Peter Salmon started his competitive swimming career at ten years old and under the careful coaching of fellow BC Sports Hall of Famer, Archie MCKinnon at the Victoria YMCA pool, he developed into one of Canada’s foremost swimmers during 1940s and 1950s.

Aptly named for a swimmer, Salmon broke many BC and Canadian records and held more than fifteen national championship titles in freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, individual medley, and relay events between 1944-52.

While attending the University of Washington, Salmon swam for the All-American team for four consecutive years. In 1951, he became the first Canadian to win the US National Collegiate title for the 150-yard individual medley.

Salmon represented Canada at both the 1948 and 1952 Olympic Games. He won gold in the 110-yard freestyle and silver in the 330-yard medley relay at the 1950 British Empire Games in Auckland, New Zealand.

Salmon was the recipient of the Sid Thomas Memorial trophy as Victoria’s Outstanding Athlete in 1947 and the Sir Edward Beatty Trophy as Canada’s Most Outstanding Swimmer in 1948.