Students at MMR recognize and honour the person their school was named after

By Pepper Parr

May 5^th, 2026

BURLINGTON, ON

Correction: The original headline was incorrect.  It has been replaced.

It was an occasion for the students at MM Robinson High School to both share and hear the story about a former school principal, Melville Marks Robinson, popularly known as “Bobby”, who is recognized as the founder of the Commonwealth Games.

The students gathered in the gymnasium with more than 250 seated on the floor as the occasion began when a piper entered the gym.

MMR students gather in the gymnasium to hear about the Games. The school is named after Melville Marks Robinson, the man who created the idea for the Games.

They were told about two statements “Bobby” always pressed upon people:

“Bobby” Robinson keeping a close eye on what is taking place.

Believe in yourselves and believe in your dreams.

It was his dream that resulted in the first-ever games held in Hamilton in August of 1930. At that time, they were known as the British Empire Games.

There were six sports: athletics (track and field), boxing, lawn bowls, rowing, swimming/diving, and wrestling.

Eleven countries took part in the 59 events that involved 400 athletes who were billeted in the Prince of Wales School next to the Civic stadium, where they slept two dozen to a classroom.   The participant nations were Australia, Bermuda, British Guyana, Canada, England, Northern Ireland, Newfoundland, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa and Wales.

The Hamilton Games ran at a cost of $97,973.00.

Left: Crowds watching the games in rainy weather. Right: Some of the sports taking place. The podium used to present the medals was first used at the 1930 Games. It was later adopted as a practice in the Olympic Games.

Claire Carver Dias

Claire Carver Dias, current president of Commonwealth Sport Canada, has been active in the games both as a participant who won two gold medals in synchronized swimming at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

She describes the games as friendly, focused on excellence, inclusion and human rights –  Sports with a Social Purpose.

The Social Purpose is seen as an organization that is:

• First International Games to achieve Gender Equality, with more medaling events for women than men.
• First, and only, international Games to have a Reconciliation Action Plan, respecting and celebrating Aboriginal cultures and leaving a lasting and meaningful legacy through employment and training and procurement.
• First, and only, international Games to integrate a Para-Sport program as full medal status.
• First International Major Games franchise holder to embed Human Rights across all operations and programs

Claire Carver Dias holding one of the jackets worn by officials at the 1930 and 1934 Games

The Commonwealth Games are seen as a clean sport. There isn’t any negative comment about the Games.  Athletes are not automatically awarded prize money for winning medals. Any monetary rewards are provided by individual countries, their National Commonwealth Games Associations, or governments, which vary significantly.

Lou Frapporti

Lou Frapporti was the Host and organizer of the event that took place at MMR on Tuesday and for the commemorative event that will take place on Wednesday at the Gazebo in Spencer Smith Park..  He was part of the group in Hamilton that worked to bring the 2030 games to the city.  The provincial government chose to financially support the FIFA games, which meant the Commonwealth Games for 2030 will be held in India.

When asked: Why put so much personal time into commemorating what happened almost 100 years ago, Frapporti said: “To me it is about community. People see what has been done in the past and bring those values forward to become part of the society we have today. “Bobby” Robinson was a remarkable human being who made something happen.  We can’t just let that history, his achievements, drift away.

Melville Marks Robinson

At the end of the day, as the students drifted back to their classrooms they knew a lot more about the man their school is named after.  As a model of giving back to the larger community is all about is as good as it gets.

When students glance up at the painting high up on the wall overlooking the main foyer, they can reflect on what leadership is.

Is there a future for the Commonwealth Games?
The world certainly needs this kind of organization.  The 74-member nations aren’t a United Nations but it is succeeding what it set out to do.  The Games were always aligned with the British Monarchy, which didn’t look as if it had all that much hope when Prince Charles became King Charles III.  He wasn’t seen as showing all that much promise until very recently, when he was in the United States and did a superb job of handling President Trump without creating a diplomatic incident.

Is there a future for the Commonwealth Games in Canada?

There is if Claire Carver Dias keeps doing what she is doing.  Calgary expressed an interest.  Could the Games return to Hamilton at some point?  Expect Lou Frapporti to become the strongest advocate.

Something to keep in mind.  There is a strong movement in Alberta to pull out of Confederation, and Quebec always seems to want to leave.

We will have a new Governor General soon.  Louis Arbour might find that a slightly tighter relationship with the Monarchy could be something that helps keep the country together.  Mark Carney and King Charles are close friends.

Having the Commonwealth Games in Canada in 2034 is something people will begin to think about.