Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame announces new inductees

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This article was published 16/02/2016 (3881 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Ron Westcott’s memory banks have long overflowed with stories and moments from a lifetime in curling.

And when he was announced Tuesday as part of the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame 2016 induction class it gave him the opportunity to reflect even further on what has been and what might still be ahead for him in the game.

The stories have their beginnings in Douglas, Manitoba — just east of Brandon — and a two-sheet curling rink that still stands.

“In small towns like Douglas the curling club was the hub of the community in the winter. Everyone curled,” began Westcott at a media gathering announcing the ’16 class Tuesday. “I lived at the rink… that was the only thing to do other than outdoor hockey.

“I had some breaks along the way, getting the chance to play with Hersh Lerner years ago in Neepawa and then with Terry Braunstein after moving to Winnipeg. But it was my dad who instilled playing hard and playing fair in me. I can’t tell you the hours we would spend where he would draw out the circles in chalk on the kitchen table and we would go through strategy.”

Westcott has appeared in 42 Manitoba championships in Men’s, Senior Men’s, Masters Men and Mixed. He played third for some of this province’s legends, including Braunstein and Lerner and Orest Meleschuk and Gary Ross. And after years as the third or vice-skip, he began leading his own team in the early 80s.

“I thought I was ready when I moved to skipping in “81 and that first year we had a team out of the Granite and won everything… except for the provincials,” said Westcott. “That era was tough with Don Duguid, Clare DeBlonde and then into Kerry Burtnyk.

“I was fortunate to play on teams where we were always at that top level, but my dream for sure was to get to the Brier. I went as a fifth for John Bubbs one year and that was exciting. But as anyone who represents Manitoba will tell you, to wear the buffalo is just so amazing. I’ve had a chance to do that at the senior and master’s level and maybe, as Bob (Boughey) said, I am getting better with age.”

Westcott is part of a hall of fame class that includes builder/curler Bob Boughey — the second on his squad that won the Manitoba Masters Men’s and Canadian Masters Championships last year — eight-time provincial champ Karen Dunbar, builder Audrey Hogg and four teams: Lois Fowler’s Senior Women’s World Championship team from 2015, Leo Johnson’s 1965 rink that won the Manitoba Senior Championship and the first two Manitoba high-school champions that then went on to win nationally, Don Montgomery’s crew from 1947 and Stan Gowling’s foursome a year later.

Quipped Jack Borthwick, the lead on the 1948 squad: “I got to tell you when we got the letter (informing them of their induction) I was shocked, to say the least. I said to Rita, my wife, ‘They sort of take their time doing this, don’t they?”

The 2016 class will be formally inducted at a banquet on May 1st at Canad Inns/Polo Park.

THE CLASS OF 2016

The Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame and Museum introduced its 2016 induction class on Tuesday. Here’s a brief look at the crew (bios courtesy the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame):

CURLERS

-Karen Dunbar (Anderson) of Souris is an eight-time Manitoba champion. She won the Manitoba Lassie Championship (now known as Scotties Tournament of Hearts) in 1975 and 1976 as lead for Joan Mogt’s Souris team. She also won the Manitoba Senior Women’s title as lead for Joyce McDougall in 2004 and 2006 and as third in 2007. As lead, she helped McDougall win the 2010 and 2011 Manitoba and Canadian Masters Women’s championships and the 2013 Manitoba Championship.

-Ron Westcott’s long and successful curling career includes 42 appearances in Manitoba Championships including Men’s, Senior Men’s, Masters Men’s, and Mixed with an impressive record of 178 wins and 104 losses. He won the MCA Bonspiel Grand Aggregate in 1971 at third for Terry Braunstein, and skipped his own team to the 1981 MCA Bonspiel Free Press event title, the 1999 Manitoba Senior Men’s title, the 2010-2012-2014-2015 Manitoba Masters titles, and the 2015 Canadian Masters title. He also won a World Seniors silver medal in 2002 as a replacement skip on the Carl German team.

CURLER/BUILDER

– Bob Boughey is a respected competitor who has made a significant contribution to the sport as a Fort Rouge club executive member and president in 1993-94 as well as assuming a leadership position on several major event committees. He chaired the Hog Line Inn layout committee at the 1991 Worlds, served on the inaugural Safeway Select committee (1995-Winnipeg) and the Green Valley Junior Men’s committee (1996), chaired the Transportation committee for the 2003 Worlds and the Arena, Ice, and Rocks committee for the 2008 Brier. As a competitor, he has appeared in 36 Junior, Men’s, Senior and Masters provincial championships winning one senior and four Masters Manitoba titles and the 2015 Canadian Masters Championship as second for Ron Westcott.

BUILDER

– Audrey Hogg was a Manitoba Ladies Curling Association Council Member beginning in 1989 and served as MLCA President in 1995-96. In addition to her MLCA leadership duties in many capacities, she was a member of the MCA/MLCA Amalgamation committee. She was also a volunteer at the 1991 & 2003 Worlds, the 1998 & 2008 Briers, 2nd Vice Chair of the Pepsi Juniors (1992-93), and 1st Vice Chair of the Scott Tournament of Hearts (1994-95). Audrey Hogg is already an MLCA/CurlManitoba Honourary Life Member.

TEAMS

– Lois Fowler- 2015 World Senior Champions: Lois Fowler (Skip), Maureen Bonar (Third), Cathy Gauthier (Second), Allyson Stewart (Lead) won the Manitoba and Canadian Senior Women’s championships in 2014 and waited a full year for their chance to compete in the World Seniors in Sochi, Russia. They brought home a gold medal with a 7-1 win-loss record.

– Don Montgomery – 1947 Manitoba School Boys & Canadian Junior Champions: the Franklin team of Don Montgomery (Skip), Reg Freeman (Third), Doug Kitson (Second), and Keith Sinclair (Lead) won the first Manitoba School Boys Championship as well as the inaugural competition for the Victor Sifton Trophy, the event which would grow over time into the Canadian Junior Championship. At the time they won, all of the team members were only 15 years of age. The first junior championship included Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

– Stan Gowling – 1948 Manitoba School Boys & Canadian Junior Champions: the Morden team of Stan Gowling (Skip), Norm Stewart (Third), Ross Topley (Second), and Jack Borthwick (Lead) won the second Manitoba School Boys championship and retained for Manitoba the Victor Sifton Trophy. By the second year of competition, the “Canadian Junior Championship” had grown to include BC and a team from Northern Ontario.

– Leo Johnson – 1965 Manitoba & Canadian Senior Men’s Champions: the Strathcona team of Leo Johnson (Skip), Marno Frederickson (Third), Fred Smith (Second), Cliff Wise (Lead) only played together for one season but it was a very successful one. Representing the legendary Strathcona club, they won the first Manitoba Senior Men’s Championship and went on to win the first-ever Canadian Senior Men’s Championship as well. The team was the first of five Strathcona teams to win the championship which now bears the name of their beloved club.

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPEdTait