Alex Sinclair

At just 17 years of age Alex Sinclair served with the Royal Canadian Regiment in the South African War. After his return, Sinclair joined the Toronto Argonauts Rowing Club and was active in rowing and rugby football. About his rowing career, little is known except for his participation in the European tour in 1912, when he was a member of the Canadian eight at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm. Unfortunately, the Canadian crew was drawn against the British Leander Club in round one, with Leander narrowly defeating the Toronto crew.

In football, “Big Alec” was called to the senior team in 1907. He played until 1913 and resumed his active career in 1919 after World War I. Sinclair saw action as an officer in the 48th Highlanders and was severely wounded in France in June 1916 spending the rest of the war at the home front in Toronto eventually in the rank of a major of 15th infantry battalion. Missing the 1914 Grey Cup win of the Argonauts, he returned to the field in 1919, only to lose his third final without a win in 1920.

In his 11th and final season at the age of almost 40, he finally raised the Grey Cup in 1921 after a season without a single loss for the team. In the following years, he worked as an assistant coach of the football team, as rowing coach, and as a boxing referee. In the 1950s he was instrumental in founding the Argos Alumni club.

Married with Catherine Mary Yielding they had one son.