment, to promote a show here before Christmas."

***************************

DAN WASHBURN FIGHT

Danny Washburn of the North East Athletic Club will climb through the ropes for his second amateur fight next Monday night on a boxing card in Toronto. The 16,year old CDCI East student, who lives at RR1 Castleton, will trade punches with Glenn (Rocky) Broadley of the Clairlea Boxing Club. Both boys have just one bout under their belt, so neither will have any edge in ring experience. Washburn will carry 118 pounds on his 5 foot 5 frame into the match. Danny will weigh in lighter than for his previous bout in which he battled back in the third round to earn a draw with his Toronto opponent. While acknowledging the fact that he's dropped almost 12 pounds in recent months, Washburn feels the weight loss has not sapped his strength. 

Washburn almost gave up the sport before he engaged in his first scrap. He trained under Fred Richardson for quite a spell but then stopped. Richardson talked him into turning out to train again at a Centreton ball game this summer and later lined up his first fight for him. "He has the makings of a boxer, no two ways about it," Richardson said of Washburn this week. "Danny has the guts. He will mix it up and he will train. It remains to be seen whether he has the stick-to-it power."
 

Updated August 2020

Frank was born April 7th 1958 at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Peterborough Ontario. His parents, Frank and Maria, were ecstatic about the arrival of a beautiful baby boy. He would be the third child in his loving family. His sisters Anna Maria and Pia were extremely happy to have a new addition to the family.

Frank was a very quiet, adorable baby, who needed more care and attention while at home. Everyone assisted his mother at the time. Frank was very “Special” to the family. He was included and encouraged to participate in many activities with the neighborhood children. He also played with his sisters. He would laugh with anticipation and excitement whenever company was around.

Frank’s participation in the Special Olympics has brought his family pride and joy. His facial expressions displayed his indomitable spirit throughout competitions. His many gold medals attest to his strong and determined character.

Dino, the youngest has been his “Best Buddy”. The rapport the two brothers share is indescribable. Their bond is truly exceptional. 

Frank’s 60th birthday brought a reflection of happiness to his family. His parents would express their love and appreciation to everyone involved in his care.

Frank has Cerebral Palsy (CP) which affects his body movement, muscle control, muscle coordination, muscle tone, reflex, posture and balance. It also has impact on his fine motor skills, gross motor skills and oral motor functioning. Cerebral Palsy’s effect on functional abilities varies greatly. Many affected people can walk while others, like Frank, use wheelchairs.

Frank’s CP affects three of his limbs, both legs and right arm. His mobility is purely via a one-armed wheelchair to move around. He uses his left arm only to propel his wheelchair.

In the early 1980s, Frank started wheelchair racing as a recreational activity. He competed in the Eastern Ontario CP Games and to his surprise, he won most of the events in which he competed. He then went to the Ontario CP Games, where he continued to roll up the wins. Frank continued winning both at the Regional and Provincial games.

Frank was using his everyday chair to race in, which certainly placed him at a disadvantage, since most racers had specially made racing wheelchairs. They could also propel them with two arms.

Frank was classified as a CP3, which meant racers had three limbs affected. Where Frank could only wheel with one arm, his competitors all wheeled with two arms (one of their arms would be mildly affected by CP, but they were still capable of using both arms to wheel).

Unfortunately, records at this time were not recorded on computers. The Ontario CP Sports Association has some partial results. Frank has a scrapbook of newspaper clippings with his results at provincial and international meets. He has an extensive collection of medals trophies and plaques won while completing across North America and in Belgium. Douglas Wilton, the head coach/manager of the Canadian CP team, can confirm these results.

As a result of his success, Frank was invited to try out for the Canadian CP National Team. He attended their training camp in Windsor in 1983. Team coaches stated Frank needed enhanced training plus a racing wheelchair to compete at the next level in the Olympics and the World Games.

In consultation with his local coach, Frank decided he wanted to complete at the next level. This meant training would ramp up. As well, he needed to find someone to design and build a one-arm racing wheelchair, as there was none – zero – available anywhere.

It was at this point two significant changes happened for Frank:
One – Training: A two-year training program was designed by Team Canada coaches specifically for Frank and his local coach to carry out. The goal was for Frank to peak at the 1984 Olympics for the International Games for the Physically Disabled (later called Paralympics). His training was ramped up to three weight training sessions per week plus three track sessions per week. 

The training became progressively harder, and Frank met all the targets and challenges. This training was not easy, and during the winter they drove 45 minutes each way to an indoor track for training three days a week. It was a big commitment. After 1984 Frank took a short break from training, then back to another two-year program to peak again for the 1986 Cerebral Palsy Work Championship Games.

As all high-level athletes know, years of training six days a week can be an incredible grind. Add to that the fatigue of the travel for training and meets for an individual in a wheelchair. Three winter nights each week, Frank got picked up at 6:30 p.m. to drive 45 minutes to an indoor track for his training session. This involved a warm-up, stretching, that night’s track routine, cool down and back into a cold car for another 45-minute ride home. All these years of weight and track training made him tough to beat, and revealed Frank’s character.

Two – Get a Racing Wheelchair: Frank initially raced in his everyday Everest and Jennings wheelchair. A new Everest and Jennings chair was purchased and modified which resulted in Frank’s times improving. Frank received a lot of acknowledgment and praise from competitors and coaches from around the world for being able to compete at the World level without a racing chair. 

Frank’s competitors were all wheeling with two arms using the latest technology in racing chairs. We could not get a wheelchair maker or a university engineering department or a machine shop to make one. Much effort was put into finding someone who could design and make a one-armed racing wheelchair.

Then in 1985 we met an Ontario wheelchair racer who had made his own chair. This wonderful man worked diligently with us to make a one-armed racing chair for Frank. It was one of the first one-arm racing chair to be made on the planet. This was the final piece in Frank’s puzzle for success. As a one-armed racer, Frank was bucking the odds, but now he was finally on a more even playing field with the technology.

Ms Suzanne Atkinson, a regional newspaper reporter, was actively following Frank’s success and wrote about his incredible journey. Her coverage resulted in many groups and individuals in the community generously donating money to purchase this chair and cover some of the expenses.

As Doug Wilton, the Canadian head coach/manager, said, “Frank is the greatest one-armed wheeler in the world, always competing against 2-armed wheelers.”

Frank’s local coach often commented that, “Frank’s accomplishments and success can only be truly appreciated by those who saw him race or competed against him. With his extreme competitive nature, Frank is truly a courageous Olympian.”

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND AWARDS

Represented Canada internationally from 1983-1986
June 1984- Olympic Year – International Games for the Disabled (now called the Paralympics)
4x 100 metre relay race (World Record 101 seconds) Gold Medal
60 metre sprint – 6th
200 metre sprint – 10th (disqualified for a lane violation in his heat)

1984 CP Provincial Games
60 metre sprint – gold (new record)
100 metre sprint – gold (new record)
200 metre sprint – gold (new record)
400 metre sprint – gold
Shotput - bronze

1985 Michigan State Championships for the Physically Disabled
60 metre sprint – gold
200 metre sprint – gold
400 metre sprint – gold
4x100 metre relay race – gold

1986 Cerebral Palsy World Championship Games – Gits, Belgium
4x100 metre relay race – gold
400 metre sprint – silver
100 metre sprint – bronze
Team Canada won the overall Medal count with 42 Gold Medals, 16 Silver Medals and 12 Bronze Medals

1982
Presented with a Championship Certificate from the Province of Ontario in recognition of being a Provincial Champion in the field of amateur sport

1984
Presented with a Sports Jacket emblazed with a crest of the Town of Cobourg and the Bicentennial flag from the Mayor of Cobourg and the Chamber of Commerce
Presented with an Ontario Championship Certificate from the Province of Ontario
Presented with an Achievement Award Certificate from the Province of Ontario for distinguished performance in the field of amateur sport

1985
Presented with a Certificate of International Achievement from Premier David Peterson, at the Ontario Provincial Amateur Sports Banquet

1986
Presented with a Certificate of World Achievement from Premier David Peterson, at the 20th Annual Sports Awards Banquet in recognition of distinguished performance in the field of amateur sport

1987
Presented with a Civic Award from the City of Peterborough
Presented with an International Achievement Award from the Premier of Ontario

1990
Inducted into the Ontario CP Sports Athletes “Hall of Fame”

2019
Inducted into the Cobourg and District Sports Hall of Fame

Sources: Suzanne Atkinson, reporter
   Doug Montgomery, Frank Mazza’s local coach
   Doug Wilton, Head Coach and Team Manager for Canada’s National Cerebral Palsy team (1979-2000)

Reviewed August 2020