Approach The Bench: Canada's Olympic And World Judges

Photo courtesy Skate Canada

"Hundreds of hours spent in freezing cold rinks... Early mornings, late nights..." Those words could easily describe the careers of any of Canada's top figure skaters, but they equally apply to the grossly underappreciated Canadians who have dedicated the better part of their lives to officiating the sport. Today's Skate Guard blog highlights the judges, referees and technical specialists who have represented The True North strong and free on the world's biggest stages.

CANADA'S OLYMPIC OFFICIALS

Year	Men's	Women's	Pairs	Ice Dance	Team Event
1932	J. Cecil McDougall	J. Cecil McDougall	(none)	N/A	N/A
1936	John Z. Machado*	(none)	(none)	N/A	N/A
1948	Melville Rogers	Melville Rogers	Melville Rogers	N/A	N/A
1952	Norman V.S. Gregory	Donald Gilchrist	Donald Gilchrist	N/A	N/A
1956	Ralph McCreath	Ralph McCreath	Ralph McCreath	N/A	N/A
1960	John Greig	John Greig	John Greig	N/A	N/A
1964	Bill Lewis	Suzanne (Morrow) Francis	Suzanne (Morrow) Francis	N/A	N/A
1968	Ralph McCreath	(none)	Ralph McCreath, Donald Gilchrist (AR)	N/A	N/A
1972	Donald B. Cruikshank	Joan MacLagan	Joan MacLagan, Donald Gilchrist (AR)	N/A	N/A
1976	Suzanne (Morrow) Francis	Ralph McCreath, Donald Gilchrist (R)	Ralph McCreath	Dorothy Leamen	N/A
1980	Alice Pinos	Donald Gilchrist (AR)	Dennis McFarlane	Suzanne (Morrow) Francis	N/A
1984	Margaret (Crosland) Berezowski, Donald Gilchrist (R)	Norris Bowden	David Dore	Ann Shaw	N/A
1988	Jean Matthews	Dennis McFarlane, Donald Gilchrist (R)	Suzanne (Morrow) Francis	Ann Shaw	N/A
1992	Jean Matthews	Mary Pearson	Dennis McFarlane	Bill McLachlan	N/A
1994	Elizabeth Clark	Audrey Williams	Frances Dafoe	Jean Senft	N/A
1998	Sally Rehorick	(none)	John Greenwood	Jean Senft	N/A
2002	(none)	Debbie Islam	Benoit Lavoie	Ann Shaw (AR)	N/A
2006	William Thompson	Benoit Lavoie, Michael Slipchuk (TS)	William Thompson, David Moellenkamp (ATS)	John Greenwood, Marie Bowness (ATS)	N/A
2010	Debbie Islam	Cynthia Benson	Andrea Derby, David Moellenkamp (TS)	Jodi Abbott	N/A
2014	(none)	Karen Howard	Karen Butcher	Jodi Abbott	Karen Butcher
2018	Janice Hunter	Nicole LeBlanc-Richard	(none)	Leanna Caron	Janice Hunter, Leanna Caron
2022	Cynthia Benson	Janice Hunter, Kelly Cruickshank (ATS)	Andrea Derby	Nicole LeBlanc-Richard	Nicole LeBlanc-Richard, Andrea Derby, Kelly Cruickshank (ATS)

*John Z. Machado withdrew from the judging panel halfway through the men's event at the 1936 Winter Olympic Games in Garmisch-Partenkirchen due to illness and was replaced by a German judge.

CANADA'S WORLD OFFICIALS

Year	Men's	Women's	Pairs	Ice Dance
1930	J. Cecil McDougall	J. Cecil McDougall	J. Cecil McDougall	N/A
1931	(none)	(none)	(none)	N/A
1932	Norman Mackie Scott	Norman Mackie Scott	Norman Mackie Scott	N/A
1933	(none)	(none)	(none)	N/A
1934	(none)	(none)	(none)	N/A
1935	(none)	(none)	(none)	N/A
1936	(none)	(none)	(none)	N/A
1937	(none)	(none)	(none)	N/A
1938	(none)	(none)	(none)	N/A
1939	(none)	(none)	(none)	N/A
1947	(none)	Donald B. Cruikshank	(none)	N/A
1948	Melville Rogers	Melville Rogers	Melville Rogers	N/A
1949	(none)	(none)	(none)	N/A
1950	Norman V.S. Gregory	Norman V.S. Gregory	Norman V.S. Gregory	(none)
1951	Donald Gilchrist	Donald Gilchrist	Donald Gilchrist	(none)
1952	Donald Gilchrist	Norman V.S. Gregory	Donald Gilchrist	Norman V.S. Gregory
1953	John Greig	John Greig	John Greig	(none)
1954	Melville Rogers	Melville Rogers	Melville Rogers	(none)
1955	Donald Gilchrist	Donald Gilchrist	Donald Gilchrist	(none)
1956	Ralph McCreath	Ralph McCreath	Ralph McCreath	(none)
1957	Pierrette Paquin Devine	Sandy McKechnie	Sandy McKechnie	Pierrette Paquin Devine
1958	Nigel Stephens	Gordon Jeffery	Nigel Stephens	Gordon Jeffery
1959	Donald Gilchrist	Pierrette Paquin Devine	Donald Gilchrist	Pierrette Paquin Devine
1960	Bill Lewis	Bill Lewis	Bill Lewis	Sandy McKechnie
1962	Norman V.S. Gregory	Melville Rogers	Melville Rogers	Norman V.S. Gregory
1963	Sandy McKechnie	Dick McLaughlin	Dick McLaughlin	Sandy McKechnie
1964	Pierrette Paquin Devine	Donald Gilchrist	Donald Gilchrist	Pierrette Paquin Devine
1965	Bill Lewis	Ralph McCreath	Ralph McCreath	Dorothy Leamen
1966	Suzanne (Morrow) Francis	Joan MacLagan	Suzanne (Morrow) Francis	Dorothy Leamen
1967	Donald Gilchrist	Donald B. Cruikshank	Donald Gilchrist	Frances (Abbott) Gunn
1968	Bill Lewis	Joan MacLagan	Bill Lewis	Frances (Abbott) Gunn
1969	Dorothy Leamen, Donald Gilchrist (R)	Donald B. Cruikshank	Dorothy Leamen	Barbara Lane
1970	Audrey Williams	Ralph McCreath	Ralph McCreath	George J. Blundun
1971	Donald Gilchrist (AR)	Barbara Graham	(none)	George J. Blundun
1972	Bill Lewis, Donald Gilchrist (R)	Suzanne (Morrow) Francis	Suzanne (Morrow) Francis	Audrey Moore
1973	Dorothy Leamen	Joan MacLagan	Alice Pinos, Donald Gilchrist (AR)	Frances (Abbott) Gunn
1974	Dorothy Leamen	David Dore	Dorothy Leamen, Donald Gilchrist (R)	Audrey Moore
1975	Ralph McCreath, Donald Gilchrist (AR)	Bill Lewis	Audrey Williams	Pierrette Paquin Devine
1976	Joan MacLagan	David Dore	Dorothy MacLeod, Donald Gilchrist (R)	George J. Blundun (AR), Joyce Hisey (S)
1977	David Dore	Norris Bowden	David Dore, Donald Gilchrist (R)	Joyce Hisey, George J. Blundun (AR)
1978	Dorothy MacLeod	Margaret (Crosland) Berezowski, David Dore (AR)	Norris Bowden, Donald Gilchrist (AR)	Roy Haines, George J. Blundun (R)
1979	Margaret (Crosland) Berezowski	Suzanne (Morrow) Francis	Suzanne (Morrow) Francis	Dennis McFarlane
1980	David Dore	Donald Gilchrist (AR)	Audrey Williams	Suzanne (Morrow) Francis
1981	Donald Gilchrist (R)	David Dore	Dorothy MacLeod	Joyce Hisey
1982	Norris Bowden, Dennis McFarlane (S)	Margaret (Crosland) Berezowski, Dennis McFarlane (S)	Norris Bowden	Joyce Hisey
1983	Margaret (Crosland) Berezowski	Margaret (Crosland) Berezowski	Suzanne (Morrow) Francis, Donald Gilchrist (R)	Ann Shaw
1984	Margaret (Crosland) Berezowski	(none)	Frances Dafoe, Donald Gilchrist (R)	Suzanne (Morrow) Francis, Joyce Hisey (AR)
1985	Norris Bowden	Jean Matthews	Frances Dafoe, Donald Gilchrist (AR)	Dennis McFarlane
1986	Jean Matthews	(none)	Ralph McCreath, Donald Gilchrist (R)	Bill McLachlan
1987	Jean Matthews	Donald Gilchrist (R)	Frances Dafoe	Suzanne (Morrow) Francis
1988	Jean Matthews	Audrey Moore	Suzanne (Morrow) Francis	Ann Shaw
1989	Jean Matthews	(none)	Audrey Williams, Donald Gilchrist (R)	Dennis McFarlane
1990	Audrey Williams (AR)	(none)	Frances Dafoe, Donald Gilchrist (R)	Jane Garden
1991	Mary Pearson	Jane Garden	Audrey Williams (S)	Joyce Hisey (AR)
1992	Jane Garden	(none)	Frances Dafoe (S)	(none)
1993	Elizabeth Clark	(none)	Frances Dafoe	(none)
1994	(none)	Margaret (Crosland) Berezowski	Susan Heffernan	Joyce Hisey (R)
1995	(none)	John Greenwood	Sally Rehorick (S)	Jane Garden, Ann Shaw (AR)
1996	Mary Pearson	(none)	Susan Blatz	Jean Senft, Ann Shaw (AR)
1997	Sally Rehorick	(none)	Debbie Islam	John Greenwood
1998	(none)	Susan Heffernan	(none)	Ann Shaw (R)
1999	(none)	(none)	Jane Garden	Elizabeth Clark
2000	Jane Garden	(none)	Susan Blatz	Elizabeth Clark
2001	Debbie Islam	John Greenwood (R)	Benoit Lavoie	Ann Shaw (AR)
2002	William Thompson	(none)	Sally Rehorick	John Greenwood (AR)
2003	Beth Crane	(none)	William Thompson, John Greenwood (R)	Elizabeth Clark
2004	Jean Senft	(none)	Sally Rehorick	Elizabeth Clark, Ann Shaw (R)
2005	Benoit Lavoie, Michael Slipchuk (TS)	(none)	Susan Blatz, Debbi Wilkes (ATS)	Marie Bowness (ATS)
2006	Debbie Islam, Benoit Lavoie (C)	Michael Slipchuk (TS)	Cynthia Benson, John Greenwood (R)	(none)
2007	Debbie Islam	Debbie Islam, Ravi Walia (TS)	Susan Heffernan, David Moellenkamp (ATS)	(none)
2008	Sally Rehorick (C)	Janice Hunter	Debbie Islam, David Moellenkamp (TS)	(none)
2009	(none)	Susan Heffernan (R)	Andrea Derby	(none)
2010	Ravi Walia (TS)	(none)	(none)	(none)
2011	(none)	(none)	(none)	Elizabeth Clark
2012	Ravi Walia (TS)	(none)	Andrea Derby	Jodi Abbott, Marie Bowness (TS)
2013	Beth Crane (C)	Susan Heffernan (R)	Karen Butcher, Jamie McGrigor (ATS)	Marie Bowness (TS)
2014	Benoit Lavoie	Cynthia Benson, Sally Rehorick (C)	Susan Heffernan	Leslie Keen, Shae Zukiwsky (TS)
2015	Beth Crane, Kelly Cruikshank (ATS)	(none)	Karen Howard	Rock Lemay (TS)
2016	Andrea Derby	Jean Senft, Benoit Lavoie (R), Jamie McGrigor (TS)	Benoit Lavoie	(none)
2017	Jeff Lukasik	Leanna Caron	Sally Rehorick	Nicole LeBlanc-Richard
2018	Susan Blatz, Sally Rehorick (R)	Lynne Dey	Karen Howard	Jean Senft, Marie Bowness (TS)
2019	Cynthia Benson	(none)	Andre-Marc Allain, Beth Crane (R)	Jodi Abbott (R)
2021	Ravi Walia (TS)	(none)	(none)	Marie Bowness (TS)
2022	Debbie Islam, Cynthia Benson (TC)	Karen Howard	Véronique Gosselin	(none)
2023	(none)	Beth Crane (TC)	Leanna Caron, Laurene Collin-Knoblauch (ATS)	(none)

Skate Guard is a blog dedicated to preserving the rich, colourful and fascinating history of figure skating. Over ten years, the blog has featured over a thousand free articles covering all aspects of the sport's history, as well as four compelling in-depth features. To read the latest articles, follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube. If you enjoy Skate Guard, please show your support for this archive by ordering a copy of figure skating reference books "The Almanac of Canadian Figure Skating", "Technical Merit: A History of Figure Skating Jumps" and "A Bibliography of Figure Skating": https://skateguard1.blogspot.com/p/buy-book.html.