James Richard Christie was born on November 8, 1952 in West Toronto’s Junction Triangle. He was an Ontario scholar in high school and did occasional work for The Globe and Mail before signing on full-time in 1974. Within two years, he began to receive death threats for his coverage of scandals and cost overruns at the Montreal Olympics, which marked the beginning of his long-term relationship with the Olympic Games.
He covered the games in various cities around the world such as Los Angeles, Seoul, Calgary, Barcelona, Albertville, France, Lillehammer, Norway, Atlanta, Nagano, Athens, Salt Lake City, Beijing, and Vancouver.
He was a raconteur, but the writing of stories was a serious passion for his 40 years at The Globe and Mail. James was the master of the lead, drawing readers in and not letting them go. His columns reflected his genuine interest in people and his many awards reflected his skill.
