The Prince Edward Island Curling Hall of Fame, with the assistance of a number of generous donors, is proud to offer bursaries annually to junior curlers pursuing their post-secondary education. There were some unawarded bursaries in past years, and a larger number of applicants this year, so a decision was made to award $1000 bursaries to two female curlers, and $750 bursaries to four male applicants. Due to the postal strike, the bursary cheques will be available for pickup at the Cornwall Curling Club starting Wednesday evening December 11. Uncollected bursary cheques will be mailed out once the postal service resumes.
Here are the recipients and a summary of their curling and educational endeavors:
Female recipients are Madalyn Easter and Erica Pater
Madalyn Easter, from Richmond, is pursuing a Medical Sciences program of study at Dalhousie. She has curled out of the Summerside Curling Club, playing both skip and third stone, skipping the U16 provincial championship rink in 2023, and, at third stone, finishing as finalist in the U18 and U21 provincials in 2024. She also skipped the silver medal at the U18 provincials and Canada Games curling trials in 2023 and the U18 provincials in 2023. She is curling out of the Halifax Curling Club this season. Back at the Fox, she has helped with Adult Learn to Curl, Little Rockers curling, along with timing and statistics, and has coached a U13 team.
Cornwall’s Erika Pater is enrolled in the Law and Society program of study at Acadia University. She has curled out of both the Cornwall and the Summerside clubs, and will be curling at the Wolfville Curling Club while at Acadia. Past curling accomplishments, as a lead, include winning the U18 provincials in 2022 and 2023, as well as the 2022 Canada Winter Games Trials, going on to compete at the Canada Winter Games in 2023. She was also on the winning PEI Junior Women’s rink in 2023, as well at the PEI U18 and Junior Championship rinks in 2024. She has volunteered with the Learn to Curl program, and at the Canada Winter Games week two, after curling in week one.
Male recipients are Connor Bruce, Luke Butler, Jack MacFadyen, and Brayden Snow
Stratford’s Connor Bruce is pursuing a Computer Science degree at UPEI, and curls in Cornwall. His team has won the provincial U16 (2022) and U18 (2022, 2024) championships and made the U21 finals in 2024. He has volunteered with the Learn to Curl for Newcomers program at his club and completed a several Curling Canada technical programs.
Luke Butler, from Charlottetown, is in the Business Administration program at UPEI. He curls in both Cornwall and Summerside, and was on the 2024 Provincial Junior winning team, playing second on Team MacFadyen. Other wins include the 2022 Fall Fling Junior Cashspiel, along with finalist finishes in the2024 U18s, the 2023 Canada Games Trials, and the 2023 Fall Fling. He has taken training in Safe Sport as well as in Canada Games preparation.
Charlottetown’s Jack MacFadyen, who also received a bursary in 2023, and has also been the recipient of a Spirit of Sandra scholarship from the Sandra Schmirler Foundation, is continuing his business degree at UPEI, in addition to curling at the Cornwall and Summerside clubs.
His many curling accomplishments include:
PEI Junior Champions (2024)
PEI U18 Champions (2020, 2023)
PEI Canada Games trials winners (2023)
PEI U16 champs (2020)
Four-time PEI Junior and four- time PEI U18 Finalists
His volunteer duties have included being an ambassador for PEI as part of the Sandra Schmirler Foundation, as well a helping out at his club, including instructing Little Rocks curlers.
Summerside’s Brayden Snow is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Law & Public Policy, with a minor in Criminology, at Memorial University of Newfoundland. He is curling at the St. John’s Curling Club / RE/MAX Centre. Playing second/Vice-skip, his team won the 2024 National U18 Curling Championships after taking the provincial U18s, The team also finished second in the Newfoundland and Labrador provincial Juniors. Brayden also skipped the winning PEI U18 champs in 2020, the U18 finalist rink in 2022, and Junior finalist teams in 2022 and 2023. He has volunteered with Learn to Curl, coaching and mentoring young curlers.