The Prince Edward Island Curling Hall of Fame and Museum is set to host its sixth annual induction ceremony on Monday October 15, 2012 at the Charlottetown Curling Complex, Charlottetown PEI.
The four inductees being honoured for their achievements and contributions to the sport of curling are: Kim Dolan, Charlottetown, Don Hutchinson (posthumously), Charlottetown, Irving MacKinnon (posthumously), Charlottetown, and Wanda MacLean, Summerside.
The event, with co-hosts Paul H. Schurman and Tricia Affleck, gets underway at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $10.00 and are available at the door, or in advance at the Charlottetown Curling Club, or by contacting Jerry Muzika, phone (902) 672-2822, email mmuzika@pei.sympatico.ca, or other members of the Hall of Fame Board of Directors.
This year’s ceremony is sponsored by PEI Ford Dealers, Beaton’s Wholesale Dry Goods, City of Charlottetown, Purity Dairy, and Phillips Feed Service.
Here is the induction information for Don Hutchinson:
Donald A. Hutchinson
Don started to curl in 1966 when he was 44 and credits Dr. Wen Macdonald for most of his success in curling. When interviewed during the Canadian Senior Men’s Curling Championship held in St John’s Newfoundland in 1984, he noted “Dr.Wen taught me all I know about the game”. Throughout his late-starting curling career, Don tallied up five provincial senior men’s titles, two Canadian Senior Men’s championships, two provincial Senior Legion titles, and one Canadian Senior Legion championship.
Don won his first of five Prince Edward Island senior men’s curling championships in 1975, playing lead for Dr. Wen Macdonald. Other members of the team were John Squarebriggs at third, and Irving MacKinnon at second. They went on to play in the Canadian Seniors Men’s Curling Championship, winning this national championship.
This same team won the PEI Seniors Men’s Curling Championship again in 1976, and again, went on to win the Canadian Senior Men’s Curling Championship. Don was the all star lead at the national competition. Recognising their accomplishment, the team was inducted into the PEI Sports Hall of Fame in 1976.
After a four year hiatus, they won the PEI Senior Men’s Curling Championship in 1980 with the same team members as in 1976, but with Don at second and Irving MacKinnon at lead.
They won again in 1982, with the same team but Don played third, Irving second and John Squarebriggs was at the lead position.
Don won his last provincial seniors curling championship in 1984. He skipped the team with Aurel Morais at third, John Brown at second and George MacCannell at lead.
As a Second World War veteran, it seems fitting that Don competed in the Legion Curling Championships. He won the first PEI Senior Legion Curling Championship in 1976 and went on to curl in the Royal Canadian Legion Dominion Senior Curling Championship in Stettler, Alberta, winning this Canadian Championship. Don played third and his teammates were Claude Whitenect as lead, second was Aurel Morais, and skip Irving MacKinnon.
He won the PEI Senior Legion Curling Championship again in 1978. They had the same team as in 1976 except that Arthur Ballem replaced Irving MacKinnon as skip.
They went on to represent PEI at the Dominion Championship in Regina.
Don was also active in the administrative side of the game. He was a director of the Charlottetown Curling Club from 1967 to 1969 as chair of the Finance Committee. He served on the Host Committee of the Canadian Senior Men’s Curling Championship held in Charlottetown in 1982, carrying the responsibility of Treasurer. At the club level,
Don was vice president of the Charlottetown Curling Club in 1975/76, President in 1976/77, and past president in 1977/78.