1963 Bridgetown RCL Branch 33 Track & Field Club

In 1963, six Bridgetown athletes were named to the Nova Scotia Royal Canadian Legion Track and Field Team and qualified to compete at the Legion Canadian Championships in Waterloo, Ontario. Their Bridgetown Coach, William Hirtle, was also named Coach of the Nova Scotia Team.

From the small town of Bridgetown, one of the most remarkable team performances in the annals of Nova Scotia sports history unfolded.

At the Nova Scotia Legion Age Class Championships in Greenwood, the Bridgetown athletes won eleven Gold Medals. Howie Jackson won three Gold Medals in the Long Jump, the Hop Step and Jump.(Triple Jump) and 4 x 440 Yard Relay. Bobby Lockett won three Gold Medals in the 880, 1 Mile and 4 x 440 Yard Relay. John McIsaac won a Gold Medal in the 2 Mile; David Jones won 2 Gold Medals in the Shot Put and Discus; Richard Foot won three Gold Medals in the Javelin, Pole Vault and 4 x 440 Yard Relay and Scott Eaton won a Bronze Medal in the 440 Yard Dash and a Gold Medal in the 4 x 440 Yard Relay.

At the Maritime Legion Track and Field Championships in Truro, four members of the Team made the trip with very impressive results. Howie Jackson won three Gold Medals in the Hop, Step and Jump, Long Jump and in the 4 x 440 Yard Relay. His performance in the Hop, Step and Jump set a new Canadian Record. Bobby Lockett won a Gold Medal in the 2 Mile, also setting a Canadian Record and a second Gold in the 4 x 440 Yard Relay. Richard Foot won two Gold Medals, winning the Javelin and as part of the 4 x 440 Yard Relay Team. Scott Eaton won a Gold Medal as the fourth member of the Relay Team.

At the 1963 Headmasters High School Cross Country Championship, the duo of Bobby Lockett and John McIsaac, again coached by Bill Hirtle, continued the legacy with a remarkable one, two finish; completing the course over one mile in front of their nearest competitor. During the 1963 season, the Bridgetown team of Howie Jackson, John McIsaac, David Jones, Bobby Lockett, Richard Foot and Scott Eaton set four Canadian Records. John McIsaac won the Canadian Juvenile Championship in the 2 Mile and Bobby Lockett the Silver Medal in another historic one, two finish. John McIsaac broke the Canadian Juvenile 2 Mile record held by the legendary Olympian Bruce Kidd with a time of 9:39.8 at the Truro Legion Track and Field Meet. John’s Canadian Record was broken later in the summer by teammate Bobby Lockett at the Maritime Championships with a time of 9:36.7. Howie Jackson set a Canadian Juvenile Record in Hop, Step and Jump with a jump of 46 feet, 2 ½ inches at the Maritime Championships. David Jones set the Canadian Junior Record in the Shot Put with a Put of 49 feet, ½ inch at the prestigious Antigonish Highland Games.

Ken Twigg, Chairman of the Canadian National Track and Field Amateur Athletic Union at the time was quoted as saying “Who would ever have thought that Bridgetown would suddenly be a developing ground for athletes.” Twigg likened the John McIsaac – Bobby Lockett duo to the legendary Toronto East York Track duo of Bruce Kidd and Bill Crothers. Bruce Kidd won the 1962 British Empire Games Gold Medal in the 10,000 Metres and represented Canada at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Bill Crothers won the Silver Medal in the 800 Metres at the Tokyo Olympics.

High praise for this very talented team and its coach, but not a surprise to anyone who knew of their dedication and competitive spirit.

Back Row (Left To Right) Richard Foot, Howie Jackson, William W. Hirtle, David Jones, John McIsaac
Front Row (Left To Right) Bobby Lockett, Scott Eaton