Biography
Long-time Leaside resident Laurie Irwin made a significant contribution to basketball over four decades. He coached both men’s and women’s basketball in the 1920s winning numerous Toronto and provincial titles. As president of the Canadian Amateur Basketball Association he was manager of the Canadian team for the 1948 Summer Olympic Games in London, England. After the Olympics, he represented Canada at a conference to develop an updated set of rules which all countries would adopt. Laurie, a senior executive at Canada Wire, advocated for the company’s support of the Leaside Baseball Association, which included sponsoring teams and funding the construction of both scoring booths at Talbot Park.