1999 BELLEVILLE SPORTS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

  • Tom "Rollie" Bonneau

    ATHLETE, WATER-SKI KITE FLYING

  • Paul Paddon

    BUILDER, FOOTBALL

  • Greg Parkhurst

    ATHLETE, SWIMMING

TOM “Rollie” BONNEAU

ATHLETE, WATER-SKI KITE FLYING

If you tell Rollie Bonneau to go fly a kite he's more than likely to comply, happily. For more than 20 years he excelled at the sport of waterski kite flying. He's dominated the sport as a competitor, trainer, manufacturer and sponsor. Born in Montreal, he came to Belleville in 1969. Between 1959 and 1980 he dominated his chosen sport. In 1960 he finished in third place at the North American Kite Flying Championships, then followed up with first place finishes at the 1961 and 1962 championships plus first place at the Canadian Championship in 1962 and in 1963 at the United States Championships. In 1963 he participated in the World Championships where he finished third. Bonneau, in 1969, captained the Canadian team to an overall championship in competition at Bridgeport, Texas. A year earlier he was captain and coach of the Canadian team at the American Water Ski Association championships in New Orleans, La., and was second in the single men's slalom. In 1972, with Dr. Doug Smith, Bonneau organized the Belleville Water Ski Club and helped sponsor it.

PAUL PADDON

BUILDER, FOOTBALL

The Canadian Football League's loss was Belleville's gain in the early 1970's. After Paul Paddon won the Hec Crighton Award as the country's top university football player it was predicted he would go on to a career in the pro league. That assessment came from none other than his coach at the University of Ottawa, Bob O'Billovich, who would go on to the CFL as a highly successful coach himself. All the 23-year-old Gee Gees quarterback did in 1970 was complete 60 per cent of his passes, throw for 20 touchdowns and rack up 1,800 passing yards in nine games. However, the St. Thomas native didn't move on to the CFL. Instead, he came to Belleville in 1971 and took a teaching position at Quinte Secondary School, a post he's held ever since. During that time he's coached track and field, soccer, basketball and many other sports, but his first love remains football. "Everybody gets knocked down, but players get up and play," Paddon's been heard to say. In 1993, he took his passion for the game to area elementary schools and helped create the Belleville Minor Football League. In 1971, Paddon's first year at QSS, he coached the school's football team to a Bay of Quinte championship. He repeated the feat in 1995 and 1996. However, what may have marked the man as a hall-of-famer was his sportsmanship and dedication to the game and his team during the years in between. During the intervening years he's also starred in the Belleville Touch Football League, quarterbacking several championship teams. He continues to make his home in Belleville with wife Valerie and children Jamie and Kelly. Kelly was a regular defenceman with the 1998-99 OHL Champion Belleville Bulls.. 

GREG PARKHURST

ATHLETE, SWIMMING

Belleville's Greg Parkhurst was a participant at the very first Canadian Special Olympics, held in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1974. He excelled there and that was just the beginning of an impressive career in the pool for the William R. Kirk School grad. At those first games he earned a silver medal for his swimming prowess and for many years after was a regular competitor at provincial and regional Special Olympics events. One of his career highlights was a presentation by the city's Honours and Award committee in 1981 after he was double gold medalist at that year's Special Olympics in Ottawa. At those games the gold medals came in the 50 metre freestyle and 50 metre backstroke. Parkhurst won silver in the 25 metre freestyle, bronze in the 25 metre backstroke and bronze in the 25 metre breaststroke. In Ontario Special Olympics competition in 1984 he won gold in the 25 metre freestyle and 50 metre freestyle, silver in the 50 metre backstroke and bronze in the 25 metre backstroke. Parkhurst is a life member of the Belleville Lions Club, the organization that sponsored his swimming career. He's the son of Al and Audrey Parkhurst. Greg Parkhurst is the Hall's first inductee from the Special Olympics program.