Jim Armstrong, Paralympic wheelchair curler

Jim Armstrong was once a giant in the curling world. A friendly giant, that is. Thanks to his outgoing personality, his ferocious sweeping and his surgeon’s touch on the rock, this Richmond, B.C. native was a popular six-time competitor in Canada’s men’s curling championship, the Brier.

Sadly, debilitating knee pain forced Armstrong to retire from the sport he loved. Now, a wheelchair on ice has brought him back. This February, Armstrong will compete for Canada in the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, and the odds of capturing a medal are good. Earlier this year Armstrong and crew won the World Wheelchair Curling Championship, held in Vancouver in the same venue that will play host to the Paralympic competitions. We asked this 30-year resident of Metro Vancouver to share with us some of his favourite spots in the city.

Do you have a favourite view in Vancouver?
When my three kids were young – they are now grown-up – we’d go skiing at Grouse Mountain. On a clear day you really can’t beat the view. Same goes for Cypress Mountain.

How about a favourite theatre venue?
Our elder daughter is an actress and does a lot of musical theatre. I’ve been down to Theatre Under the Stars in Stanley Park many, many times. If you go, take a picnic and bring a blanket. A bit of bug spray doesn’t hurt either!

Imagine you are taking a car full of visitors on a grand driving tour of Vancouver. What would be your route?
Because I live in Richmond, I’d start by crossing the bridge and following Southwest Marine Drive out to the University of British Columbia, my old alma mater. I’d go around UBC and down the long Spanish Banks hill to Jericho and the other beaches. I’d swing through downtown, through Stanley Park and over the Lion’s Gate Bridge to West Vancouver and Ambleside. Then I’d probably go up to the Upper Levels Highway and out to Horseshoe Bay.

When people come into town, where do you take them for dinner?
I do the obvious and take them to Hy’s Encore (a traditional steakhouse that’s been an institution in Vancouver for over 30 years).

Hy’s is obvious?
It is for a meat-eater.

Where might you send a visitor who wants to get past the obvious tourist destinations?
Steveston Village in Richmond is like the new Granville Island. It’s a bit of a secret. There’s always something happening around there.

What is a great souvenir of Vancouver?
You’ve got to go with the smoked salmon. And wash it down with some good British Columbia wine.

What particularly impresses you about Vancouver’s preparations for the 2010 Winter Games?
The number of new facilities that are being developed as a result of the Olympics are certainly going to be great legacies. The construction of the Richmond Olympic Oval, building the curling facility which will be a multi-recreational facility – these were all just way overdue.

What are you most looking forward to during the 2010 Winter Games?
The Paralympics will be my first true international event. Everything is so new, wheelchair curling is relatively new. Getting involved in this sport has been like a second life for me.

This interview took place in 2009.