Tuesday, October 20, 2015

John Currie (1910-1989): 1932 Lake Placid, Nordic Ski - Beechwood Cemetery, Ottawa, Ontario

Waymark Code: WMPVPR

The marker is in section 37, lot 3E.

N 45° 26.801 W 075° 39.622

In the 1932 games in Lake Placid, John Fletcher Currie represented Canada in the 18 kilometre cross-country skiing event, finishing in 40th place of 42.

The following narrative is taken from the Historical Portraits book published by the Beechwood Cemetery. Born in Ottawa on January 2, 1910, John Currie showed an aptitude for skiing at a young age. During his time at Lisgar Collegiate Institute in the 1920s, he captured the city-wide high school championship three years in a row. Currie was a member of the Ottawa Ski Club, and was the first member of the club to ever win the championship at the course at Shawbridge, laid out by the Montreal Ski Club. In 1932, Currie was invited to be a member of the Canadian Olympic ski team, and he completed the 18-kilometre cross-country skiing event at Lake Placid. After his stint at the Olympics, Currie continued to be an avid skier, and is credited with making cross - country skiing such a popular sport. Currie worked for some years in northern Quebec as an engineer in a gold mine during WWII. After returning to Ottawa in 1945, he became the manager of Beechwood Cemetery, a position he held until the early 1960s. Currie passed away on December 20, 1989.

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