Leo (Pete) McGillen
Pete McGillen was born in nearby Percy Township and moved to Peterborough at age seven. He began writing for the Peterborough Examiner in 1937 and over the next two decades gained recognition as Canada’s leading fishing and conservation authority.
His considerable local achievements included writing sports, an outdoors column, supervising the Examiner’s annual vacation edition, and conducting a fishing program on CHEX-Radio. He also became the Examiner’s City Editor, from which, in 1949, he moved to the Toronto Telegram as Canada’s initial full-time Outdoors Editor.
Pete’s writing, and more than 900 speeches on fishing and conservation garnered him many awards, including election to the World and Canada’s Fishing Halls of Fame and numerous State Halls of Fame in the USA. He was named Toronto’s Citizen of the Year in 1954, wrote a book “Outdoors with Pete McGillen,” and his columns were syndicated in more than 100 newspapers in North America. He was co-founder and Past-President of the Outdoor Writers of Canada and a director and participant in many other organizations. Pete died in October 1973.
Year Inducted:
1995
Status:
Deceased
Pete McGillen was born in nearby Percy Township and moved to Peterborough at age seven. He began writing for the Peterborough Examiner in 1937 and over the next two decades gained recognition as Canada’s leading fishing and conservation authority.
His considerable local achievements included writing sports, an outdoors column, supervising the Examiner’s annual vacation edition, and conducting a fishing program on CHEX-Radio. He also became the Examiner’s City Editor, from which, in 1949, he moved to the Toronto Telegram as Canada’s initial full-time Outdoors Editor.
Pete’s writing, and more than 900 speeches on fishing and conservation garnered him many awards, including election to the World and Canada’s Fishing Halls of Fame and numerous State Halls of Fame in the USA. He was named Toronto’s Citizen of the Year in 1954, wrote a book “Outdoors with Pete McGillen,” and his columns were syndicated in more than 100 newspapers in North America. He was co-founder and Past-President of the Outdoor Writers of Canada and a director and participant in many other organizations. Pete died in October 1973.