PEI Curling Hall of Fame and Museum inducts four new members on Oct. 15, 2012
Each inductee was presented with a certificate, a Hall of Fame Member Pin, donated by Consolidated Credit Union in Summerside, and a portrait by artist Wayne Wright, which will be displayed at the Charlottetown Curling Club.
Wanda MacLean and Kim Dolan were both in attendance, and expressed their appreciation for all that curling has offered them over the years, and thanked the Hall for the honour of being inducted. The late Irving MacKinnon was represented by his wife Audrey, and his daughter Irene Newman, while the late Don Hutchinson was represented by his daughter Joan MacKinnon.
Photo (L-R): Wanda MacLean, Audrey MacKinnon (wife of the late Irving MacKinnon), Joan MacKinnon (daughter of the late Don Hutchinson), and Kim Dolan pose with the portraits of the inductees, from artist Wayne Wright
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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.
Each of the inductees has excelled in their own corner of the sport. Two of the inductees, Don Hutchinson and Irving MacKinnon, are also in the PEI Sports Hall of Fame, as members of the Dr. Wen Macdonald team, inducted in 1976 as National Senior Men’s Curling Champions. Both made their mark as senior curlers. Wanda MacLean enjoyed a curling career studded with club and provincial wins over four decades, consistently coming up a winner. Kim Dolan has amassed an incredible record as a winner in both on-ice play as a curler and off the ice as an administrator and volunteer.
“Curling offers opportunities for players at every stage of their lives to participate, excel in, and enjoy their sport. We are pleased to recognize the achievements of these four curlers as they are inducted into the Hall of Fame,” says Jerry Muzika, Chairman of the PEI Curling Hall and Museum. Muzika notes that the Hall is in its sixth year, and 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 attending the event.
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, as an amateur or a professional (“curler” category), and to
– individuals who have given distinguished service and have made major contributions to the development of curling on Prince Edward Island (“builder” category).
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 [email protected].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.
Click for event programme (PDF)
Kim moved up into women’s curling in 1980, winning nine PEI Women’s Curling Championships, holding the record for the most provincial Women’s curling championship wins on PEI.
Her first win as a women’s competitor was in 1983, when she teamed up with Cathy Dillon at third, Karen MacDonald at second, and Kathie Burke at lead. Kim again won with the same team in 1985. In 1987 Kim won again, this time with the changed line up of Karen Jones playing third, second Shelley Muzika and lead Nancy Reid.
In 1988, curling was introduced as a demonstration sport at the Calgary Olympics. Leading up to that, in 1987, Kim was invited to an elite camp for curlers with the purpose of forming teams that would go forward to the Olympic trials. She was successful in being named to play with Colleen Jones as part of an Atlantic team to play in the trials.
After surgery for a back injury, Kim came back in 1990, skipping her team of Karen Jones at third, second Shelley Muzika, and lead Janice MacCallum to her fourth provincial women’s title. In 1992, changes to the team came about due to her three players leaving the Island. However, with Susan McInnis at third, second Julie Scales, and lead Marion MacAulay filling the roster, she again won the provincial title.
In 1995, Kim decided she needed a change from skipping and teamed up with a former junior star, Rebecca Jean MacPhee. Kim played third, Marion MacAulay second, and Lou Ann Henry lead to win the provincial women’s championship. This turned out to be a winning combination as they repeated their 1995 win in 1997 and again in 1999. With one change to the line-up with Kathy O’Rourke playing second, they had the honour of playing in front of the hometown crowd as Charlottetown hosted the 1999 championship.
Kim’s last PEI Women’s championship came in 2012. It had been 20 years since she had skipped a team at the Canadian Women’s Championship and her last appearance as a curler at the national competition was in 1999. With her team of Rebecca Jean MacDonald at third, her daughter Sinead at second, Nancy Cameron at lead and Michala Robison as alternate lead, they became only the eleventh team in the Women’s Championship event to score a six ender.
Kim also was prominent in Island Mixed Curling. In 1980, she won her first of four PEI Mixed Curling Championships, playing third for skip John Fortier, with second Peter Jenkins, and lead Sharon Fortier. The next year, 1981, the team changed leads with Kathie Burke playing this position when they again won the PEI Mixed. In 1982, Kim won again with a different team: Bill Merklinger skipped, second was Peter Gallant, and lead was Kathie Burke. Her last win was in 2004, when she skipped the mixed team with third Kevin Champion, second Marion MacAulay, and lead Mike Dillon. She was the first female skip to win the Island Mixed Championship and the second woman to skip at the Canadian Mixed Championship.
Kim began volunteering her time in other aspects of the game in the late 1970s, co-chairing, with Diane Blanchard, the Canadian Junior Women’s Curling Championship, held at the Charlottetown Curling Club in 1980.
She served as Draw and Media Facilities Chair on the 1984 Scott Tournament of Hearts Championship Committee, held at the Charlottetown Forum, under the leadership of chairperson Donna Sears.
With Bob Matthews, Kim co-chaired the Host Committee for the 1996 Canadian Mixed Championship held at the Charlottetown Curling Club.
Kim was chair of the Host Committee for the 1999 Canadian Women’s Curling Championship when it was held in Charlottetown at the Civic Centre. She also wore the PEI colours in the competition along with her skip Rebecca Jean MacPhee, second Kathy O’Rourke, and lead Lou Ann Henry.
She again chaired the Host Committee of the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Canadian Women’s Curling Championship when it was held in Charlottetown in 2011.
At the club level, Kim served on the nomination committee of the Charlottetown Ladies Curling Club in 1981, was chair of Foreign Games in 1981/82, vice president of the Charlottetown Curling Club in 1992/93, and President in 1993/94.
With her coaching level 2, Kim has coached and was fifth player for many teams throughout the years as they enjoyed the challenges of competing in Canadian Championships. She has had the opportunity to coach her daughter and her team as well competing with her daughter Sinead as a team member at the 2012 Scotties.
Kim has had a stellar career as a curler and builder of the game she loves to play.
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.
Irving was an all-round athlete excelling in many sports including tennis, baseball, badminton, bowling, and snooker, but it was the game of curling which allowed him to travel extensively to truly “see Canada from the hack,” as noted by John McNeill in his column The Realm of Sport in the Summerside Journal-Pioneer in 1981. Irving, in total, went away to represent PEI in nineteen Canadian curling championships.
Irving started to curl in 1963 at the Charlottetown Curling Club.
He won his first of six PEI Seniors Men’s Curling Championships in 1972, playing lead for skip Arthur Ballem, with third Jim Cameron, and second Chris Gallant. His next win came in 1974, when he played second for Dr. Wen Macdonald. John Squarebriggs was at third, and lead was Arthur Ballem.
With Don Hutchinson replacing Arthur Ballem at lead, this team won the PEI Seniors Men’s Curling Championship the next two years, 1975, and 1976. They went on to win both the 1975 and 1976 Canadian Senior Men’s Curling Championships. Recognising this accomplishment, the team was inducted into the PEI Sports Hall of Fame in 1976.
His next provincial win was in 1980 with the same team – but Irving played lead and Donald Hutchinson played second.
His last provincial seniors win was in 1982 with Dr. Macdonald’s team with third Donald Hutchinson, Irving at second, and lead, John Squarebriggs.
In postal curling, he represented Prince Edward Island ten times at the Canadian Postal Curling Championships, mostly curling with teammates Erroll MacNeill, and Phil Perry.
In 1966, he won the Royal Canadian Legion Provincial Championship playing second for the Arthur Ballum team. Other team members were Doug George at third, and Art Crockett at lead.
In 1976, Irving skipped his team of third Don Hutchinson, second Aurel Morais and lead Claude Whitenect to a provincial Legion Senior Men’s title and went on to curl in the Royal Canadian Legion Dominion Senior’s Curling Championship in Stettler, Alberta in April 1977, winning this Canadian Championship.
In 1982, Irving won the Royal Canadian Legion Provincial Championship playing second with skip Lorne Burke, Bill Beer at third, and Ivan MacDougall at lead.
Irving also spent time volunteering on the executive of the Charlottetown Curling Club as a director starting in 1969/70. For the next three years he served as Chair of Entertainment. He handled all of the bingo draws which generated a steady income used to help pay off the mortgage for the club. As well, Irving was a member of the Host Committee for the Canadian Senior Men’s Curling Championship held in Charlottetown in 1982 with House and Ice as his responsibility.
Wanda MacLean began curling in 1965 at the Summerside Curling Club, making her way to the winner’s circle in Club, Provincial, and Atlantic curling consistently and frequently over a period of four decades.
Club Curling Championship wins came in 1968, 1975, 1976, 1978, and 1981.
She won the Gaudet’s Save Easy playing third for Wanda Hunter in 1976, and won it again in 1977, skipping the team. In 1978, playing lead on the Wyman Millar team, she won the PEI Winter Games Gold Medal.
1981 would see Wanda make her first appearance at a national event, representing PEI at the MacDonald Lassie – the Canadian Women’ s Curling Championship – held in St. John’s, NL. Wanda played lead for skip Beverly Millar along with third Elizabeth Miles and second Norma Worth.
In 1990, Wanda won the first of four PEI Senior Women’s Curling Championships, playing second for Genevieve Enman, with third Marie Gaudet and lead Mary Campbell. She won again in 1991, playing third for Marie Gaudet with Sylvia Rodd at second and Marilyn Banks at lead. In 1994, she won playing second for Genevieve Enman, with Marie Gaudet at third, and Marilyn Banks at lead. This team had a minor lineup change in 1996, winning with Gen skipping, Wanda at third, Marilyn at second and Janet Phillips at lead.
Wanda won eight straight PEI Masters Ladies Championships from 2001 through 2008. She skipped the 2001 team, played third in 2002, second in 2003 and 2004, and lead in 2005 through 2008. She went on to win two Maritime Masters Championships, in 2005, and 2007 playing lead for Jeanne Duffenais.
Not always the on-ice winner, but frequently close, she was runner-up in the 1988 PEI Ladies Curling Championship with skip Lana Fraser, runner-up in the PEI Seniors Ladies Championship in 1989 and 1997, and runner-up in two Maritime masters, in 2006 and 2008.
As many dedicated curlers do, Wanda volunteered over the years helping to keep the curling administrative wheels turning smoothly. She was the club delegate to the PEI Ladies Curling Association in 1975/76, 1977/78, and 1983/84. She worked at the club level in many areas, including prize committee chair for three years, membership chair for two years, Games chair for five, and treasurer of Ladies Division for two years.
She volunteered as an on-ice official at three Canadian Curling Championships held on PEI. And in 1998, she won the Canadian Ladies Curling Association award for dedicated and outstanding service to Ladies curling on PEI.
Wanda MacLean – a long-time dedicated curler and supporter of her club.