Frenchy D'Amour

Theophile D. "Frenchy" D'Amour (October 10, 1912 –September 7, 1995) was a Canadian curler. He skipped the first team from British Columbia to win the Brier, Canada's national men's curling championship in 1948.

Early life D'Amour was born in Rossland, British Columbia, and was of French origin. He was nicknamed "Frenchy" while attending school in Rossland. He began curling at the age of 22 while living there, and moved to Trail, British Columbia in 1939. for two years where he was a paratrooper.

Curling career In 1946, D'Amour joined up with a team of Trail smelter workers; Scottish-born Bob McGhie at third, second Freddy Wendell originally from Saskatchewan, and Irish-born

During the 1948 playdowns, the team started out by losing their first three games just trying to get out of their curling club. At the 1948 Brier, the team became the first champion to represent British Columbia after finishing the event with an 8–1 record. The team clinched the championship after beating Quebec 11–10 in an extra end in the final round in front of a record 5,200 fans. D'Amour drew to a Quebec shot rock for the win. Following the win, the mayor of Trail, Jimmy Bryant, himself a curler, announced a half-day holiday for March 8 in the town.

The team were not able to win the BC Championships in 1949, and "lost out late in competition". Later in the year, D'Amour with team mates Freddy Tinling, Wendell and Johnny Cameron won the first Associated Commercial Travellers (A.C.T.) automobile bonspiel, defeating Leo Johnson of Winnipeg in the final played at Edmonton Gardens. The first prize for the event was a new car, though D'Amour had never driven a car before. He had to be driven back to Trail by Edmonton Journal writer Don "Buckets" Fleming, missing a week of work. D'Amour did not enter provincial playdowns that season.

D'Amour played Leo Johnson in the final of the A.C.T. bonspiel again in 1950, but this time lost to the Manitobans.

D'Amour joined the Reg Stone rink for the 1961–62 season, playing second for the team. D'Amour had actually taught Stone, and his brother, third Roy Stone how to curl. The team won the 1962 BC Championship, defeating Howie Christopherson of Vancouver two games to one in a best of three championship. The team represented British Columbia at the 1962 Macdonald Brier, finishing the event with a 7–3 record, in fourth place.

D'Amour's 1948 Brier winning rink was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame in 1981.

Personal life D'Amour was married to Clara Elsie Tblus, who disappeared from Ottawa in around 1955. He petitioned the Supreme Court of British Columbia in 1969 for a divorce, as her whereabouts was unknown.