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As a result of his childhood fascination with the game, Clair has had a lifelong association with baseball. In 1994 he was inducted into the Peterborough Sports Hall of Fame for his fast pitch. He is in the Hall of Fame because he pitched in the men's league for many years. Starting in high school he got a team from Peterborough together. Later the Eastern Ontario fastball league was instrumental in putting a team together and he pitched for them. Clair considers himself fortunate to have been on a lot of good teams with good players and wonderful sponsors. He made a lot of friends and has good memories of his time in the game.He announces the men's fast ball league on Thursday nights at East City Bowl and writes a regular column on the sport for Peterborough This Week.
According to Clair his success in sports was a journey not a destination and the journey was certainly worthwhile. Going to the ballpark paid off. He still goes today and still sits in the same seat as he did in the 1940s.
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Clair Leahy with cousin Anne (Barringer) Bowler.1950
Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
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In the Peterborough of his youth neighbourhood kids mostly stayed on the east side of the Otonabee River in East City. A few boys ventured over to the Pool Room as they got older or would walk across Hunter Street Bridge to the movies. Clair did not go to the movies very frequently.During his youth, he and his friends would hang out at the park at the corner of Douro Street and Armour Road where they played, or they went up into the pines that led up to Armour Hill to play in the woods there, or played by the Otonabee River. There was a natural spring where they could get a drink and they played football in the field and would then go to the park. Rarely did they venture out of East City.
He and his friends would also make up their own little golf courses and play in the back yard because memberships were so expensive. At the Peterborough Golf & Country Club, Clair recalls there were yellow harvest apples behind the 14th hole. When they used to caddy for people they would go over the split rail fence and get some of those apples.
Clair has always liked being outdoors and continued this when raising his own kids. They played at the Zoo, or went walking in the woods, or camping at Algonquin Park, etc.
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Clair Leahy and his sons, Aaron and Arlen, in the Torch Run for the 1980 Ontario Games.1980
Belleville, Ontario, Canada
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Clair and his young family took part in the 1980 Ontario Games. In the city there were volunteers from Peterborough and area to carry the torch which was lit at Mount Olympus in Greece and then brought to Ontario. They went to Belleville where they were handed the torch and ran with it to Foxboro. His son Arlen was 11 and he and Clair took turns along with some other people carrying the torch. His son Aaron was also there but he did not participate in the event.19
This is a recent photograph of the house at 138 Douro Street where Clair Leahy grew up.23 February 2006
138 Douro Street, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
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Clair's family are Roman Catholic and he attended Immaculate Conception School for elementary school where he started in 1948. When he was at Immaculate in grade 8 there was no room at the school for the grade 8s (before they built a new school) so the class had to go across to St. Peter's High School to grade 8. They would walk across Hunter Street Bridge into downtown Peterborough. In winter they were given bus fare which made taking the bus much cheaper so they could walk or take the bus. He continued on into high school at St. Peter's Secondary School.At St. Peter's, Clair played basketball, football and track and field. His mom still remembers him missing a track meet to study. At that time students had to write Ontario Standard Exams instead of schools making their own exams. Students really had to study to go on. Clair was the only one from his grade 8 class of 40 to graduate from grade 13. He graduated in 1962.
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The house at 138 Douro Street where Clair Leahy grew up. Clair lived here from the age of 6.1950
138 Douro Street, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
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The first vehicle the Leahy family owned was a model T Ford. For awhile they didn't have a car, but Clair's dad had a Democrat (buck board) and a horse. The horse was kept at Middleton's farm which was located up around where Adam Scott High School is now. Mr. Leahy would go around and plough gardens for people in the spring. He had a plough and a harrow in the back of the buck board. While he is not sure of the make of the second family car, Clair remembers, it had a running board. No he didn't ride on the running board!23
Clair Leahy talks about the importance of religion and the church in his family's life.28 March 2006
Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
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Clair was raised in a very devout Roman Catholic family. His sister became a nun, one brother became a priest. Their family home was a block and a half from Immaculate Conception Church. The priests were very influential to their family and the church was an active part of their life.When asked if there were any special Sunday rules Clair answered, as long as they went to church on Sunday morning then sports were allowed during the day. That was often how they spent their Sunday.
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Clair Leahy talks about growing up a Catholic.28 March 2006
Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
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There was church league hockey and baseball growing up, but Immaculate Conception didn't have a church league baseball team. Mark Street United Church did but because they were Catholic and Mark Street was a Protestant church, they weren't allowed to play for that team. Clair also remembers that Catholic kids weren't allowed to go to the YMCA until the parish priest gave them permission.27
Clair Leahy talks about how he got into teaching.28 March 2006
Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
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