Educator, community activist.
Born at Winnipeg on 6 April 1937 to Nellie Bertha Adams (1904-1977) and Gilbert Harrison (1907-1967), she grew up in Winnipeg’s West End, attending Issac Brock School, Laura Secord School, Gordon Bell High School, and United College (University of Winnipeg). She enjoyed three years of teaching and coaching at Westwood Collegiate (1960-1963). In 1960, she married John Frederic Christie (1937-2008), with whom she went on to have two daughters.
While her children were growing up, she spent many hours volunteering in the community, with a special interest in social justice. Her many contributions included Oxford United Church and Westworth United Church committees, the Winnipeg Presbytery Executive, President of the Winnipeg YWCA, President of the Manitoba Synchronized Swimming Association, and President of the Women's Inter-church Council of Canada. She also served on the Board of Directors of Synchro Swim Canada and the Manitoba Sports Federation, and was the first woman to sit on the Board of Directors of the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame. In 1980, she returned to the mainstream workforce, first at the Young United Senior Citizen's Day Centre, and then at St. Vital United Church as a Staff Associate.
She had a life-long love of sports, and particularly enjoyed the time when she quarterbacked a women's football game between United College and the University of Manitoba during a Blue Bomber game intermission at the Winnipeg Stadium. Her greatest pleasure was spending weekends and summers with her dogs, family, and friends at the family cottage at West Hawk Lake.
She died at Winnipeg on 4 April 2012.
Obituary [John Frederic Christie], Winnipeg Free Press, 6 March 2008.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 7 April 2012.
“Edythe Joyce Harrison,” Taylor-Currach-Bryce Family Tree, Ancestry.
This page was prepared by Lois Braun.
Page revised: 2 February 2026
Memorable Manitobans
This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.
Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text:
Custom SearchBrowse surnames beginning with:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | ZBrowse deaths occurring in:
1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026
Send corrections and additions to this page
to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.caCriteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements
Help us keep
history alive!
