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TRURO, N.S. — The past president of the Truro Tennis Club, Don Cameron, shared recently regarding Sid MacIsaac.
“Sid is one of the best-known people in Maritime tennis,” Cameron said. “Sid has excelled as a player, coach, organizer, volunteer, and more recently as a tennis official. He has been one of the top-class A/4.0 players in the province for more than three decades. Sid is loved by everyone who knows him.”
Following Cameron’s synopsis, an interview was arranged at the Truro home of Sid and Eva MacIsaac. First off – a clarification on my part – was this man (Sid MacIsaac) at one time a hockey player?
Yes, he was, after enjoying success playing goal in Pictou County, MacIsaac spent 15 years as a goaltender with Truro Flames.
As the conversation moved to tennis, MacIsaac’s officiating and travel came into focus.
“In early August of 2022, I was chair assistant at the National Bank MBO Open in Toronto,” MacIsaac, 60, said. “It was cool being there with Serena Williams for her last Canadian match. The energy level was quite high.”
Next stop was Vancouver.
“That was my third senior national event as a roving umpire. I did ‘chair umpiring’ in Vancouver as well. I was there for seven days; I just love doing senior nationals. I’ve now done senior nationals in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.”
The fourth week in August, a busy MacIsaac officiated at the Waeg (Waegwoltic) in Halifax.
“I was the roving umpire,” MacIsaac recalled. “Later for the championship men’s final, I chaired the event. I always enjoy officiating, especially during a Nova Scotia Open Tennis Championship. I’ve been doing this since getting my roving umpire’s certificate nine years ago.”
MacIsaac traveled out of province again last November, when he was a roving umpire, and he chaired the women’s finals during the Birmingham National Wheelchair Championships in Montreal.
“It was nerve-racking,” MacIsaac said. “I’d never done a national wheelchair event before. It was basically an open, they had 32 athletes competing. This event will take place in Nova Scotia in 2023.”
Sid and his wife Eva grew up in Pictou.
“I was around 14 when I was introduced to tennis,” Sid said. “We would play off the wall of the fire station because there were no tennis courts in Pictou.”
The tennis courts arrived later, and Sid’s game continued to grow. Advancing to play in the adult category at a young age, he would later enjoy success in a number of provincial classes as an open player. Highlights included winning provincial Class B (3.0) tournaments and Class A (4.0) tournaments. The early 1990s saw Sid finish 16th in the province.
The MacIsaacs moved to Truro in 1988. Sid is in his 33rd year with Sobey’s, he is a receiving co-ordinator working out of Debert.
“Eva and I joined the Truro Tennis Club when we first arrived in Truro,” Sid said. “Jack Piers was a great influence, my goodness, we met a lot of nice people through tennis. I have to be so happy; tennis has kept me fit, I’m doing something I love, and it is really an enjoyment to see other people having fun with this sport.”
We reflected on the year Sid and Jack Piers won the Truro Doubles Club Championship. And, along the way, Eva won a Class A (4.0) women’s singles championship.
When Sid was asked about his own future and about the future of tennis in Truro, he responded.
“I look forward to helping run local tournaments and I want to help with the success of the Cougar Dome. I feel that Truro is very fortunate in having the outstanding coaching that is available to young players. The future for tennis looks good.”
Answering a further question – Sid advised that part of keeping active during the winter months includes him and Eva playing six hours of doubles each week at the Cougar Dome. As well, Sid plays in indoor tennis tournaments in both Truro and Halifax.
This column reached out to Shelley Flemming, the president of the Truro Tennis Club and a long-time supporter of local tennis.
“At the Truro Tennis Club, Sid MacIsaac is our ‘go-to guy’ for tennis tournaments,” Shelley said. “Sid has been our main tournament director for years. When at the last minute, players cancel, you can still give Sid a list and he’ll make it happen, the tournament will be a success. Always calm and never frizzed, he is our Sid The Kid.”
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Worth Repeating is a weekly column touching on stories from the past, life experiences and events from the present day. If you have a column idea, contact Lyle at 902 673-2857.
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