The Prince Edward Island Curling Hall of Fame and Museum is set to host its fifth annual induction ceremony on Monday October 24, 2011 at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside.
The four individuals and one team being honoured for their outstanding contributions to the sport of curling are:
Lorn “Luker” Burke, Charlottetown (curler category);
Barbara Mae Currie (posthumously), Summerside (curler/builder category);
Kathie Gallant, Charlottetown (curler/builder category)
Ken MacDonald, Charlottetown (curler category); and the
Bill Jenkins team, consisting of Bill Jenkins, St. Johns, NL; John Scales, Charlottetown; Sandy Stewart, Cornwall; Alan Mayhew, Halifax, NS (all in curler category); and Doug Cameron, Charlottetown (builder category).
Bill Jenkins rink. Photo credit: PEI Sports Hall of Fame & Museum
“This year presents a unique occasion as we recognize a retired Supreme Court Judge, a World Curling Championship team and a father and daughter inducted into the hall at the same time for their individual accomplishments. We can be proud of all their achievements in their sport” says Jerry Muzika, Chairman of the PEI Curling Hall and Museum. Muzika also notes that the Hall is marking its fifth anniversary this year, and he invites everyone to come out and honour the inductees.
George Koke, President of the PEI Curling Association, says that he is very pleased that the Curling Hall of Fame and Museum is continuing its work to recognize curlers and builders and looks forward to the event.
Barbara Mae Currie, one of the inductees, was a founding member of the Prince Edward Island Curling Hall of Fame and Museum and served as a board member until her untimely passing on February 3, 2010.
The main objectives of the Curling Hall of Fame and Museum are “to recognize, honour and pay tribute to individuals or teams on the basis of playing ability, sportsmanship and character, who have achieved extraordinary distinction in the sport of curling, whether that distinction be as an amateur or a professional” and “to recognize, honour and pay tribute to those individuals who have given distinguished service and have made major contributions to the development of curling on Prince Edward Island”.
The event, with co-hosts Paul H. Schurman and JoAnne Holden, gets underway at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $10.00 and are available at the door, and in advance at the Silver Fox, or by contacting Jerry Muzika, phone (902) 672-2822, email mmuzika@pei.sympatico.ca.
This year’s ceremony is sponsored by PEI Ford Dealers, Beaton’s Wholesale Dry Goods, Purity Dairy, Orkin/PEI Pest Control, and the City of Summerside.
Hall of Fame and Museum Website: https://peicurling.com/pei-
Lorn “Luker” Burke
Lorn Burke began an impressive career of competing in provincial and national curling events when, in 1967, he played second stone for Dr.Wen MacDonald’s team at the first Canada Winter Games held in Quebec City. At that time, the Games’ competition
was a mixed team event, with no age limit.
Lorn continued on to compete in no less than 17 more national and two Maritime competitions.
In 1970, he won the PEI Men’s Curling Championship, playing lead with the Art Burke team. Other team members were George Dillon and Joe Saunders and they represented the province at the Canadian Men’s Curling Championship (MacDonald Brier) in Winnipeg.
Lorn was a member of three PEI Seniors Men’s Curling Championship teams. In 1986, with Lorne as skip, Walter Lund, John Stewart, and Norm MacNeill, they represented the province in Portage la Prairie at the Canadian Senior Men’s Curling Championship. Playing lead in 1989, Lorn Burke joined with skip Doug Cameron, third Robert Dillon and second John Stewart to win his second PEI Senior Men’s’ Curling Championship. In 1996, Lorn skipped his provincial winning team of Ernie Diamond, Phillip Perry, and Myron MacKay in the Canadian Senior Men’s Curling Championship held in Medicine Hat, Alberta.
Lorn won three PEI Legion Regular Curling Championships. In 1978, he skipped his team of Hugh Montague, Joe Saunders, and Albert Mosher. In 1981, he played third for Gerry (Soupie) Campbell, and in 1984, he skipped again, with Boyde White, Joe Saunders, and John Stewart.
Lorn enjoyed his greatest success as a curler as a ten-time winner of the PEI Senior Legion Curling Championships – in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, and 1994, going on to compete at the Canadian Senior Legion Curling Championships each year. He skipped seven times and played third the other three times.
In 1986, in London Ontario, Lorn won the Canadian Senior Legion Championship and was the recipient of the all-star skip award. Other team members that year were Bud Lund, Bill Acorn, and John Stewart.
Lorn won the PEI Masters Curling Championship in 1993, playing third for Bud Lund. They went on to win the Maritime Masters Championship that year, held in Charlottetown, with an unbeaten record. With the same team, they were runners-up in the Provincial Masters in 1994, and also the runners-up in the Maritime Masters that year.
Lorn coached his grandson Brett Gallant up until 2003, assisting in his development as an outstanding junior curler.
Lorn was also involved in hockey, harness racing and golf, but it is curling that was his main sport and we are here tonight to honour his accomplishments as he is inducted into the Hall of Fame as a curler.
Barbara began her curling career in the early 1970’s at the Summerside Curling Club. She was not only a dedicated and successful curler, but also a tireless volunteer and promoter of the sport at the club and provincial levels.
In 1984, her team won the PEI Ladies Curling Championship, with Beverly Millar at third, Ann Currie at second and Marnie Noye at lead.
In 1986, the same team again won the provincial championship.
In 2001, competing at the seniors level, her team won the PEI Senior Women’s Curling Championship. Playing third was Ann Currie, second, Joyce Duffy, and lead, Helen MacDonald.
In 2005, Barb skipped her team to a second PEI Senior Women’s Curling Championship. This time, with Karen E. MacDonald at third, Helen MacDonald at second, and Dawn MacFadyen at lead.
She came back in 2006 with the same team to win this provincial championship title again.
Barb’s last provincial championship was won in 2008, when her team of third Lana Simmonds, second Jeanette Rivard, and lead Helen MacDonald won the PEI Senior Women’s Championship.
She was also runner up in two PEI Senior Women’s Championships, in 2007 and 2009.
In club curling, Barb was a solid competitor. She won the 1983 T D Morrison Mixed, playing third for the Grant Somers team. She won two Lady Fox (Maritime Invitational) Championships in 1984 and 1986 as skip. And in 1992, she won the Maritime Mixed, playing third for skip Grant Somers.
Barb began her administrative and technical career in 1974 as secretary of the Summerside Curling Club Ladies Branch, continuing in this position until 1977.
In 1977/78, she was president of the Summerside Curling Club Ladies Branch, and the following year she co-chaired the Games Committee.
Barb was the Silver Fox delegate to the PEI Curling Association in 1991/92, and again in 1993/94. She was part of the organizing committee involved in two Canadian Seniors Curling Championships held in Summerside in 2006 and 2009, co-chairing the Banquets and Receptions Committee at both events.
On the local scene, she organized the first Quality Inn/Brothers Two Ladies Cashspiel in 1987, which continues on, known as the Foxy Lady.
Barb became involved on a technical level in 1987, and, during the 1987 Canadian Mixed Curling Championship which was held in Summerside, Barb participated as an on-ice official.
Barb was the Curl Canada Coordinator for the PEI Ladies Curling Association from 1987 to 1990. When the ladies and men’s provincial associations amalgamated in 1990, Barb became the Technical Director of the PEI Curling Association, serving in this capacity for seven years. Barbara also held a Level 2 Instructor/Coach Certification.
Barb was a statistician at the Karcher Canadian Juniors Championship in 2002 held in Summerside and an on-ice official at the Canadian Seniors Championship in Summerside in 2006. She also organized the opening reception for the Maritime Masters Championship held in Summerside in 2008.
In 1987, she attended the Elite Curlers Camp under the joint sponsorship of Curl Canada and Sport Canada. She was one of four curlers chosen from PEI, and received the honour of being selected “Best Overall Curler “in the Women’s division of that Eastern Canadian Elite Curlers Camp.
Barb received the Scott Appreciation Award in 2000 and the Prince Edward Island Curling Association Honourary Life Membership in 2008.
Barb Currie was a valuable member of the PEI Curling Hall of Fame and Museum from its inception in 2007, until Feb, 2010.
Barb Currie will be inducted posthumously into the PEI Curling Hall of Fame as a curler/builder.
Kathie began curling in 1973 at the Charlottetown Curling Club, with the encouragement and support of her father, Lorn Burke, whom we are also honouring tonight, as a curler in his own right.
In 1976, playing second for Anne Merklinger, she won the PEI Junior Women’s Championship. Along with Kim MacLeod (now Kim Dolan) and Karen Stewart, they went on to be runner-up at the Canadian Junior Curling Championship.
In 1983, she won the first of three PEI Women’s Curling Championships, playing lead for Kim MacLeod’s team. With them were Cathy Dillon and Karen MacDonald.
In 1985, she won her second title, playing second for Kim Dolan, Also on the team again were third Cathy Dillon and lead Karen MacDonald.
In 1989, she skipped her own team of Susan McInnis, Beatrice Graham-MacDonald, and Kathy O’Rourke to her third win of the PEI Women’s Curling Championship.
During her competitive curling years, Kathie was also a six-time runner-up in the PEI Women’s Curling Championship.
As a keen mixed competitor, Kathie won six PEI Mixed Championships. The first came in 1981, playing lead for the John Fortier team. With them were Kim MacLeod and Peter Jenkins.
Her second win was in 1982, but this time with skip Bill Merklinger. The other members of the team were Kim MacLeod, and Peter Gallant.
In 1986, she won her third, playing third for the Peter Gallant team. With them were Marion MacAulay and Barrie Stevenson.
In 1987, number four, playing third for Peter Gallant. On the team were Phillip Gorveatt and Simone MacKenzie. They went on to win the 1987 Canadian Mixed Curling Championship in Summerside.
In 1991, she won her fifth PEI Mixed Curling Championship again playing for Peter Gallant along with Phillip Gorveatt and Leslie Allan.
In 2001, an impressive sixth provincial mixed title, playing third for John Likely. On the team were Mark Butler, and Krista Cameron. They went on to place third in the Canadian Mixed Curling Championship.
Coaching became a big part of her curling life when Kathie started out as a coach with her son Brett’s curling team, sharing the coaching duties with her dad, Lorn Burke.The Gallant team won the Provincial 11 and Under Championship in 2000, and the Provincial 13 and Under Championship in both 2001 and 2002.
In 2003, Kathie took over the coaching duties and the team won the 15 and Under, and were runners-up in the 17 and Under championship that year. In November of that year, they won the 15 & Under division of the Maritime Junior bonspiel, and in February 2004 they won their first PEI Junior Men’s Championship. They won the provincial 17 and Under and were runners-up in the Junior Men’s in 2005, and then went on to win five straight PEI Junior Men’s Championships in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010. They were Silver Medalists in 2007 and Bronze Medalists in 2008 at the Canadian Juniors Men’s Championships, and won the Canada Winter Games Bronze Medal in 2007.
In 2009, she coached three teams: the Junior Women’s team, Donna Butler’s team, and the senior team of Karen Currie. Her Junior Women’s team of Erin Carmody, Geri-Lynn Ramsay, Jessica van Ouwerkerk, and Darcee Birch won the PEI Junior Women’s Championship that year.
Kathie received her Level 2 coaching certification in 2004, and her Level 3 in 2006.
On the technical side, Kathie was a tireless volunteer. She was a statistician at the 1984 Scott Tournament of Hearts, a volunteer at the 1991 Canada Winter Games, and Chairperson of Officials at the 1996 Canadian Mixed Championship when it was held in Charlottetown, where she was responsible for statisticians, timers, and officials.
In 2001, she worked as an official at the Canadian Junior Championships, and was a team driver at the Canada Winter Games in 2009.
At the Canadian Women’s Championships, held in Charlottetown in 1999 and 2011, she was the Officials and Statistician Coordinator, and Supervisor Statistician, respectively.
Kathie served on the executive of the Charlottetown Curling Club in the early 1980’s and also started a competitive women’s league and competitive events at the Charlottetown Curling Club during the 1980’s.
Kathie has been a coach/instructor at various clinics since, as well as participating as an on-ice official, timer, and hog-line volunteer at provincial events since 2000.
To summarize, Kathie has an impressive record which includes a provincial junior title, a Canadian Juniors runner-up, six provincial Mixed championships, a Canadian mixed finalist, a Canadian Mixed bronze, and a Canadian Mixed Curling Championship, three PEI Women’s Curling Championships and six runners-up in the provincial women’s championship. Her coaching and volunteer activities at provincial and national events span more than 25 years.
Kathie is being inducted into the hall as a curler/builder.
During Ken MacDonald’s curling career which spanned more than 25 years, he made a mark with his accomplishments. He won provincial curling titles representing three different curling clubs, competing in three different categories, with a total of six wins and three runners-up.
Ken began curling in 1960, at the age of 25, at the Montague Curling Club, under the tutelage of George Nicholson.
In 1967, a month previous to the provincial playoffs, he put together a team with Ken MacKenzie at third, Paul DesRoches at second, and Jack Murphy at lead and went on to win the PEI Men’s Curling Championship. This was only the second time a team from Montague had won the championship; the first was by Jim MacIntyre in 1936.
In 1968, he moved to the Charlottetown Curling Club and, in that same year, he skipped his team of Jenny Boomhower at third, Mel White at second, and Lucy Jardine at lead to win the PEI Mixed Championship. The following year, he was runner-up in the provincial mixed, with Barbara Squarebriggs at third, Mel White at second, and Lucy Jardine at lead.
In 1972, he was runner-up in the PEI Men’s Championship, with the Keith MacEachern team.
Playing out of the Belvedere Curling Club, his next successful appearance was in 1976, winning the PEI Men’s Curling Championship, with Keith MacEachern at third, Peter MacDonald at second, and Allan Ledgerwood at lead.
His final appearance as a skip was in 1977, winning the PEI Men’s Championship, out of the Charlottetown Curling Club, with third George Dillon, second Allan Ledgerwood, and lead Keith MacEachern.
In 1979, he played third for Dr. Wayne Matheson, again out of the Charlottetown Curling Club, winning the PEI Men’s Championship. At second was Allan Ledgerwood, and John Scales at lead.
After a five year absence from curling, he teamed up with Dr. Wayne Matheson in 1984 to win his fifth PEI Men’s Championship along with second Allan Ledgerwood, and lead Mark Victor.
In 1985, he was runner-up in the PEI Senior Men’s Championship, curling with skip Doug Cameron, Bobby Dillon, and Lou Watts.
Over the years, he served as Secretary of two curling club executives, Montague and Charlottetown. In the 1980’s, he taught young curlers and was the draw master at the Montague Curling Club. He is currently helping out with the “ little rockers” at the Charlottetown Curling Club.
Ken was a Judge of the Supreme Court from 1977 to 1987 and Chief Justice of the Trial Division of the Supreme Court from 1987 to 2001. He resigned as Chief Justice and retired as a Judge of the Supreme Court in 2010.
His achievements as a curler are recognized as he is inducted into the Curling Hall of Fame as a curler.
The Charlottetown Curling Club team of Bill Jenkins as skip, John Scales third, Sandy Stewart at second, Alan Mayhew as lead, and Doug Cameron as coach began working towards the goal of a Canadian Junior Men’s Curling Championship years before they actually achieved it in 1976 in Kapuskasing, Ontario. The winning of the national event was topped by their impressive win over Sweden’s Anders Grahn at the Uniroyal Junior Men’s World Championship held in Quebec City in March 1977. They were to become the only Canadian world curling champions that year and were the first team from Prince Edward Island ever to win a world curling title.
The Jenkins foursome started the long road to the championship in 1973 when they finished second in the provincial playoffs. They won the PEI Junior Men’s Championship in 1974, 1975, and 1976. In 1974, they had their first taste of national competition, finishing with a 3-7 record. In 1975, they improved their mark to 5-6, and in 1976, in Kapuskasing, Ont., they won the Canadian title with an impressive 10-3 record.
As reported in the Charlottetown Guardian “The Jenkins team had their backs to the wall very early in the championship as after six games their record was a respectable but not impressive 3-3. But that was it as far as losses were concerned as the team recorded five consecutive victories before picking up two more wins in the four team playoff.”
In the semi-final playoff, they beat Nova Scotia 7-2 and then went on to defeat Alberta 9-5 in the championship game. This was the first time a rink from PEI had won a Canadian School Curling Championship.
As reported in the 1976 Curling Year, published by Curl Canada, Bill Jenkins was the recipient of an award presented to the player who represented not only the best in curling, but who is an all round good sport, and showed good fellowship during the playdown.
At the World Junior Curling Championship, held in Quebec City in 1977, after seven games in the preliminary round robin, the Jenkins team had lost four in a row. Quoting Curling Year 1977, “their chances of reaching the playoffs were reduced to a mathematical glimmer.” However, with France’s win over Switzerland and Canada’s Bill Jenkins winning their last two games in round robin play, they moved into a three way tie for fourth place. In the fourth place tie breaking rounds, the Jenkins team beat France and Switzerland, and gained a berth to the semi-finals. Playing Don Barcome from the United States, Jenkins made an open hit to score four in the second end, and ended up beating the USA 7-6 to move on to the championship game.
Again quoting Curling Year 1977 “In the final game against Sweden, Jenkins’ personal performance was truly brilliant, perhaps the best individual effort ever by a Canadian skip in the final of an international curling event. Jenkins scored at over ninety per cent, and could do nothing wrong, He owned the four foot circle, didn’t miss a take out, and played some come-arounds that brought the pro-Canada crowd to its feet time and time again. The turning point came in the fifth end. A superb draw by Jenkins set up three counters, and they went in front 6-2. In the seventh end, Jenkins pulled off a magnificent angular raise take out and the writing was on the wall. The final score was 9-5, and they had won the World Junior Curling Championship.”
The Bill Jenkins team were selected the 1976 Team of the Year at the annual Sport PEI awards dinner and were the first recipients of the Bill Halfpenny Award for international excellence in sport by Island athletes.
They were also selected as the 1977 Team of the Year by the Sports Federation of Canada.
Jenkins, Scales, Stewart, Mayhew, and coach Doug Cameron were inducted into the PEI Sports Hall of Fame in 1977. As noted on the PEI Sports Hall of Fame web site, the Jenkins rink insists that “much of the credit for their global victory belonged to Doug Cameron, whose words of wisdom helped guide them out of a four-game losing streak into a six-game winning streak.”
Doug Cameron was inducted into the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame as a curler in 1974, the PEI Sports Hall of Fame as a curler in 2001, and into the PEI Curling Hall of Fame in 2007 as a curler/builder.
Bill Jenkins, John Scales, Sandy Stewart and Alan Mayhew will be inducted into the Hall as curlers; Doug Cameron as a builder.