COMMUNITY FOCUS
Making his mark on the community
By Lisa Etherington-Runions Having a positive attitude, and trying to do the right thing to help people is what a former Cornwall police commu- nity service officer has always believed in. A native of Cornwall, Gary Leger knew that entering the police force would not only give him job security, but that this occupation was something that was dif- ferent from day to day, and would allow him to help others. “If I hadn’t become a police officer, I think that I would have chosen the mili- tary as a career,”said Leger. Leger started his career with the Ottawa Police Force in 1981, and during this time he was a member of the Underwater Search and Recovery Squad, Riot Squad and the Marine Patrol. Leger joined the Cornwall Community Police Service in 1985, in part because he felt Cornwall was an excellent place in which to raise a family. Starting out as a Community Patrol Of- ficer, he later became a trained hostage negotiator, and then became involved in the “Adopt-a-cop” program with Central Public School. This is a volunteer pro- gram in which police officers visit their adopted school during their normal working hours and talk informally with the students. In 1999 Leger was assigned to the Crime Reduction and Community Partnerships Division. As part of this program Leger was able to serve members of the commu- nity through various initiatives, including spending time in schools making presen- tations on bullying and internet safety. People who have worked alongside Leger, and close friends agree that Leger Positive attitude key ingredient in life of former city police officer As previously announced Cornwall will be the host of National Series such as the World of Outlaws Late Models and Sprint Car but for promoter Ron Morin, local series are important for the racing around the area. Two series involving Cornwall and other tracks in Quebec and Ontario were cre- ated for the Sportsman and Pro-Stock in order to have these drivers in the spot- light. ST.LAWRENCE SEAWAY SPORTSMAN CHAMPIONSHIP Since the return of the Sportsman cate- gory at Cornwall in 2010, the amount of competitors and action has been growing significantly. The same scenario has oc- curred at Mohawk International Raceway and Brockville and gave the Sportsman program a lot notoriety and stability. The Journal
one person is not pulling his weight, the entire crew suffers.” “I’ve been lucky. I have two great par- ents that encouraged me in sports and all aspects of my life growing up. All my coaches were great role models. I hope they realize how much a kid appreciates the time they spend with him.” Leger, who is married and has a son, has carried this over into his own life, and for this reason feels success is having a bal- anced and happy life, having what you need and not what you want. He values family and friends greatly. Leger also enjoys working out at the gym, woodworking, woodcarving, and playing guitar. “I would like to improve my carpentry skills and DIY skills,” quips Leger. He also has an interest in live music, es- pecially country music, a good Schwarzenegger or Stallone movie, box- ing matches, or just spending time with family, walking his dog, or playing gui- tar. If he had the chance he would love to learn how to play the bagpipes. When asked if he had an opportunity to travel anywhere Leger replies, “Yes, I would like to travel south with a few friends and go deep-sea fishing.” When asked if there was a motto, quote or song that represents what he stands for or believes in, Leger says it is a quote by Theodore Roosevelt that stands out in his mind. “Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows nei- ther victory nor defeat.” Leger also feels that meeting Andrew Carnegie would have been a great experi- ence, as Carnegie was such a philanthro- pist. As far as the future is concerned, Leger sees himself as still being involved in the community that he calls home. When asked what he would like said about him at his eulogy, he simply says, “that I was a man that lived his life to the fullest.” The drivers that will follow the entire se- ries will also be recognized with a 100 per cent participation draw that includes a full Pro-Stock body provided by Mohawk Race Parts and also 4 Hoosier tire from Trick Race Parts. This series always at- tracted the best talent from these tracks. Both series will involve some of the biggest stars of the DIRTcar circuit and fans from Cornwall will be fortunate to see them compete at a high level during these events at the quarter mile bullring. For anyone who is a fan of Sportsman and Pro-Stock, the St.Lawrence Seaway Sportsman and Mohawk Race Parts Pro- Stock Series are events they will not want to miss. The 2012 season will start in threeweeks at Cornwall. To view all the last details on the upcom- ing events, visit the website at www.corn- wallspeedway.com
Special photo A positive attitude and doing the right thing to help people is what a former Cornwall police community service officer Gary Leger has always believed in.
join the Cornwall Rowing Club. He was also one of my coaches.”
is patient, sociable, easy to get along with. He has been a long-serving member of
“We spent many hours on and off the water talking about training and compe- tition. His encouraging words gave me the confi- dence and drive to com- pete.” Because of this experience Leger learned that rowing can teach many life lessons, one of them being the im- portance of teamwork. It is one of the few sports where there are no stars on the
the Cornwall community. He was recently honoured with the Bud Knight Award for his work with Corn- wall’s youth community. He has been a friendly pres- ence at schools, delivering meaningful presentations and events geared toward crime and drug prevention, and collaborating with a wide range of youth-serv- ing organizations. As a youth himself, his
“Everyone has to pull together (literally) to be successful,” ex- plains Leger “and if one person is not pulling his weight, the entire crew suffers.” Gary Leger Retired community police service officer
team. “Everyone has to pull together (literally) to be successful,” explains Leger “and if
cousin Dave had the most profound influ- ence on his life. “When I was a teenager,” explains Leger, “Dave encouraged me to
Cornwall Speedway putting local drivers in spotlight
will be given for this series as enticement. MOHAWK RACE PARTS PRO-STOCK SERIES The popular Mohawk Race Parts Pro- Stock Series is back again in full force with six events at five different tracks throughout Ontario, Quebec and northern New-York. Cornwall will be the host of the first race on Sunday, May 20 with Mo- hawk receiving the series on Thursday, June 21. The tour will then head to the province of Quebec for three-night affair starting at Autodrome Granby on Friday, July 6; Autodrome Drummond on July 7 and cap off at Le RPM Speedway on Sun- day July 8. The series will end at Cornwall on Sept. 2. The feature races are shortened to 40 laps for 2012 but with the same purse for- mat as the winner will receive $750 and all cars taking the green getting a mini- mum of $100.
The creation of the St.Lawrence Seaway Sportsman Championship will bring the class to another level in 2012. The series will start at Brockville on Sat- urday, May 19 and then visit Mohawk on Friday, July 27th to be completed at Corn- wall on Sunday, Sept. 2. All three races will be in the format of 40-lap features with each winner collect- ing a nice $750. A points fund has been established for the top three, the champion will receive $750, and the runner up will get $500 and third place $250. Great incentive prizes will be awarded to the drivers that will participate to the three events. All entrants that had 100 per cent partic- ipation will be eligible to win a Sportsman Crate Motor courtesy of Seaway GMC, 4 Hoosier Tires sponsored by Trick Race Parts and five envelopes of $100. More than $6,000 in prize and money
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