Highland Games co-founder dies
Posted By DAN MCCAFFERY, THE OBSERVER
Posted 18 hours ago


One of the founders of the Sarnia Highland Games has died. J. D. McIntyre, who was chairperson of the Celtic summer festival for nearly 20 years, died Wednesday at 81.

The games, which were cancelled for the second time in three years this past summer, were once a major tourist attraction that lured thousands of visitors to the city. In fact, attendance swelled as high as 10,000 some summers.

"J. D. was the backbone of the games," said Jim Foubister, who served with him on the games committee. "He was here from day one. He was not afraid to roll up his sleeves and do what it took to make them work. He shed a lot of blood, sweat and a few tears trying to make them work."

Plagued in later years by bad weather, the SARS scare, a city-wide blackout and a sudden drop-off of U. S. visitors following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the festival went into a slow decline.

However, organizers hope to bring it back on a biannual basis, beginning in 2009.

McIntyre worked for 35 years at Polysar and was a member of the Century club for 50 years. He also served the community as an SMAA football coach.

He is survived by his wife, Muriel, a son and two grandchildren. (story source)