Gordon C. (Gord) Minty

Gord Minty was a popular man who practiced what he preached. He often told young swimmers that the most important thing that they could do was pass on their knowledge to someone else. Gord Minty spent a lifetime helping everyone who came his way. He became involved in swimming at age 22 as a means of improving his health. So, he gained weight and became so proficient he became a member of the YMCA water polo team that would win an Ontario title in 1933.

Minty moved from Toronto to Peterborough four years later, in 1937, and for the next 27 years, until his death of a heart attack at age 54, he helped bring countless awards and honours to the YMCA and to the city as well. His interest in aquatics was not confined to speed alone. He was one of the original committee to set up Red Cross swimming and water safety service in Canada. He worked with service clubs in other centres, to spread the gospel of water safety.

A highlight of his life was being named Peterborough’s Outstanding Sportsman in 1961. He died in 1964.