Neighbours reach out to former athlete
‘These are some of the kindest people in the world’
It was in 1953 I first watched Gordie Maxwell play baseball. He was only 15 years of age at the time, playing with Truro Sheiks of the Truro and District Baseball League.
When Truro Atlantic Electrics won the Maritime Juvenile Baseball Championship in 1957, Maxwell teamed up with such outstanding players as John Graham, Don Fancy, John Hutchinson, David Dewar, Randy Paris, Wayne Sibley, Cyril Maxwell, Tom Mccallum and Jim Mackinnon.
Maxwell later played baseball for Londonderry Ironclads. In the Truro District Hockey League he was a high-scoring forward with Hilden Owls, Shubenacadie Lions and Bible Hill Dairymen.
“I decided to make the move to Ontario in the late 1950s,” recalled Maxwell, 81. “Warren Maxwell and I drove up with Ray Mentis. Bob ‘Cook’ Mentis and Ray were both working in
Sudbury; if you could play baseball or hockey there was a good chance for a job. Cook and Ray kind of recommended me.”
Maxwell said Sudbury seemed like a whole new world.
“There were a lot of new things for sure. I got a job with the big Copper Cliff nickel mine; it tied in with baseball and sports. I went to work in the transportation department, I unloaded and loaded train cars and trucks.”
Maxwell spent approximately 10 years working in Copper Cliff. He played a lot of sports, winning several championships in baseball and playing highcalibre hockey in the winter.
Next came a move to Levack, Ont.
“It was about 40 miles from Sudbury. I was given a job and for the next few years. I played both baseball and hockey for Levack.”
After enjoying a lengthy career tied in with athletics, Maxwell came south to the Toronto area where he continued to work in transportation. “In 2003, following being diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer, I returned to
Truro,” Maxwell said. “It’s hard to believe I’ve been back home going on 17 years.”
It was during March of 2017 that Maxwell moved into a Parkview Terrace apartment at 350 Robie St.
Having been friends with Maxwell for a long time, he shared with me how pleased he was with his new residence. On a couple of occasions he invited me to drop in and last week I accepted the invitation.
“In this apartment building, these are some of the kindest people in the world,” Maxwell told me. “My neighbours will do anything to help another person; it’s hard to believe how friendly and kind some people can be. I really appreciate the friends I have made since moving in here.”
Wendy Leblanc is Maxwell’s next door neighbour.
“I’ve known Gordie since he moved in here in early 2017,” Leblanc said. “The day he arrived I took him over a dozen biscuits. Gordie opened the door about six inches, he was kind of nervous. The friendship grew from there. I’ve enjoyed giving him baked goods and little things, from time to time. Gordie is himself a very generous person; he often does things for other people.”
Laura Richardson recalled the first time she met Maxwell.
“I told Gordie that I was Johnny Hutchinson’s niece. After that, every time I’d see Gordie he’d ask me ‘have you seen Johnny Hutchinson lately.’ I guess they played some baseball and hockey together.
“This is really a nice building to live in. I know Gordie really enjoys living here. Ninety-nine per cent of us get along really well together, there’s great camaraderie.”
Leblanc and other friends organized a milestone birthday party for Maxwell in 2018; approximately 30 people from the building dropped by.
“Quite a number of Gordie’s relatives and friends came from around Truro as well,” Leblanc said. “Gordie didn’t want people to know his age but when I posted a big ‘happy birthday’ sign, it said ‘Happy 80th’ on it. Gordie was wild, but after awhile, he cooled down and then he laughed.
“I think the birthday party came off pretty good. We wanted to show Gordie how much we thought of him. He received a lot of birthday cards and well wishes.”
During my recent visit, Gordie showed me a flat screen television given to him during the holidays by Leblanc.
“I can’t believe this,” he said. “It’s one of the nicest things anyone ever did for me.”
“The day he arrived I took him over a dozen biscuits. Gordie opened the door about six inches, he was kind of nervous. The friendship grew from there.”
Wendy Leblanc
Lyle Carter’s column appears every second week in the Truro News. If you have a column idea, contact him at 902 673-2857.