PEICurling.com

Two officials out of the Silver Fox Curling & Yacht Club in Summerside – Peter Pidgeon, and Cliff Poirier, are this season’s finalists for Official of the Year, with the winner being chosen at the ADL/Sport PEI curling awards on Wednesday at the Fox.

CCA photo. Peter Pidgeon (front left), was the recipient of a Fair Play coaching award, as selected by the officials at the 2011 M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors in Calgary

Peter Pidgeon has recently returned to umpiring after being a noteworthy coach for several years. He  attained his Level 2 officiating certification two seasons ago and has been a great asset to the umpiring community on PEI since that time.

He  is willing to travel to any of the clubs on the Island to help out. This is much appreciated as it can be difficult to find people who can do so.

He  always arrives early so he can ensure that things are ready for the day. He  makes sure he follows the routines which have been established so that all teams know what to expect from the coin toss, to the practice, to the playing of the game.

He took a timer training course to familiarize himself with the new “Thinking Time” concept used this year for the first time.

He proved that he could handle situations where not just knowledge was required, but where patience and tact were also needed. Peter remained calm and didn’t get  upset when faced with problems. He was not afraid to ask for help if and when it was required.

Pidgeon also worked at events in other capacities. He was at the Players’ Championship in Summerside doing statistics. He worked the National Seniors in Summerside this year as an on-ice observer, and did a great job.

Peter  has shown great dedication and commitment to the umpiring community on PEI.

PEICurling.com photo: Cliff Poirier measures draw to the button results at the 2013 PEI Tankard

Besides officiating at many provincial championships on PEI, Cliff Poirier also officiated at the national and world level this season – at the Canadian Seniors held at the Silver Fox, and at the World Seniors in Fredericton New Brunswick. He is also on the Curl PEI Board of Directors as the representative from the Fox, and also did much work on the transition to the new “Thinking Time” timing method, and on recruiting and developing new officials.

Poirier is known for using excellent judgement in his decision-making during games, and is very welcoming towards all players, coaches, and spectators during events. He is an outstanding asset to the sport of curling on PEI.

The two finalists for Volunteer Administrator of the Year at the ADL/Sport PEI curling awards being held Wednesday May 29 at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club, in conjunction with Curl PEI’s Annual General Meeting, are Roger Gavin from the Western Community Curling Club in Alberton, and the PEI Strathcona Cup Organizing Committee from the Cornwall Curling Club.

Photo: Roger Gavin, winning a coaching award at the provincial Under 16 championships this year

Roger Gavin volunteers in many capacities, both at the Western Community Curling Club and for PEI curling in general. He has served on the Board of Directors for the past 18-19 years, and on the Curl PEI board for the past decade.  He has been the backbone of the Junior program at his club for many years, in an administrative, instructional, and coaching capacity. He is a certified Level 2 coach, and is working on his Level 2 Umpires and his Level 3 certification. At the club, he contacts members at the first of each year to see if they are curling, and makes up draw boards and signup sheets for all curling activities. tournaments, and provincial championships held at the club throughout the season. He has his Level 1 Ice Technicians certification, and is involved with installation and maintenance of the club’s curling ice each season. He organizes, oversees, and bartends at the club’s popular Texas Hold’Em poker nights.

He looks after all aspects of the bar, doing the bar sheets, counting and weighing the product, and balancing the cash.

In addition to preparing and looking after all draws at the club has done draw sheets for Provincial Legion and other events, and this year made up the large draw needed for the 50 team Canadian Stick curling championships, having to redo it at the last minute when the number of teams changed.

For many years, Gavin has been involved with the majority of the club’s administrative operations, including leagues, special events, bar, maintenance, sponsorship and membership, banquets, and publicity.

He is also an avid curler, and curled in the Canadian Stick Curling Championship this year in Cornwall.

All-in-all, his work is instrumental in keeping the Western Community club operating, and continually improving its programs and serviices.

Photo: Gordon Lank of the Strathcona Cup organizing committee prepares to throw the ceremonial 1st rock at the Strathcona Cup Tour event in Cornwall, while fellow organizers Jim Farquharson on the left and Roddie MacLean on the right prepare to sweep, and organizer Myriam MacLean waits at the top of the stairs with the supplies needed to toast the piper

The Strathcona Cup Tour organizing committee consisted of three couples, all from the Cornwall Curling Club – Roddie and Myriam MacLean, Jim and Diane Farquharson, and Gordon and Shirley Lank. Roddie, Jim and Gordon are the only Island men to have been on previous Strathcona Cup tours to Scotland, and they were prepared to give the Scots a big welcome on the PEI leg of their tour of Canada, with both countries vying to take home the century-old Strathcona Cup, in curling’s oldest international tournament.

The committee began planning work a year prior to the event, which would see the 20 Scots on the Eastern part of the Tour take on Island curlers at Charlottetown, Montague, Cornwall and Crapaud. The committee was responsible for arranging the venues, meals, special guests etc., as well as signing up the players, obtaining sponsors, and fundraising.

Among the events organized were several lunches, and two banquets, one with a Robbie Burns theme, where Roddie MacLean eloquently presided over the “Address to a Haggis” ceremony (click for video). At Cornwall, the Lanks enlisted three generations of their family to help serve the meal, while Gordie personally cooked the tenderloin roast, with the beef produced at his own farm. The evening banquets were followed by entertainment, including a PEI Oyster Society “shucking-in” ceremony, comedy skits, and local musicians.

Scots and Islanders alike deemed the PEI portion of the 2013 Strathcona Cup Tour to be a tremendous success.

The two finalists for male Athlete of the Year at this year’s ADL/Sport PEI Sport Achievement Awards for Curling are Rod MacDonald and Mark O’Rourke. The awards will be held in conjunction with Curl PEI’s Annual General Meeting next Wednesday evening May 29 at the Silver Fox Curling & Yacht Club in Summerside, The AGM will take place first (with a meal) at 5:30 pm and the award presentations will follow at about 7:15 pm.  Everyone is welcome to attend – there is no cost.  Attendees are required to RSVP to Curl PEI Executive Director Amy Duncan by Friday, May 24 at aduncan@sportpei.pe.ca or 902-368-4208.

CCA Photo by Leona Arsenault: Rod MacDonald at the Canadian Seniors

Rod MacDonald skipped two provincial championship teams and one runner-up this season, going undefeated to win the Credit Unions of PEI Senior Men’s title, winning the provincial Mixed championship, and coming second in the Tankard provincial men’s. And, for the first time, he got to compete in a national championship in his home town, finishing fourth after losing out in a tiebreaker at the Canadian Mixed at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside. MacDonald and his Mixed team, which includes his wife, Karen, his sister Kathy O’Rourke, and her husband Mark, are looking forward to competing in the Canadian Mixed,  November 14-23 at the Rideau Curling Club in Ottawa.

To-date, MacDonald has won three provincial Mixed titles, two Senior Men’s, and seven Tankards, winning his first three playing on a team skipped by his brother Peter in 1978,  1981, and 1996, and then skipping his own team to wins in 2005, 2006, 2009, and 2010.

PEICurling.com Photo: Mark O’Rourke at the 2013 PEI Tankard final

Mark O’Rourke played second stone for his brother-in-law Rod MacDonald on Men’s, Senior Men’s, and Mixed teams this season, winning both the provincial Credit Unions of PEI Seniors title, and the Mixed crown, and finishing as runners-up in the PEI Tankard Men’s Championship. At the national Seniors in Summerside, the team finished in fourth spot, with O’Rourke being named to the first team All-Stars, for having the highest shooting percentage (83) among seconds.

While new to the Seniors, O’Rourke is no stranger to Men’s curling, with his name on the provincial plaque 10 times, curling on rinks skipped by Rod MacDonald, Peter Gallant, Peter MacDonald, and Robert Campbell.

O’Rourke will also be competing in the Canadian Mixed,  November 14-23 at the Rideau Curling Club in Ottawa. He is a former Canadian Mixed champion, winning with Robert Campbell, Angela Roberts, and his wife Kathy O’Rourke back in 1988. The O’Rourkes  also curled at the national Mixed in 1998, with his brother-in-law Peter MacDonald and Peter’s wife Karen.

O’Rourke is also a runner, and, keeps fit at the gym and by throwing rocks at the curling club.

The finalists have been named for ADL/Sport PEI Junior Athletes of the year.

This year’s ADL/Sport PEI Junior Female Athlete of the Year finalists are Katie Fullerton and Aleya Quilty, both from the Cornwall Curling Club.

CCA/Michael Burns Photography/Mark O’Neill Photo: Katie Fullerton (right) receiving second team all-star award from Canadian Curling Association governor Cindy Maddock

17 year old Katie Fullerton threw lead stones and held the broom for the skip on the Veronica Smith rink, who won the provincial Pepsi Juniors Under 21 women’s championship. At the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors in Fort McMurray Alberta, the team’s first experience on arena ice, she took home second team all-star lead honours, coming within 1% of the 1^st team all-star lead’s shooting percentage. The team finished in 1^st place in the Fall Fling junior cashspiel at the Silver Fox, with a 6-1 record, and came fourth in the December spiel, also at the Fox. Fullerton showed great improvement this season, with her team practicing several days a week, and curling in the Tuesday night competitive league at Cornwall. Fullerton excels at school as well, and was awarded a 4 year, full-tuition scholarship to UPEI beginning in the fall of 2013

Photo credit – George Wycherley: Aleya Quilty at the CIS/CCA nationals

Aleya Quilty had a busy curling and coaching season, playing on both the Amanda MacLean team, the provincial runners-up at the Pepsi Juniors, and the Veronica Smith university team, who qualified for the CIS/CCA nationals with a B division win, and went on to a 5^th place finish in Kamloops, where she had the highest shooting percentage for Team PEI. The MacLean team also competed in the Fall Fling at the Silver Fox, finishing 5^th, as well as the Codiac Bonspiel in Moncton, the Maritime Junior Competitive League, and the JSI-OVCA Super Spiel in the Ottawa area, as well as practicing several hours a week, and competing in the Tuesday night competitive league at the Cornwall Curling Club.

On the coaching and instructing front, she coached boy’s teams in the Under 16 and Under 18 provincials and in weekend competitions, completed her Level 3 Coaching technical training and all six competition development and multi-sport modules,and instructed at two junior development and high performance camps. She will also be working as an instructor at the 2013 Whitecap Curling Camp at Cornwall’s APM Centre.

Quilty also excels in the sport of rowing, with three 2 hour dry land training workouts a week in preparation for competing for Team PEI in the 2013 Canada Summer Games.

An honours student throughout grade school, high school, and 1^st year university, Quilty was awarded in 2012-13 with a 2012 Joyce Myers Trust Fund Scholarship, a Community Service Bursary, and an Earl D. Foster Entrance Scholarship to UPEI.

The Junior Male Athlete of the Year finalsts are Brooks Roche from Montague, and Tyler Smith from Cornwall and Crapaud.

Brooks Roche from the Montague Curling Club poses with mascot “Slider” and  the Capital One Junior Draw to the Button trophy (Photo credit: Grand Slam of Curling)

Montague third Brooks Roche competed and finished in the top three at the provincials in three age categories this season, curling on the Cody Dixon rink, who finished third in the Pepsi Juniors Under 21, and the Tyler Smith team, who placed second in both the O’Connor Glass Under 18 and the Advantage Communications Junior Mixed under 16 division (where Roche played 2^nd stone) championships, and third in the O’Connor Glass Under 16.

Roche, who capped off his previous season by winning the Capital One Junior Draw to the Button at the Players’ Championship in Summerside in April 2012, won the Fairplay sportsmanship award in the Under 16 division at the Junior Mixed, and also at the Under 16 championships. He volunteers with the Montague Curling Club junior program and dedicated many evenings and weekends to curling. He keeps fit with cardio workouts, and both indoor soccer in the winter and outdoor soccer in summer. Being a Type 1 diabetic, he is devoted to both fitness and nutrition for his overall health, and was a top performer in fitness at the Canada Games. He is provincial spokesperson for the 2013 IWK Molly Appeal, provincial representative for the Kids for a Cure Lobby Day for Diabetes Research in Ottawa, and was chosen delegate for the 2013 Canadian Conference on Student Leadership in BC. Academically, he achieved 1^st place aggregate in Montague Junior High’s 2012 graduating class, and second in class standing at Montague High School in the fall semester.

PEICurling.com photo: Tyler Smith at the Pepsi Provincial Juniors

Former PEI Canada Games team skip Tyler Smith had another busy year, finishing in the top three in four provincial championships – coming first in the Pepsi Junior Under 21 competition, second in both the O’Connor Glass Under 18 and the Advantage Communications Junior Mixed championships U16 division, and third in the O’Connor Glass Under 16. At the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors in Fort McMurray, his team finished with a 3-6 record. The second place finish in the provincial U18’s garnered the Smith rink a berth in the Atlantic U18 championships in Stephenville NL, where they finished in third place. Smith managed to curl in all four Atlantic provinces during the season, competing in junior cashspiels in Sackville NB, where they came second, and at the Lakeshore curling club in Lower Sackville NS, where they finished in third place,  in addition to the provincial and Atlantic championships. He also practiced twice a week at the Cornwall Curling Club, and participated in competitive leagues both there and in Crapaud.

The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on May 29 at the Silver Fox Curling & Yacht Club in Summerside.

Marie MacDonald, who played third on the women’s provincial masters curling championship team skipped by Cornwall’s Carol Sweetapple in 2010 and 2011 has passed away at age 65.

Click for funeral announcement.

Photo (L-R): Marjorie Matthews, Danielle Girard, Marie MacDonald, Carol Sweetapple

Kevin Martin isn’t the only prominent Edmonton curling team making a lineup change for next season.

Laura Crocker announced on Friday that Sarah Wilkes, the third on her talented young women’s rink, has decided to reduce her curling commitment for academic reasons and will be replaced by Erin Carmody.

Carmody, 24, recently became available when Crystal Webster’s Calgary rink added veteran Cathy Overton-Clapham, a five-time Canadian women’s champion out of Winnipeg, at third.

Both teams have berths in the Capital One Road to the Roar pre-trials Nov. 5-10 at Kitchener, Ont. Two teams will advance from that event to the Olympic trials in Winnipeg from Dec. 1-8.

“We couldn’t be happier to find a replacement of Erin’s calibre. She is a proven top-level player and we expect her to fit right into the lineup as we attempt to win the right to represent Canada at the Winter Olympics in Sochi.”

Carmody, who threw skip rocks for the Prince Edward Island team that lost the 2010 Scotties Tournament of Hearts final, moved to Calgary in 2011 and spent the past two seasons playing third for Webster.

Mark Johnson, who coaches the Webster team, said that Carmody “is a great player and has a bright future. I can say that I have never played with or coached a more dedicated player than Erin. I will miss coaching her.”

Carmody has applied to the U of A to continue her education.

Click for full story in the Edmonton Journal

Former Randy Ferbey team member Dave Nedohin has joined Edmonton skip Kevin Martin and given his bid at winning the Olympic curling trials new life.

“It puts us as one of the top teams again instantly,” Martin said from Edmonton on Wednesday after the pair made their announcement.

“This is an exciting time for team Martin.”

Nedohin (2nd left) with the “Ferbey Four” in 2010 (Photo credit: Russell Ott-found on Wikipedia)

Nedohin replaces John Morris, who surprised many when he departed the Martin foursome late last month after seven years. Morris then announced he was joining B.C. skip Jim Cotter’s team.

“Obviously in this situation, once the change in our team was inevitable, Dave was obviously our first choice for so many reasons,” said Martin.

His shot-making ability was at the top of the list. Nedohin joined Ferbey in 1997 and throwing final rocks helped win four Briers and three world championships.

Click for full Canadian Press story at TSN.ca.

Newfoundland and Labrador’s Brad Gushue rink, who are participating in the Olympic Pre-Trials next season, confirmed today that there will be no changes to the team, which includes PEI natives Brett Gallant and Adam Casey, along with lead Geoff Walker. There had been speculation that Casey was finishing school and might not be returning, and also a rumour that Gushue could be the replacement for John Morris on Kevin Martin’s team. The Gushue rink wanted to put these to rest, and confirmed on their Facebook page today that the team “will be the same next season.”

Photo (L-R): Gallant, Gushue, Casey, Walker

Scholarships

Curl Atlantic has implemented a scholarship to curlers who have enrolled full time in a post secondary institution. The intention of these awards is to allow talented athletes to devote primary sources of time and energy to training, rather than extensive employment in order to fund post-secondary education. Recipients will be expected to devote a full-time, shared commitment to sport and education exclusively. This award is not intended to reward past achievements but rather a means to pursue further achievements that surpass the current level of performance. Priority will be given to athletes attending Atlantic universities, colleges or vocational schools.
Please complete the following application and forward to the Executive Director of Curl Atlantic, Helen Radford (curlatlantic2001@gmail.com), by April 30th, 2013. Along with your application please include a copy of your university or high school transcript and one other letter of reference other than your coach. Disbursement of funds to the successful  applicants will occur on October 1, 2013, upon receipt of enrolment confirmation.

Application form:

Word                     PDF

Capital Acquisition Grants

The trustees of the Joyce Myers Trust Fund have created the Capital Acquisition Grants as a means to assist curling clubs within Atlantic Canada with capital projects, such as the repair, replacement, purchase or construction of a curling facility, icemaking equipment, or special curling equipment, such as little rocks for a junior program.

Apply using the application below.  The deadline for applications is April 30, 2013.

Word        PDF

The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company (The Dominion) is proud to announce that the Mayflower Curling Club in Halifax, Nova Scotia will host The Dominion Curling Club Championship, running from November 24-29, 2014.

The event is the ultimate experience for club curlers. Men’s and women’s teams from each of Canada’s provinces and territories come to play each year in round robin competition, all vying for the ultimate title of the 2014 Canadian Curling Club Champions.  The teams’ entries in the event are already hard-won, with each rink having taken home the championship at their provincial or territorial play downs.

The Mayflower Curling Club is no stranger to hosting premier curling events.  The six sheet club is home to elite teams headed by Colleen Jones, Mark Dacey and Heather Smith-Dacey. The club boasts an impressive roster of hosting including 13 Canadian championships within the last 15 years, numerous provincial championships and several national events including the 1995 TSN Skins Game and the 2002 Canadian Mixed. This esteemed facility, paired with eastern hospitality promises to deliver a The Dominion Curling Club Championship to remember.

Once again, the charity of choice for the event is the Canadian Paraplegic Association (CPA) which is amidst a re-brand to its new name Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). For over 60 years, the CPA has been supporting persons with spinal cord injuries and other mobility disabilities as they live in their communities—in YOUR communities. The funds raised through The Dominion Curling Club Championship help the CPA chapters across the country continue this support; in 2014 the recipient will be CPA (NS). To date, the championship has helped to raise over $277,000 to support those living with spinal cord injury in Canada.

“Halifax is the perfect backdrop for a Canadian Championship” says Leigh Armstrong of The Dominion, “we could not be more excited to take the event back east and host at one of the country’s most renowned curling clubs”.

The 2013 championship will take place Nov. 18-23 2013 at the Fort William Curling Club in Thunder Bay Ontario.

(by Don Landry)

Marc Kennedy (L) with John Morris and Kevin Martin at the Vancouver Olympics. (CP)

Even though the seeds of the Kevin Martin/John Morris split were in the wind for the last couple of years, team second Marc Kennedy was still hopeful a resolution could be reached and that the squad would remain intact for next season. In a candid interview this morning, Kennedy painted a portrait of a rink in various degrees of disintegration over the last two years or so, but one that was still hopeful of working through the obstacles that had been presented by a dissolving relationship between the skip and the third.

“The season had just finished so we were kind of looking for some time to think about things and debrief and then he kind of shocked us a bit yesterday,” Kennedy said of Morris’ announcement that he was leaving the team he’d played vice on for the last seven seasons, winning Olympic gold, two Briers and a world championship.

“We were still kind of waiting for them to work things out and get it going,” Kennedy said of Martin and Morris.

Instead, according to Kennedy, Morris decided to take his leave and was not turfed by a vote by the front end, comprised of Kennedy and lead Ben Hebert. There were rumours floating on Wednesday that the two had been asked to choose between the skip and the third, that it was their decision to make as the team reorganized and got set to make a run at next December’s Canadian Olympic Curling Trials.

“Before Ben and I could even have anymore conversations after the Players’ Championship, John pulled the plug. So, it never did come down to ‘we’re picking you or you,’ it never did come down to that. They knew that Ben and I had been quite upset and John’s the one that made a move first, I guess you could say.”

Kennedy expects the team will probably have an announcement on Morris’ replacement “within, at the latest, two weeks.” They could have had an announcement already had their first choice said ‘yes.’ Kennedy confirms that they reached out to Dave Nedohin to see if he’d be interested. “That was our first phone call. Beyond that we haven’t talked to anyone else yet.”

Click for full story at Yahoo! Sports