Actions can speak volumes. In the early 1960s when the City of Cornwall decided to name a newly opened arena on Fourth Street after a recently passed, much beloved recreation director, Bob Turner, that spoke volumes. In 2011, when this same city decided to tear down the Bob Turner Memorial Arena with no plans on further honouring that man, his struggle and his legacy, that action, or lack of action, spoke volumes too.
Bob Turner had a notable legacy before he even came to Cornwall. A former Harlem Globetrotter, a former Chicago White Sox, a U.S. Army veteran, Bob Turner already had lived a life to admire before he came to Cornwall and became one of if not the first Black municipal recreation directors in Canada.
Bob Turner experienced that racism and bigotry first-hand here in Cornwall.
Racists tried to force Bob Turner out of this city. The mayor at the time, Archie Lavigne, took to the radio to defend Turner and in the end Bob Turner and his supporters won and defeated the bigots. This made it all the more tragic when Turner died at the age of just 35 during routine surgery.
The fact that it has been more than a decade for this city to honour the legacy of Bob Turner speaks volumes. The fact that on Thursday, September 27, 2023, the City of Cornwall issued a survey asking residents what they would like to see done to honour Turner, speaks volumes.
There are volunteers in this city who have been trying to engage with administration and council for years to see something permanent, and prominent, created to honour Turner. They have been making efforts to fundraise for this cause, for something significant like a mural or statue. These groups were not consulted about this survey.
The survey asks if residents would prefer to see smaller amounts and smaller gestures of memorialization for Turner. Did the city go to the public when the cost of the future arts center ballooned?
To me, this survey is nothing more than political cover for the city so that after more than a decade of inaction, the city can replace a memorial arena with a street sign or renaming a park.
Bigots nearly drove Bob Turner out of this city. Apathy will drive him from memory.
A mural, a statue, just get it done.
Nick Seebruch
Cornwall