Bob Turner’s Journey-Pioneering Black Baseball Player Faces Celebration and Adversity in 1960s Canada

A bust of Bob Turner on display at the Benson Center . (Newswatch Group/Bill Kingston)

In 1960, Bob Turner, a pioneering Black figure in Canadian sports, faced a dramatic shift from celebration to fear. That January, Turner, a former Negro League baseball player, was honored in Cornwall, Ontario, for his contributions to the local sports scene. Having escaped segregation in U.S. baseball, Turner was celebrated for his role in fostering unity through sports in a predominantly white community. Yet, within months, his life took a turn for the worse as he and his young interracial family faced threats and hostility.

Turner’s journey began in 1944 when, at just 17, he played for the Newark Eagles of the Negro National League (NNL), a league formed due to racial segregation in Major League Baseball (MLB). Despite his young age, Turner’s talent was evident, and he was part of a league that produced legends like Satchel Paige and Jackie Robinson, the latter of whom broke MLB’s color barrier. Turner’s ambition to reach the major leagues was evident, but despite being scouted by teams like the Dodgers and the White Sox, he never made it to MLB.

Joy Kinnear, Turner’s daughter holds a photo of her father

Instead, Turner played in various leagues, including for the all-Black Porterville Comets and in Canada for teams like the Regina Caps and Carman Cardinals. His career in Canada was less fraught with racial tension compared to the U.S., where he faced significant adversity due to his race.

In Canada, Turner became more than just a player; he was a community leader, working as a recreational director and helping to bridge racial divides. His contributions to Cornwall were significant, yet his efforts were met with severe backlash. By 1960, Turner’s life was marred by threats and attempts on his safety, forcing his family to go into hiding. This period of unrest overshadowed the positive impact Turner had made in his community.

Though the Cornwall arena named after him remained a symbol of his legacy until its demolition in 2013, many of Turner’s contributions and struggles are not widely known. As a trailblazer in both baseball and community service, Turner’s life reflects the broader struggles and achievements of Black athletes and leaders who navigated racial barriers in mid-20th-century North America. His enduring impact continues to be remembered by those who knew him and by current efforts to commemorate his legacy.

Bob Turner sports and race relations mid-20th-century Black athletes