Hall of Famer
Patricia (Pat) Ramage C.M.
Affiliated Discipline(s):
Alpine
Date of Birth / Death:
1920 - 2003
Hometown:
Montreal, Que.
Active Career Period:
1948 - 1983
Induction CSHF:
1989
Induction Category:
Alpine: Official, Builder
Awarded the nation’s highest honour in 1989, the Companion of the Order of Canada, Pat Ramage dedicated her life selflessly to the support of amateur sport, Alpine and Nordic skiing in particular, and the revitalization of Biathlon as a discipline in Canada. Her contributions as a volunteer “builder” allowed development of the strong base necessary to support and nurture both present and future athletes.
She gave unselfishly of her time and life in an extraordinary array of positions all dedicated to furthering the sport of skiing: administrator, technical advisor, team manager, major events organizer both national and international, Canadian Ski Association representative to the international governing body of skiing, the Federation Internationale de Ski (FIS) and other organizations associated with the FIS.
In 1961, she became the first Canadian to be appointed to a Committee (Ladies Technical Delegate) of the FIS. Three years later, in 1964, she achieved another distinction when she was selected as the first Canadian to serve on a Jury at an Olympic Winter Games, Innsbruck, 1964. In appreciation for her efforts, the Canadian Ski Association named her as the first Honourary Life Member of the Association in 1976.
In December, 1977, she was approached by the Canadian Council Member for the Union of Modern Pentathlon and Biathlon, the international governing body, to organize and coordinate a World Championship Biathlon Team for Canada. In six short years, devoting countless hours of her time, she built, almost singlehandedly, the strong viable structure that formally became known as Biathlon Canada.
The following is a selection, by no means exhaustive, of highlights from her career as a volunteer:
1954
Manager, Canada’s Ski Teams to the World Ski Championships, Are and Falun, Sweden
1956
Manager, Canada’s Ski Teams , Olympic Winter Games, Cortina, Italy
1958
Manager, Canadian Alpine Team, World Ski Championships, Bad Gastein, Austria
1961
Canadian Representative, World Ski Congress, Madrid, Spain
1963
Canadian Representative, World Ski Congress, Athens, Greece
1965
Manager, Canadian Women’s Alpine Team, Bad Gastein, Austria
Canadian Representative, World Ski Congress, Mamia, Roumania
1966
Manager, Canadian Women’s Alpine Team, St Gervais, France
FIS Jury Member, World Ski Championships, Portillo, Chile
FIS Jury Member, World Cup races, Heavenly Valley, California, USA
1967
Manager, Canadian Women’s Alpine Team in Europe
Canadian Representative, World Ski Congress, Beirut, Lebanon
FIS Technical Delegate, World Cup races, Maribor, Jugoslavia
1968
Manager, Canadian Women’s Alpine Team in Europe
Manager, all Canadian Olympic Teams, Grenoble, France
FIS Jury Member, Grenoble, France
FIS Technical Delegate, World Cup races, Bad Gastein, Austria and Oslo, Norway
FIS Jury Member, World Cup races, Heavenly Valley, California, USA
1969
FIS Technical Delegate, World Cup races, Schrunz, Austria
Canadian Representative, World Ski Congress, Barcelona. Spain
1970
FIS Jury Member, World Ski Championships, Val Gardena, Italy
1971
FIS Technical Delegate, World Cup races, Pra Loup and St Gervais, France, and Murren, Switzerland
FIS Jury Member, World Cup races, Waterville, New Hampshire, USA
Canadian Representative, World Ski Congress, Opatia, Yugoslavia
1972
FIS Jury Member, World Cup races, Maine, USA
1973
FIS Technical Delegate, USA National Championships
Canadian Representative, World Ski Congress, Cyprus
1975
Canadian Representative, World Ski Congress, San Francisco, USA
1977
FIS Jury Member, World Cup races, Vail, Colorado, USA
1980
Canadian Observer, Olympic Winter Games, Lake Placid, New York, USA
In addition, she served as Chair of Biathlon Canada, was involved with the Canadian Olympic Association in various capacities from 1953 until 1976, The Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Alberta, Sports Federation of Canada, Canadian Modern Pentathlon and served for many years on the Canadian Ski Association.
Her awards include:
1965 | Canadian Ski Association Merit Award
1967 | Centennial Medal
1968 | Province of Ontario Athletic Merit Award
1970 | Finalist, Air Canada Sport Executive Award
1978 | Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal
1984 | Inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame (Builders’ Category)
Please Note: The ski information gathered here is compiled from a number of sources; it may not be inclusive of all accomplishments.
Copyright © 2021, Canadian Ski Museum. For Personal/Educational use only. All Rights Reserved.
Lucile Wheeler and Pat Ramage (right) at 1958 World Championships. Photo Henni Angerer.
1954 Canadian Alpine ski team [L to R]: Pepi Salvenmoser (coach), Peter Kirby, Lucile Wheeler, Ernie McCullogh, Anne Heggtveit, Pat Ramage (manager), Bill Stevens & Art Tommy. The sign in the background reads “Welcome to Hotel Grannen” where the team stayed during the FIS World Championships, Are, Sweden. Gillsater R. Portage.
Members of Canadian Ski Team in Kitzbuhel, Austria [L to R]: ?, Pepi Salvenmoser, Art Tommy, Mimi Seguin (non-member), Lucile Wheeler, Bill Stevens (front), ?, Patricia “Pat” Ramage, Ginette “Gigi” Seguin, Ernie McCulloch, Peter Kirby c. 1953. Photo Mairinger.
[L to R]: Anne Heggtveit, unidentified member of press, Lucile Wheeler, Pat Ramage. Alpine Canada Alpin.
National Alpine Ski Team 1958 John Fripp (4th from left), Pat Ramage (7th from left), Pepi Salvenmoser (5th from right). Alpine Canada Alpin.
National Women’s Alpine Ski Team c. 1965 [L to R]: Pat Ramage, Verne Anderson, ?, Karen Dokka, ?, ?, Nancy Greene. Alpine Canada Alpin.
FIS Congress in Athens, 1963 [L to R]: Rae Grinnell, Pat Ramage, Henry Sotvedt, Arnold Midgley. CSHFM Collection.
[L to R]: ?, Fred Urquhart, Gary Cooper, Pat Ramage. Alpine Canada Alpin.
![Members of Canadian Ski Team [L to R]: Bill Stevens, Ernie McCullogh, Art Tommy, Pat Ramage (manager), Anne Heggtveit, Peter Kirby c. 1954](https://skimuseum.ca/app/uploads/2020/09/sm_75-5-1-3_PatRamage_CREDIT_TRANS-CANADA-AIRLINES-194x300.jpg)
National Women’s Alpine Ski Team [L to R]: Verne Anderson, Pat Ramage, Karen Dokka, Betsy Clifford, Judy Crawford, Judi Leinweber, Nancy Greene c. 1968. Source: Fotostudio Hoss Oberstaufen.
Pat Ramage, Walter McLeish. CSHFM Collection.
Inductee Pat Ramage and Canadian Ski Museum Chair, Bill Tindale, at 1989 Canadian Ski Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. CSHFM Collection.
1990 Canadian Ski Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony [top row, L to R]: Joan Earl, Kaye Vaughn, Pepi Salvenmoser, Ross Hamilton. [bottom row, L to R]: Pat Ramage, Anne Heggtveit-Hamilton, Lucile Wheeler-Vaughn, Cristl Salvenmoser. CSHFM Collection.
Pat Ramage at 1984 Canadian Ski Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. CSHFM Collection.
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