Welcome to the new member of the Swim Ontario Board

By David Grossman

Curious, confident and competent just might be three words that describe James McGrath.

Just to clear up any confusion, he’s not the entertainer, politician, film composer, athlete or horse racing commentator – all with the same common name. McGrath, who we shine the spotlight on in this story, might best be known as a wizard in the field of - topology.

One with talent, expertise and proficiency, McGrath knows a great deal about algebra, geometry, analysis and what is known as the rigorous theoretical foundation for calculus.

Let’s just stick to one word – mathematics.

More than just devoting a career to numbers, McGrath has had major responsibilities in the core research areas of pure mathematics. All of it, can easily be applied to the real world in significant ways. Finance and cryptography are current examples of real-life applications of the field.

Very well-educated, McGrath is an honors graduate of the historic Peterborough Collegiate and Vocational School, which is known to many by the acronym “PCVS”.

Then, he moved on to earn two post-secondary degrees. First came the Bachelor of Mathematics from the University of Waterloo followed by the prestigious Masters advanced academic qualification from the University of Toronto.

Everything was under the umbrella of – numbers.

It’s way more than the stuff everyone learned in grade school. Educators define it as “the science of structure, order, relation, and counting, that uses logical reasoning and rigorous deduction”.

So now, you know.

As a youngster McGrath wanted to become an architect..

“I was fascinated with building and designing houses, but I was into drawing more than using building blocks,” he said. “It was in grade 10, in an art class, that my interests changed - and I decided math was better.”

For the record, there are times when things do run in the family. His father was a mathematics teacher. Yes, so is his sister.

Just 48 years old, McGrath has faced numerous tasks, both challenging and demanding, and all associated with accountable obligations. The majority were coming from working in the business portfolios that involve banking and insurance.

Yet, what’s fascinating is how this all relates to his 2026 appointment, for a three-year term, to the Board of Directors at Swim Ontario, which is Canada’s largest provincial sports governing body for swimming. He is one of nine members on the Board.

McGrath learned to swim at age four while on a family trip to Florida. The recreational fun continued at a family cottage on a quiet, small lake in the province’s beautiful cottage country near Apsley. He was never a competitive swimmer – but his children certainly fit that category.

When the decision was made to move from Peterborough, the gateway to cottage country and a vivacious Ontario city located along the Otonabee River in the Kawarthas region, it was to the Durham Region – just east of Toronto.

These days, the McGrath family spends a significant amount of time, as members of the Pickering Swim Club, at the massive Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex that is home to an eight-lane, 25-metres pool.

His wife is a swim official. Their children are active in aquatics. That leaves the oldest of the McGrath family tasked with driving their youngsters to, and from, the complex. For McGrath, it’s also some extra voluntary time.

With a few hints and nudges, McGrath added to his impressive resume and devoted many hours volunteering as a timekeeper and judging duties at the pool.

“No matter what you do, to do it well requires a lot of work, a commitment and focussing on always doing your best,” said McGrath. “As a volunteer, you do it because there is a level of enjoyment as well as an opportunity to do something for the community.”

For McGrath, his humanitarian outreach assistance expanded.

Let’s start with eight years of duties that included judging, adjudicating and supervising. He earned Level 5 officiating qualifications and taking on the executive role of governance as President of the Pickering Swim Club. That organization is now celebrating some 50 years of existence and with an impressive membership of more than 160 competitive swimmers.

McGrath also added a new chapter to his duties.

It’s something he refers to it as “the human calculator”.

“When my kids have various questions relating to mathematics, they come to me and I provide the answers – but not all the time as they have to do the work,” he said with a touch of humour.

Managing, directing and decision-making have been critical in McGrath’s career – one that involves working for the Toronto Dominion Bank in risk management as well as with the Bank of Montreal as a market audit specialist collaborating with staff to analyze financial data and maintain regulatory compliance.

Employed for 20 years with Manulife, Canada’s largest insurance company, McGrath was a former assistant vice president in treasury risk management. One of his portfolios involved managing a multi-billion-dollar derivatives portfolio, while joining up with trading and risk teams on strategic initiatives.

“Now retired, things worked out - and I can devote more time to giving back to the community and supporting my family,” said McGrath. “My retirement plans did involve officiating and when the opportunity came to look for interesting things that could benefit from my experience, I submitted my application to join the Board (of Directors) at Swim Ontario.”

David Grossman is a veteran multi award-winning Journalist and Broadcaster with some of Canada’s major media, including the Toronto Star and SPORTSNET 590 THE FAN, and a Public Relations professional for 50+ years in Canadian sports and Government relations. In 2026, he was inducted to the Toronto Sports Hall of Honour with a Lifetime Achievement Award.