Description
His skill in track and field made Bob Boutilier’s name a household word at meets during his era, particularly recognized for his “circle” in the discus event. During five years of competition at the Midget, Juvenile and High School divisions, he competed at more than 30 meets at Bridgetown, Greenwood, Aldershot, Halifax, Truro, Sydney, Acadia Relays, Antigonish Highland Games and Toronto. In all Bob recorded: 28 firsts, 17 seconds and a number of thirds in his lesser events, the javelin and high jump. His premier event was the discus and in one practice in 1959 he surpassed the Canadian Midget record but unfortunately fell 16 inches short in his final meet for that age group. In 1959, Bob’s 142′ 6″ throw established a Provincial and Maritime record for the discus at the Midget level and in 1960, his 118′ 9″ effort established the record at the Juvenile level.
In numerous track and field meets, Bob won the top aggregate trophy. In both 1959 and 1960, he was selected as one of only seven Nova Scotians to attend the prestigious Canadian Olympic Training Plan held in Toronto.
Bob attended the University of New Brunswick for a year where he played volleyball and competed in both discus and shot put events. Realizing that he was more of a hands-on person than a student, Bob used his competitive drive to become one of the finest finish carpenters in the Middleton and District area.