Ross Harstone

Ross Gerald Lewis Harstone (June 11, 1885 – May 11, 1964) was a Canadian curler who is the namesake of The Brier's Ross Harstone Sportsmanship Award, which is presented to the curler who best represents the ideals of good sportsmanship, observance of the rules, exemplary conduct, and curling ability.

Early life Harstone was born on June 11, 1885 in Seaforth, Ontario. He attended public schools in Lindsay, Ontario and graduated from Lindsay Collegiate and Vocational Institute and the University of Toronto. He later moved to St. Peter's, Nova Scotia, where he worked in railroad construction. On November 14, 1917, he married Josephine Matheson in St. Peter's. They had one son. During World War I, Harstone served as a lieutenant in the Canadian Railway Troops in France and Belgium. As a result of the controversy, Ontario premier George A. Drew dismissed all of the province's representatives to the board.

Curling Harstone was a member of the Lindsay, Granite, and Thistle curling clubs. He was elected president of the Ontario Curling Association in 1936. From 1939 to 1940, he was president of the Dominion Curling Association. In 1952, he was appointed to the Brier Tankard's board of trustees. On May 11, 1964, he collapsed shortly after giving a speech at a meeting of the Ontario Curling Association executive and was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

In 1967, George MacCharles of Newfoundland became the first recipient of The Brier's Ross Harstone Memorial Award, given to the "curler who exemplifies both ability and sportsmanship", for his performance in the previous year's championship. Harstone was inducted into the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame in 1974.