On April 25th, 2024 the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies hosted a Fireside Chat with Jerry Johnston and Chic Scott.
Born in Banff in 1936, Jerry Johnston grew up skiing at Mount Norquay. In the mid-50s he worked for Parks’ ski patrol on the mountain and at the end of the decade, he ran the ski school. But it is Sunshine Village Ski Resort that Jerry will always be associated with. From 1960 to 1977, the years when Sunshine went from a backcountry lodge to a major ski resort, Jerry ran the ski school. At one time he and his wife Annie lived in the back of a tiny "garage" which served as headquarters for the operation. Eventually, the school had 30 ski instructors.
In 1963 Jerry was asked by a friend to teach his daughter, who had suffered from polio, to ski. Ten days were spent with the girl trying to figure out how to make the equipment work. This was the beginning of a forty-year odyssey for Jerry, learning how to open the door to the joys of skiing for skiers with disabilities. The Canadian Association for Disabled Skiing was created in 1976 and Jerry led the organization until 2004.
Jerry has received many awards: he is a member of the Banff Sports Hall of Fame, the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame, and the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame. In 2000 Jerry received the Order of Canada from Governor General Adrienne Clarkson in a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa. Jerry is likely the only Banff-born person to have received this honour.
Comentarios