The legacy of the late Gary Baynes, Ward 2 Councillor in Bradford, lives on in a heartfelt tribute and dedication with family and friends.
An intimate ceremony took place on Satuday Aug. 20 at Magani Park where town council, along with the Baynes family and supporters, unveiled the official sign for the newly named Gary Baynes Field; a baseball diamond within the park.
Baynes passed in July 2020 after a lengthy illness. He was known as a very hard-working and dedicated council member since 2014, and served on various committees, including the Active Transportation Committee, which he was chair of, as well as the Traffic Committee, and the Downtown Revitalization Committee. He was proudly dubbed “the math guy” by fellow council members thanks to his budgeting and financial skills.
Mayor Rob Keffer, who initiated the idea of Gary’s name being honoured, shared a few words with attendees and remembered Baynes by saying, “Gary was a special council member. He had a way of keeping all of us together, having a good time, but also making sure we got the hard work done.”
Mayor Keffer also mentioned on a personal note that he and Gary attended school together and knew each other for many years.
“We are indebted to him for his hard work and the excellent results we were able to achieve because Gary Baynes was part of our council," he said.
Baynes' daughter Ashley also took the microphone to say a few words. With her father’s sports jacket draped over her shoulders, she said “As a councillor, my dad always tried to strike a balance between honouring the tradition, culture, and generational families of Bradford and what was best for the town. If he needed to negotiate something, he would generally hold the line for the people.”
Baynes' other daughter, Alysha, added, “He was the Ward 2 councillor, which covers the older part of Bradford, so he really made it a point to revitalize some of the more mature areas and ensure the generational families who have been here for a while had a voice.”
A Bradford native and sports advocate, Baynes played in a lot of local leagues over the years with baseball held a little closer to his heart, which makes the dedication of the field even more special.
“Playing ball was such a big part of my dad’s life in Bradford,” Ashley added. “He always spoke so highly of his “glory days” and the many championships that himself and the guys of the Queen’s Hotel and Bradford Macs collected over the years."
Both Ashley and Alysha generously handed a bouquet of flowers to each council member as a token of appreciation for bringing the ball diamond dedication to life. They unanimously raised their bouquets to the sky as a salute to their fellow council member in an emotional tribute.
The Baynes sisters also mentioned how important legacy was to their dad.
“More than the enjoyment of playing for and living in Bradford, leaving a legacy was very important to our dad. As a long-standing Bradford family, it was important to my dad that the Baynes name be carried on and held at the highest esteem,” said Ashley.
When Baynes passed, a trust fund was set up in his name to help children in the community pay for sports programs. There are also talks of naming a street after Baynes thanks to his close relationship with home builders in the area.
Surrounded by flowers placed by council members and family, Baynes' baseball glove and team photo sat at the base of the sign, which reads “Gary Baynes Field: In honour of a man who loved his hometown and was proud to serve the community.”
His legacy will surely live on.
