Trent Frayne
Encyclopedia
Trent Gardiner Frayne is a retired Canadian sportswriter whose career stretched over 60 years.
"Billy" Frayne, as he was known as a youth, was born to father Homer, who was a railroader for the Canadian Pacific Railway
and mother Ella. He began his journalism career with the Brandon Sun
at the age of 15 covering minor hockey and moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba three years later to accept a job with the Canadian Press
and the Winnipeg Tribune in 1938 and shared the lodgings of Winnipeg Free Press
columnist Scott Young and befriended Tribune columnist Ralph Allen
. He covered his first World Series
in 1941 and interviewed Joe DiMaggio
. He left Winnipeg in 1942 for Ontario
leaving his childhood nickname behind in favour of his given name of Trent.
He followed Young and Allen to Toronto and joined the Globe and Mail as a general reporter earning $45 a week and abandoned his childhood nickname to change his byline to Trent Frayne. At the Globe he met June Callwood
whom he married in 1944. Frayne resumed his work as a fulltime sportswriter when he joined the staff of the Toronto Telegram
. He moved to Maclean's Magazine in the 1950 where Callwood was by then working as a freelancer. Fellow Maclean's writer Pierre Berton
became a close friend and said of the couple "They were very much in love, a handsome couple who called each other 'Dreamy,'" The couple raised four children in the Etobicoke home they shared until Callwood's death in 2007.
In 1959, Frayne was hired by the Toronto Star
as a feature writer and, from 1962 to 1968, worked as a publicist for the Ontario Jockey Club before resuming his journalism career and then moving to the Toronto Sun
in the 1970s. From 1983 to 1989 the couple both worked as columnists at the Globe and Mail. Frayne wrote monthly columns for Maclean's from 1989 until his retirement at the age of 78 in 1997.
During his career, Frayne's work has also appeared in Chatelaine
, Sports Illustrated
and Saturday Evening Post magazines. He has written more than a dozen books and was awarded the National Newspaper Award for sports writing in 1975 and was the first recipient of Brandon University's Quill Award for Outstanding Achievement in 1990.http://archives.cbc.ca/IDC-1-69-1393-8718/life_society/june_callwood/ He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1984, receiving the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award
, and inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1988, and the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
, and also inducted into the Canadian News Hall of Fame and was honoured with a life membership in the Baseball Writers of America.http://etobicokesports.ca/1996/frayne_trent.html
Frayne's memoir is titled The Tales of an Athletic Supporter.
"Billy" Frayne, as he was known as a youth, was born to father Homer, who was a railroader for the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
and mother Ella. He began his journalism career with the Brandon Sun
Brandon Sun
The Brandon Sun is a daily newspaper printed in Brandon, Manitoba. It is the primary newspaper of record for western Manitoba.It was founded by Will White, with the first edition being printed on January 19, 1882....
at the age of 15 covering minor hockey and moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba three years later to accept a job with the Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Canadian Press Enterprises Inc. is the entity which "will take over the operations of the Canadian Press" according to a November 26, 2010 article in the Toronto Star...
and the Winnipeg Tribune in 1938 and shared the lodgings of Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg Free Press
The Winnipeg Free Press is a daily broadsheet newspaper in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Founded in 1872, as the Manitoba Free Press, it is the oldest newspaper in western Canada. It is the newspaper with the largest readership in the province....
columnist Scott Young and befriended Tribune columnist Ralph Allen
Ralph Allen (journalist)
Ralph Allen was a Canadian journalist, editor, and novelist.Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, he was raised in Oxbow, Saskatchewan. At sixteen he became a sports reporter for The Winnipeg Tribune, before moving to Toronto's renowned The Globe and Mail where he served as a war correspondent during the...
. He covered his first World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
in 1941 and interviewed Joe DiMaggio
Joe DiMaggio
Joseph Paul "Joe" DiMaggio , nicknamed "Joltin' Joe" and "The Yankee Clipper," was an American Major League Baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career for the New York Yankees. He is perhaps best known for his 56-game hitting streak , a record that still stands...
. He left Winnipeg in 1942 for Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
leaving his childhood nickname behind in favour of his given name of Trent.
He followed Young and Allen to Toronto and joined the Globe and Mail as a general reporter earning $45 a week and abandoned his childhood nickname to change his byline to Trent Frayne. At the Globe he met June Callwood
June Callwood
June Rose Callwood, was a Canadian journalist, author and social activist. She was born in Chatham, Ontario and grew up in nearby Belle River.-Early life and career:...
whom he married in 1944. Frayne resumed his work as a fulltime sportswriter when he joined the staff of the Toronto Telegram
Toronto Telegram
The Toronto Evening Telegram was a conservative, broadsheet afternoon newspaper published in Toronto from 1876 to 1971. It had a reputation for supporting the Conservative Party at both the federal and provincial level. The paper competed with the liberal Toronto Star...
. He moved to Maclean's Magazine in the 1950 where Callwood was by then working as a freelancer. Fellow Maclean's writer Pierre Berton
Pierre Berton
Pierre Francis de Marigny Berton, was a noted Canadian author of non-fiction, especially Canadiana and Canadian history, and was a well-known television personality and journalist....
became a close friend and said of the couple "They were very much in love, a handsome couple who called each other 'Dreamy,'" The couple raised four children in the Etobicoke home they shared until Callwood's death in 2007.
In 1959, Frayne was hired by the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
as a feature writer and, from 1962 to 1968, worked as a publicist for the Ontario Jockey Club before resuming his journalism career and then moving to the Toronto Sun
Toronto Sun
The Toronto Sun is an English-language daily tabloid newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for its daily Sunshine Girl feature and for what it sees as a populist conservative editorial stance.-History:...
in the 1970s. From 1983 to 1989 the couple both worked as columnists at the Globe and Mail. Frayne wrote monthly columns for Maclean's from 1989 until his retirement at the age of 78 in 1997.
During his career, Frayne's work has also appeared in Chatelaine
Chatelaine
Châtelaine has the following meanings:*Châtelaine, a woman who owns or controls a large house ....
, Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
and Saturday Evening Post magazines. He has written more than a dozen books and was awarded the National Newspaper Award for sports writing in 1975 and was the first recipient of Brandon University's Quill Award for Outstanding Achievement in 1990.http://archives.cbc.ca/IDC-1-69-1393-8718/life_society/june_callwood/ He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
in 1984, receiving the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award
Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award
The Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award is an award given "in recognition of distinguished members of the newspaper profession whose words have brought honour to journalism and to hockey". Recipients are selected by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association and gain automatic entrance into the Hockey...
, and inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1988, and the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
The Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum was established in 1985 when the first honoured members were named and plaques were erected in their honour. The first group of inductees was large in order to recognize the accomplishments of Manitoba players, coaches, builders and teams at the...
, and also inducted into the Canadian News Hall of Fame and was honoured with a life membership in the Baseball Writers of America.http://etobicokesports.ca/1996/frayne_trent.html
Frayne's memoir is titled The Tales of an Athletic Supporter.