Ralph Simmons

Bridgewater’s Ralph Simmons made his mark on the curling scene, winning three consecutive Maritime branch junior championships beginning in 1948 and playing in his first Brier in 1950 in Vancouver. He later skipped for teams in the 1953 and 1957 Briers.

His athletic career began in track and field, when he was a member of the Bridgewater High School team which won the first ever Acadia Relay Championship in 1926, then repeated in 1927 and 1928, and was invited to train with the Canadian Olympic team in Toronto in 1930.

In the interim, Simmons also starred with Bridgewater’s Nova Scotia championship baseball team and provincial runner-up hockey team.

In later years as a curling executive, Simmons served as president of both the Bridgewater club and the provincial association, was chairman of the Canadian senior championships for 11 years, and was elected to the elite Governor Generals Curling Club in 1980 for his sportsmanship, gentlemanly conduct and true spirit for the game.

Off the ice, he was a successful business owner and became president of the Automotive Dealers Association of Canada.