Colin Chrisholm

The accomplishments of Colin James Chisholm were such that enshrinement into one sports hall of fame would be insufficient to properly commemorate them. Even two halls couldn’t provide the recognition due to the late, great native of Loch Garry.

When the Glengarry Sports Hall of Fame holds its induction dinner next month, it will mark the third time that a sports hall will welcome Chisholm as a member. The local lacrosse legend was inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1972 and is also a member of Cornwall’s sports hall.

Chisholm attended public school at Loch Garry and completed his secondary education at the old Alexandria high school.

Following high school, Chisholm decided to become a teacher, and he began a 39-year stint as an educator on Cornwall Island after graduating from Ottawa’s Normal School in 1928. His wife Fernande also taught on the reserve, In addition to his teaching duties, Chisholm became heavily involved in the sport of lacrosse on the Island as well as neighboring St. Regis, Que. and Hogansburg, N.Y.

Chisholm got into the business aspect of the sport when he founded a lacrosse stick manufacturing company with Frank Roundpoint. With the expansion of box lacrosse and the continued popularity of the field version, the Chisholm-Roundpoint sticks began appearing throughout Canada and the United States.

The sticks were also used at universities around the world where the sport was played. A fire destroyed the factory in 1968, but it re-opened a year later. Sales were so strong following the re-opening that Chisholm retired teaching to concentrate on the business.

Chisholm remained with the company until 1972 when poor heath forced him to sell his portion of the company to Roundpoint. Chisholm was a great promoter of lacrosse throughout Eastern Ontario and he served on the executive of the sport’s national body. He was instrumental in bringing the 1963 Mann Cup national lacrosse championships to Cornwall’s Water Street Arena.

Chisholm was plagued by health problems in his later years, and he died at Hotel Dieu hospital in Cornwall on June 13, 1980 at the age of 72.

Chisholm’s son Robert is a priest at Sacred Heart Church in Lanark while daughters Ann, Helen and Margaret are married and living in Westmount, Rosedale and Toronto respectively.