Tina Cairncross
Tina Cairncross is a retired educator and a woman greatly involved in her community.
Tina grew up in Ottawa and attended Carleton University where she co-captained the Carleton Ravens’ varsity volleyball team. She chaired the university’s Women’s Athletic Board and experienced first-hand how strong collaboration and visionary goals could produce positive opportunities for women in sport. In 1970, she enrolled at the University of Saskatchewan and joined the varsity volleyball team. Tina played on this team in the Women’s Open National Volleyball Championship, representing the province of Saskatchewan. She returned east in 1971 to complete her Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University in Kingston.
In 1971, Tina was hired by the former Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry Board of Education to teach Physical and Health Education and English at Glengarry District High School. Here began a rewarding career where her years of dedication, innovation and commitment as a phys-ed teacher and coach would inspire her students to continue to lead active lifestyles well beyond the gym and the classroom. During this time, Tina coached track and field, cross country and volleyball. Volleyball was Tina’s passion and she coached the senior girls’ teams for 30 years.
Tina was not only a highly-skilled coach, but equally as important, was her natural ability to instill such values as learning to win, learning to lose, respect for the authority of the official, and respect for one’s opponent; all values that help an individual become a good citizen in one’s community. When Tina assumed Phys-Ed department head responsibilities, she looked for new course selection initiatives that would encourage more students to remain active and foster a lifelong desire to be physically active. Thus in 1989, two new courses were developed and pioneered by Tina and added to the GDHS curriculum, namely, Live Fit and Outdoor Education. Live Fit was purposefully designed to accommodate students who were interested in personal wellness and fitness rather than team sports. Students who enrolled in the Outdoor Education class experienced numerous day and overnight camping trips in and away from the community. Tina became more involved in developing and writing curriculum as a member of the SD&G Subject Council and in the early 80’s volunteered at the provincial level with the Heart and Stroke organization when it began its popular Jump Rope for Heart program in the schools. Tina retired from teaching in 2001.
Tina’s love for the outdoors lead her to participate in the Raisin River Canoe races during the years from 1980 to 1996. She completed the race 6 times with students, finishing second in the mixed division once, and second in the women’s division twice.
Tina’s desire to help individuals keep physically active did not stop in retirement. Over the years she remains very active and encourages many other to join her golfing, hiking, snow shoeing, playing pickle ball. Her leadership skills to organize and motivate people of retirement age to join any of the countless activities in her community is remarkable. Tina is currently a Board member with the Friends of Summerstown Trails organization. Tina was one of the original members of a group who orchestrated the beginnings of what is now known as the Glengarry Trails. She has served as a past director with the Glengarry Sports Hall of Fame. Tina is an avid gardener and environmentalist.
Tina’s lifelong commitment to model and promote the importance and value of quality daily physical activity, while as a teacher and in her retirement years within the Glengarry community, has earned her a place alongside other inductee greats.
