Cam McEwen
| Cam McEwen | |
|---|---|
| Years in Thunder Bay | 1905–1970 |
Cam McEwen was a curling athlete and builder who spent over six decades developing the sport in Northwestern Ontario and across Canada. Cam McEwen was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1999 as a builder.[1]
Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame
Cam McEwen was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame on 25 September 1999 in the builder category for curling.[1]
Career and service
Originally from Schreiber, McEwen relocated to Fort William during the early 1900s and began a Curling career that spanned more than 60 years. Between the 1910s and the 1950s, he competed on numerous championship rinks and was a frequent participant in bonspiels held in Winnipeg. His reputation as a competitive player led to his selection for a 65-person Canadian national team that conducted a curling tour of Scotland and Europe in 1950.[1]
McEwen was a mainstay at the Fort William Curling Club for 65 years, beginning in 1905. He took on leadership roles within the organization, serving as the club's President for the 1922-23 season. He was a key figure on the building committee responsible for the construction of the club's facilities and played a vital role in integrating the curling club into the Fort William Gardens complex.[1]
Dedicated to youth development, McEwen helped establish the Dominion High School Curling Association Committee. He served as the inaugural Chairman of the Northern Ontario School Curling Committee from 1948 until 1960. Under his guidance, student participation in the sport saw significant growth, increasing from 300 to 2,500 participants within the first seven years of his tenure. He also chaired the committee that brought the 1956 Canadian School Curling Championships to the Fort William Gardens, marking the first time a national curling competition was staged in Northwestern Ontario.[1]
The success of McEwen's youth programs was highlighted in 1958 when the Tom Tod rink captured the Canadian Schoolboys Championships, securing the first national curling title for a Northwestern Ontario team. His administrative work is credited with creating the momentum necessary for the Lakehead to be awarded the 1960 Brier. For his extensive contributions to the sport, he was inducted into the Curling Hall of Fame and Museum of Canada in 1977.[1]
Residence in the Thunder Bay area (1905–1970) rests on the following dated evidence. He moved to Fort William in the early part of the century and was a member of the Fort William Curling Club from 1905 to 1970.[1]
Honours and achievements
- Competed on various championship curling rinks from the 1910s through the 1950s
- Selected as a member of the 65-man Canadian team for the 1950 tour of Scotland and Europe
- Served as President of the Fort William Curling Club in 1922-23
- Acted as the first Chairman of the Northern Ontario School Curling Committee from 1948 to 1960
- Chaired the 1956 Canadian School Curling Championships, the first national curling event in Northwestern Ontario
- Inducted into the Curling Hall of Fame and Museum of Canada in 1977
- Granted life memberships in the Fort William Curling Club and Kakabeka Curling Club
- Received life memberships from the Northwestern Ontario, Manitoba, and Canadian School Curling Associations[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 "Cam McEwen", builder profile, Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, https://www.nwosportshalloffame.com/builder-profile/8ac73fe8-eaee-4fe6-965a-7cb2b577ba6d (accessed 31 October 2026). Archived copy on datum.locker.