2026

Jake Maarse

Seldom had the Netherlands experienced the level of cold that accompanied the winter of 1963. Held against that frigid backdrop was the Eleven City Race (the Elfstedentocht). A long-distance tour skating competition that takes place on natural ice, the race is almost 200 kilometers long; and is the biggest ice-skating tour in the world. The race is held in the province of Friesland in the north of the Netherlands, leading past all eleven historical cities of the province. Held at most just once a year, and only when the natural ice along the entire course is at least 15 centimeters thick, since 1963, the race has only been held three times. The Elfstedentocht of 1963 has passed into history as "The hell of '63" when only 69 of the 10,000 participants were able to finish the race, due to the extremely low temperatures of -18 °C, powder snow and a harsh eastern wind. The 1963 winner, Reinier Paping, who needed 11 hours to finish the race, became a national hero. Conditions were so horrendous that many of the contestants had frostbite, broken limbs, and damaged eyes. As a result, the race would not be contested for the next 22 years. Residing in Holland in 1963 an eight-year-old Jake Maarse was captivated and began skating. Emigrating to Canada in 1976, Jake and his wife eventually settled life near Cobourg as a horticulturist, while also renewing his love of long-distance skating, with Jake competing in various events throughout North America and Europe. In 2001-03, he was the only skater competing in all three distances at the Lake Placid marathons, winning all three (10K, 25K, & 42K) in 2002. In 2004, Jake co-founded “Marathon Skating International”. That same year Jake helped with the establishment of the MSI Race Series with seven events contested throughout North America. In 2011 and 2016 Jake participated in the Alternative Eleven Cities races which were held in the Weissensee, Austria. Ten thousand skaters come together there every year to celebrate long distance skating. In 2018 Jake helped organize Friendship races with about 100 skaters from Canada, the USA and the Netherlands. Since 2018 till present Jake is still an active skater and is involved in fundraising skating events for charity every year through the Rotary club of West Ottawa.

John W. Hayden

Athlete, Teacher, Coach, Volunteer, Referee, Convenor, Executive Member … Visionary. John W. Hayden left a legacy to our local sporting community based on generosity, leadership, loyalty, and dedication. Born, raised, and devoted to all things Cobourg, John first made his mark on the local sporting scene as a standout Softball pitcher, leading from the mound as the Dairy Queen Juveniles and then Juniors captured back-to-back OASA Provincial Championships in 1970 and 1971, the first of which saw John named the Most Valuable Pitcher of the tournament, and the latter of which saw John toss a two-hit shutout in the championship game. After that, John enjoyed a long career in local education, focusing on special needs, and finding fulfillment and pride in the lives of his students. But, he didn’t leave sports behind. In addition to coaching numerous school team sports through his teaching career, John immersed himself in the local sporting scene. At various points in his life, John served as a Basketball referee, and a Baseball Umpire, but his true love could be found in coaching. Beginning in 1971, as a Peewee House League Hockey coach in the CCHL, he added another pair of OASA provincial softball championships in 1977 and 1978, as the coach of the Red Wing Squirts. In 1982, John turned his attention to the Cobourg Angels program, where as a coach he added two more Provincial Championships in 1984 and 1985 and served on the Association’s Board of Directors. Also in 1985, John began coaching with the Cobourg Minor Soccer Club and over the next eight years he also served stints as the group’s Vice President and President, playing a pivotal role in growing the sport locally. But if John did have a favourite sport, it was undoubtedly Basketball. John was part of the trio that founded the Lakeshore Minor Basketball Association (now the Northumberland Minor Basketball Association). His administrative talents, knowledge, and local contacts were invaluable in establishing the league but almost as important was his calm and steady manner, and his unwavering focus on player development and team unity over politics. John’s organizational skills were recognized in 2010 when he was named the Chairman of a Feasibility Study for the future Cobourg Community Centre and in 2017, when he was named as one of the original Board of Directors for the Cobourg and District Sports Hall of Fame. 

Danny Frei

Inspired as a teenager by former CDCI West teacher and CDSHF inductee Jerry Lawless, Danny Frei (“Mr. Frei”) began his own legacy of mentorship at age 19, launching a teaching career at Dale Road Senior Public School while completing his Bachelor’s degree at Trent University — a career that would span more than 32 years. An avid outdoorsman with a keen interest in science and exploration, he championed indoor and outdoor athletics to promote healthy minds and bodies while fostering leadership and character. Core to his extracurricular program was Dale Road Outers Club, which he led for more than 25 years. The club introduced generations of students to outdoor pursuits including hiking, camping, snowshoeing, cross-country and downhill skiing, and canoeing. Its primary activity was the October Camp where up to eight classes of Grade 7 and 8 students embarked on an overnight outdoor experience. An estimated 3,600 students participated, where they were encouraged to plan, organize, and take controlled risks outside of their everyday comfort zone. Each year 10-20 participants were selected to join the Dale Road Canoe Trip where students were further challenged and developed advanced leadership skills. Mr. Frei also organized the annual Dale Road downhill ski trip and coached the school’s Gymnastics team. Outside of school, he played an important role in the sport of whitewater canoeing and kayaking, first as a safety and rescue instructor, also as a judge in provincial, national, and international events, and by founding a local club, which saw some of his former students (including his sons) compete at the provincial, national, and international level. In 1990, Danny served as Team Manager for the Canadian Junior Whitewater Slalom Team, helping send Canadian athletes to the Junior World Championships and recognizing that international competition experience was essential to junior athlete development. Many of those athletes went on to represent Canada internationally and to mentor the next generation. Danny’s lifelong interest in shooting and hunting sports, including 35 years of service and executive roles with the Northumberland Pistol and Revolver Club, was recognized in 1994 when he became one of the first licensees to teach and examine the Canadian Firearms Safety Course in Ontario. In the following 25 years, Danny’s name became synonymous with the education in the safe use of firearms for the Cobourg and District’s hunting and sports shooting community. His lifelong commitment to sharing his passion for outdoor adventure leaves a lasting legacy in the Cobourg District community and beyond.

Chris Crooks

In Grade 7, Chris started wrestling and this would have a profound effect on his future life and on the lives of countless others. On the University of Guelph Wrestling team, he was a 4-time All-Canadian, a 2-time CIAU gold medalist in 1983 and 1985, a 2-time CIAU silver medalist in 1982 and 1984, and a CIAU bronze medalist in 1981. He was named team MIP in 1980-81 and team MVP in 1984-85. As a graduating athlete, he was also named the W.F Mitchell Sportsman of the Year in 1984-85. He also helped lead Guelph to 3 consecutive national team titles in 1981, 1982 & 1983, and won the 1981 Canadian Junior Championship where he was MVP. He earned a bronze medal at the Junior Pan American Championships in 1981. Chris won the 1984 Ithaca New York Invitation and was MVP and won the prestigious 1985 Michigan Open. At the Senior Canadian Wrestling Championships in 1987 Chris placed 4^th. In recognition of all his accomplishments in 2007, Chris was inducted into the University of Guelph Sports Hall of Fame. Upon graduating in 1985 he was an Assistant Coach at the University of Guelph and Mount Allison University. Chris began his teaching career in Ajax in 1987 where he coached wrestling, both at school and for the Durham Region Wrestling Club (currently known as “Team Impact”). Chris moved to Northumberland County in 1990 and taught and coached for the next 25 years. While teaching at CDCI West and East Chris coached cross country, wrestling, rugby and track & field where he had numerous students qualify for OFSSA. As a coach at the Kawartha Wrestling Club Chris coached several provincial champions and national medalists. Chris has always been more than a coach mentoring youth and encouraging them to do their best in school and life. Chris “retired” in 2015, and took a teaching job in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. There he started the Cambridge Bay Wrestling Club, a program that used wrestling as a vehicle for growth and social development. The program involved Inuit youth who had experienced trauma through various incidents, including suicide. The goal of the program is to develop discipline, resilience, leadership, teamwork, sportsmanship & improve mental health. The wrestling program produced Nunavut’s first gold medalist at the 2022 Canada Summer Games. Chris is presently President of Wrestling Nunavut and the Cambridge Bay Wrestling Club.

Liz Basinger

A lifelong “Cobourger”, Liz Basinger has not only long been a fixture on the local Cobourg sporting scene, but she has also been a driving force whose countless volunteer efforts have fundamentally enriched the sporting life of our community. Liz began volunteering her time and skills with the Cobourg Community Hockey League (CCHL) in the 1970’s. This included coaching, most notably in 1977-78 when she coached the Cobourg Wholesaler Bantams, a team which featured fellow CDSHF inductee Steve Smith. In 1984, Liz made the jump from minor hockey to the Cobourg Junior C Cougars as a member of the community-based Board of Directors. A constant presence at the arena, often “running the gate” on game nights, Liz was a vital part of the Cougars transition to the Tier II Junior A ranks in 1992 and stayed on as the team transferred to being a privately owned entity. Based on her years of experience and involvement with all off-ice aspects of running the team, Liz was appointed head of "Game Day Operations". In addition to her work with the Cougars, Liz became the head statistician for the OHA's Central Jr. C. League in 1988; and the Pointstreak administrator inputting all roster details for the OHA's Central Jr. C. As league convener she traveled and facilitated league meetings, prepared league minutes, authored various reports and press releases; trained Pointstreak operators and maintained the League's web page amongst other duties. At the 2003 Cobourg Civic Awards ceremony, Liz was the recipient of a Distinguished Civic Award for Sports. In 2011, Liz was made a Cobourg Cougars Life Member. In 2015, Liz was awarded the Crystal Puck by the Ontario Hockey Association. This prestigious award recognizes an individual's outstanding achievements or contributions to the OHA. At the 2018 Cobourg Civic Awards ceremony, Liz was recipient of the Sportsmanship Award (currently called the “Leadership in Sport” Award) recognizing her outstanding leadership in contribution to Cobourg's sports and recreational community. Liz’s breadth of knowledge gained over the years from volunteering have made her a valued consultant and adviser to countless local sporting initiatives, most notably, the Dudley Hewitt Cup in 1996, the World Junior A Challenge in 2015 and the RBC Cup in 2017. That same year, Liz was announced as one of the inaugural Board of Directors of the Cobourg & District Sports Hall of Fame.