The Life and Legend of Guy Philp by B.L. (Bert) Grace Guy Philp was born in Brandon, Manitoba in 1893. He spent his early life on a farm with his parents, Mr & Mrs Edward A. Philp, in the district of Alexander, Manitoba. Guy married while on the farm and remained there until his parents sold and moved to British Columbia in 1923. They took up residence in the Kerrisdale area. Guy and his father met Dr. McKenzie who owned a farm on Southeast Marine Drive. The doctor was interested in converting the property into a golf course and the Philps agreed to invest some money into the project. They also agreed to work on the property and develop it into a golf course. It was 1928 when the course was incorporated. The Philps sold their share in the golf course to some members. It is now known as the Marine Drive Golf Course. At this time they sold their house in Kerrisdale and moved to Milner in the Fraser Valley. They purchased a farm and started a dairy herd. Guy lived there until 1935 when his parents passed away. He sold and moved his family to Rosedale. Guy still wanted to have a dairy herd so he purchased a farm and called it “Mary-Mar” after his mother. He said that when he was on his father’s farm in Manitoba his hope was one day to own a farm and a dairy herd. His family of four boys and one girl, Margaret, were grown and also wanted to live on a farm. Guy said he was able to build a successful dairy herd while farming in the valley. Guy also found time to join the Chilliwack Seniors Curling Club and often curled twice a week. He was elected President of the Club in 1961-63. I asked Guy what prompted him to offer a trophy for senior competition. He said that he had talked with a number of senior curlers through inter-club curling and visitations and learned that there was a number who felt that if there were bonspiels, the competition would bring more curlers into the senior clubs. He told me that on one of his visitations he met a member from the Victoria Senior Club. Through that meeting arrangements were made to hold a meeting of seniors in the Victoria Curling Club on January 23rd 1963. It was at this meeting that he offered to donate a trophy, the “Guy Philp Trophy” as it came to be known later. A slate of officers was elected (the term would be for two years) and Guy was appointed Secretary/Treasurer. Zones were selected, two on the Island and two on the mainland:- Zone 1 South Victoria and the district of Mill Bay Zone 2 North Duncan and all senior clubs north of there Zone 3 Fraser Valley – all senior clubs south of the Fraser River to Hope Zone 4 Vancouver and District including the North Shore Rules were drawn up and voted on as follows:- 1. All curlers in the playdowns must be affiliated with the Pacific Coast Curling Association (now Curl BC) 2. All curlers must be fifty-five years or over 3. There must be a club playdown – not less than two clubs 4. The playdowns for the trophy would alternate every other year between the Island club and the mainland 5. The finals would be a double knockout (one day only) 6. An entry fee of ten dollars ($10.00) to help defray costs It was at the meeting of January 23rd 1963 that the Pacific Coast Seniors were organized. The first playdown for the trophy entered at club level existed of twenty-four teams out of twelve clubs. The playdowns were held in the Mission Curling Club in 1963. At the general meeting in 1964 there was an amendment to the age limit from the minimum of fifty-five or over to sixty years or over. Each year as the interest in the playdowns at club level increased, more senior clubs became organized and a greater number of teams entered at club level. There were no senior bonspiels prior to 1964 in any of the zones. In 1965 the first bonspiel was held at the Chilliwack Club and Guy was the winner. A number of senior bonspiels were held both on the Island and the mainland thereafter. Now all senior clubs host a bonspiel. Guy and I met a number of times between 1966 and 1968 but I never got to know him until he and I motored to Kelowna in March 1970 to attend the first Provincial playdowns between four teams from the coast and four teams from the interior. It was the first playdown sponsored by the Physical Fitness and Amateur Sports Committee. During the trip Guy told me of his life on his father’s farm in Manitoba and how he enjoyed the farm so much. He also mentioned that he was starting to take up golf and he was taking lessons from a young professional until his accident with a machine when he lost two fingers on his left hand. Although Guy gave up golf he still had interest in the game. In 1965 he donated a trophy for the Chilliwack senior golf competition only. The accident didn’t dampen his desire to curl. Guy mentioned that when he lived in Manitoba he curled on natural ice. Guy gave up farming because Mrs. Philp was in poor health and the family were out on their own. They decided to sell in 1967 and then moved to Victoria. They were there only a short time and moved back to the mainland to live with a son and his wife in North Vancouver. Mrs. Philp wanted to return to the valley so they took up residence in Chilliwack. In 1969 Guy resigned the office of Secretary/Treasurer. He was presented with a beautiful plaque by the President, Cliff Conroy on behalf of the members at the Pacific Coast Seniors general meeting held in the Cloverdale Curling Club on September 28th 1969. Over 100 members attended to show their gratitude. It was the largest attendance of the seniors to date. Mrs. Philp passed away in October 1970. Guy told me they had been very close and after her death he lost interest in curling. Guy passed away October 21st 1971. They are both laid to rest on Shannon Mountain, better known by the family as Little Mountain. In 1988 there were one hundred and twenty-four teams at club level out of thirty-one senior clubs. There is one man who the senior curlers must credit for much of the interest in senior curling at the coast and that man was Guy Philp. If there is ever a place to honour senior curlers sixty years and over, I would hope to see Guy Philp’s name there.