11th annual PEI Curling Hall of Fame induction ceremony held at Cornwall

The eleventh annual PEI Curling Hall of Fame and Museum induction ceremony was held Monday evening at a packed Cornwall Curling Club, with five inductees, who were at the forefront of PEI curling in the 1980’s and 1990’s, honoured,

Photo (L-R): Robert Campbell, Mark Butler, Leanne Gallant (representing her husband, Peter), Kathy and Mark O’Rourke, holding presentation portraits done by Wayne Wright

Kathy O’Rourke won six PEI Women’s Curling Championships, three PEI Mixed Curling Championships, and one Canadian Mixed Curling Championship, along with a second place finish at the national women’s championship, only the second PEI skip to accomplish this feat. The four male inductees, Robert Campbell, Peter Gallant, Mark O’Rourke, and Mark Butler, all played on the same team for PEI Tankard wins in 1991, ’93, ’95, ’97. and ’99, with each also having Tankard victories in other years with different team combinations, along with multiple PEI Mixed wins. Campbell also won the Canadian Mixed twice, with Gallant and O’Rourke also winning that event.

The evening, sponsored by PEI Ford Dealers, Beaton’s Wholesale Dry Goods, Phillips Feed Service, the Town of Cornwall, and the Consolidated Credit Union, started with the inductees, led by Hall of Fame chair Jerry Muzika.

Entrance – Jerry Muzika, Mark Butler

Master of Ceremonies Paul H. Schurman then welcomed everyone to the event, and introduced a number of dignitaries, including who offered greetings to the attendees and the inductees, including Bush Dumville, MLA for District 15: West Royalty – Springvale, Cornwall Deputy Mayor Gary Ramsay, Curling Canada Governor Angela Hodgson, Curl PEI President Andrew Robinson, and Gary O’Sullivan, President of the Cornwall Curling Club. Robinson, who curled with and against the inductees, joked that his losses to them undoubtedly contributed to their Hall of Fame inductions.

Andrew Robinson, Curl PEI Pres.

The five inductees were then called to the stage, where they were presented with pins and certificates by a Hall of Fame Board Member. followed by the unveiling of their portrait, drawn by Board Member Wayne Wright. Each inductee then took the opportunity to thank their families, their teammates, their coaches, their sponsors and everyone else involved with advancing their curling careers over the years. Peter Gallant, who coaches the Korean Women’s team, was unable to attend, with his wife Leanne collecting the awards, and his son, Christopher reading this thank-you message.