Norman C D Mactaggart

The 1930s saw substantial growth in the development of the sport of skiing Canada. Prominent among those who worked to achieve this growth was Norman C D Mactaggart whose contributions to in eastern Canada were nothing short of outstanding.

His accomplishments included:

Founding and organizing the Wabaskontyunk Outing Club (WOC), the building of its ski lodge and enthusiastic developer, with others, of new ski trails in the Laurentian region, including the Mt Tremblant to St Jerome link and, with the fabled Jackrabbit Johannsen, the development of the Laurentian Ski Trail which connected a number skiing centres along its scenic route.

Principal founder and Chair of the first Ski Marathon as a Canadian Centennial project. A 3-day event, attracting thousands of entrants, its trail originated in Pointe Claire (near Montreal) and finished at the railroad station in Canada’s national capital city, Ottawa.

In 1934, as Chairman of the Laurentian Ski Zone of the Canadian Amateur Ski Association (CASA), he organized, with Neil Stewart, the ski safety programs in the Laurentian region with the participation of the St John’s Ambulance Brigade.

In the 1934 – 1935 season, he organized the first annual Laurentian Zone Championship meet between member clubs and donated the Mactaggart Shield to be awarded annually.

He organized the Laurentian Village Boys’ Association, sponsored by the Laurentian Zone of the CASA, and served as a member of the committee which conducted cross-country ski races for the younger generation of native families living the northern Laurentian villages.

He participated in the development of local, regional, national and international competitive events in eastern Canada and the USA.

Perhaps his most significant contribution to the development of Canadian skiing emerged from his appointment as Vice-President in charge of Zones for the Canadian Amateur Ski Association (CASA) in 1934. With a mandate to continue with the task he started in 1933 as Chairman of the Laurentian Ski Zone, he would assist and advise CASA member clubs in the development of effective Zone organizations from coast to coast using the Laurentian Ski Zone as a model. The adoption of Zone organizations, sensitive to local and regional needs, would gradually displace the traditional centralized administration which was causing increasing problems as the number of ski clubs expanded across the country. The problems were particularly pronounced in western Canada. Decentralization and country-wide adoption of the Zone concept rapidly brought an end to the local problems as authority was delegated to the Zones. The longevity of the Zone system to the present day attests to its success and the efficiency of the original model.

Please Note: The ski information gathered here is compiled from a number of sources; it may not be inclusive of all accomplishments.
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