2004

Patrick Bolger | Margaret Cattanach | Harold MacDonald | Nancy MacKenzie | Willie McDonald | Edmond Rochon

Patrick Bolger

Patrick John Bolger was born in Alexandria on January 31st, 1948 when his father was a Staff Member of Alexandria High School. He and his family resided there. At a young age, the family moved to Dutton, Ontario, where Pat received his schooling. He attended the University of Oklahoma on a wrestling scholarship and later the University of Waterloo, graduating with an Honours degree in Physical Education.

Patrick was twice named the Canadian Junior Athlete of the Year, winning the Viscount Alexander Award. In Judo, Pat won the Canadian Judo title four times. He captured the North American Junior Judo title in Miami in 1965 and was 2nd in the North American High School Championships in San Jose, California.
He was a silver medal winner at the 1967 Pan Am Games held in Winnipeg, Manitoba and a bronze medal winner at the World Finals in the same year. In 1969, Pat ranked 3rd in the U.S. Open “A” All Championships. In the 1970’s, Pat was ranked 3rd in the World. He won silver at the 1970 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh and bronze in the 1971 Pan Am games. He was a member of the National team at the World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

In addition to Judo, Patrick Bolger was seven times Canadian Open wrestling champion. In 1972, he was a member of both the Canadian Olympic Judo and Wrestling teams, the only person in Canadian history up to that time to have qualified for two Olympic teams in two different sports. He was a silver medalist in the 1970 British Commonwealth Games held in Edinburgh, Scotland and a bronze medalist in the 1971 Pan Am Games held in Winnipeg. He placed sixth in the University World Games in Moscow. Patrick Bolger holds a nine-year record-undefeated by a Canadian.

Patrick Bolger retired from competition in 1973. In 1974, he coached the Canadian National Team in the Tel Aviv memorial tournament. In 1986 he was inducted into the Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame. He now resides in Toronto.

Margaret Cattanach

Margaret Cattanach was born February 20, 1896 the daughter of John and Margaret Cattanach of Williamstown, Ontario. She attended Williamstown Public School and then Williamstown High School where she was an outstanding student and a top athlete. In track and field events she excelled at the Long Baseball Throw, the Long Basketball Throw and Throwing and Catching Baseball. She was also a member of the girl’s basketball team.

Margaret entered Queen’s University in the fall of 1915. While maintaining her academic excellence she won the Women’s Tennis Singles Championship in 1916-1917. She was a member of the Women’s Field Hockey Championship team of 1918.
Margaret married Charles Girdler another Queen’s graduate in 1926. Both of them taught High School in Toronto and after retiring Margaret did extensive tutoring out of her own home. Margaret died May 21, 1984 and is buried in St. Andrew’s Cemetery in Williamstown, Ont.

Clarence Cattanach married Donalda MacCrimmon. They had one son “Bill”who succeeded his father as postmaster.

Harold MacDonald

Harold MacDonald, a true Glengarry sportsman, was born to Wilfred and Daphne MacDonald, February 12th, 1942. Harold, one of eleven children, was brought up on a farm on the Raisin River Road, now Loyalist Road, in Charlottenburgh Township, now South Glengarry.

Renowned for his strength, he played football on the Char-Lan Crusaders with others such as John Chafee (another inductee in 2001), winning the championship by defeating Hawkesbury High School in 1959. At the same time he was involved in hockey, playing Junior B for Maxville, Lancaster Dodgers, Border Hockey League and for Martintown Superlites winning the Long Sault league in 1961-62.
In 1960 he witnessed his first Highland Games and the caber toss. In 1961 Harold entered the caber toss and won for the next five years in a row. That year he moved to B.C. but in 1972 he entered the toss again and even after the hiatus he was once again victorious.

After moving to BC with his family Harold entered the Highland Games at Stanley Park, New Westminster and at Bellingham, Washington coming in first and second on those occasions. He has now retired from work and is living in Celista, BC, overlooking beautiful Shuswap Lake.

Regardless, he still lives by his creed, a creed that seems to be noteworthy of all those honoured by the Sports Hall of Fame, that you get out of life what you put into it.

Nancy MacKenzie

Beginning High School in 1949 Nancy looked forward to Field Day as both her older brother and sister had been active in sports. She vividly remembers her first race which was held on Bishop Street and was rather surprised when she won. With this first win as an incentive Nancy continued to race and was victorious in every race in High School including those at the interscholastic level.

Mr. Gauthier, her coach, made arrangements for the High School to participate in the Meikle Cup, which was held annually in Cornwall and was open to schools in the three United Counties. There was a Junior girls 4 X 50yd relay which her team won and then they won it again for 3 consecutive years.
Later Nancy acquired her amateur athlete card and started competing at non-school meets and did quite well. Nancy was victorious at the Toronto City Police Games and they were considered to be the Ontario Champions. Three weeks later she won in the track meet at the Canadian National Exhibition. Nancy completed grade twelve then went to Toronto where she joined the East York Track Club.

The Club attended meets indoors and outdoors in Toronto, Hamilton, Buffalo, Cleveland and Montreal. Individually she placed third a few times and as a member of the women’s relay won most of the meets. Later she retired completely from running, married and began a career of wife and mother. More challenges!

Wilbert "Willie"McDonald

Wilbert spent his early years in Greenfield from June 12th, 1944, until he attended St. Patrick’s College High School. His parents were Wilfred and Irene (Villeneuve) McDonald. While attending Glengarry District High School in Alexandria Wilbert participated in lacrosse, softball, football, soccer, hockey, and broomball.

In 1962 while playing for Greenfield he was ‘Rookie of the Year’ in senior soccer. Wilbert played on the Greenfield team in the Alexandria Junior Hockey League winning championships from 1962-65. 1965-66 saw him playing with the Lloyd George Hotel team where he was named best defenceman. 1969 saw him named most sportsman-like player in the league. As a member of the Carnation team of 1968 he was named the MVP of the Alexandria Softball League.
Wilbert was named the MVP at the Shearwater Invitational Broomball Tournament held in Shearwater N.S. playing on the A&F Transport team from Ottawa in 1976. Also in 1980 he played as a member of the Cornwall Merchants who became silver medalists at the Silver Broom Invitational Broomball tournament held in Saskatchewan with Wilbert being given the MVP award. Again in 1982 the host Cornwall JOC Pop Shoppe team were gold medalists in the Canadian National Broomball Championships. Continuing to play broomball as a member of the Wills Transfer Limited team he was selected as best defenceman in the 1982-83 season.

On August 28, 1988 Wilbert married Carol Rainey from Grenville Quebec and they reside at St. Andrew’s West. This is the sporting career of Wilbert McDonald!

Edmond Rochon

In the thirties lacrosse players had many fans, among them were the Rochon boys. They were great stick handlers, but because of their age and the fact that the brand of lacrosse being played at that time was in the professional ranks the boys couldn’t make the team but always managed to be part of it anyway.

Edmond would look after the team equipment, be the waterboy, handle the door in the player’s box, make sure all the balls were white and clean for the referees, and fetch errant balls. He would also help to paint the lines on the grounds and make sure the players had clean towels. When Edmond was in the dressing room as equipment manager, every part of the equipment was clean, dry and ready for each game.
If it hadn’t been for Edmond (Minou) Rochon’s involvement in sports in those days, the game would have been real bush league, but because of his professionalism and dedication to his work in sports, it made the players feel like they were somebody. If you wanted to please Minou, it was when someone gave a good body check. He would go wild and give out his famous cry, “Pass the rhubarb!”

Minou was a true sports enthusiast, and an ardent fan of his hero Rocket Richard and Les Canadiens. Although he had a physical injury from a car accident in early life, it did not hinder him from being the trainer/stick boy for the Alexandria Lacrosse and Hockey Teams for most of his active life.