Hall of Famers: 2002

Arnott, Janet
CURLER
Inducted 2002

Janet Arnott (1956 – 2019) had a phenomenal career in women’s curling in Manitoba – from her first provincial appearance as a junior skip in 1975 until the year of her Hall of Fame induction when she again competed at the provincial level as second for sister Connie Laliberte.

The Canadian Championship and World win in 1984 were highlights in hear early career.

In total, Janet’s impressive resume to that point included one appearance at the Olympic Trials (1997), three appearances at World Championships, eight appearances at Canadian Championships, 23 appearances at Manitoba Provincial Championships (one as a junior skip, 4 on mixed teams and 18 women’s competitions).

Janet and her sister Connie were uniquely fortunate to be able to share so many accomplishments – Gold, Silver, and Bronze World Championship medals along with three Canadian Championships. 

For the 2005 Canadian Curling Trials, for the 2006 and again for the 2011 national women’s championships, Janet signed on as the alternate for Team Jennifer Jones. In both 2006 and 2011, the team earned the Silver Medal. She returned to full competition as lead for Team Jones and helped win the provincial title and a Canadian bronze medal in 2007.

Janet had a great knowledge of the game and was able to inspire confidence from her position at lead – a unique quality not often found in a player. She was also uniquely qualified for a career as a coach. In 2008, she became the coach of Team Jones. Between 2008 and 2014, she was the coach as Team Jones won Canadian titles in 2008, 2009, and 2010 along with Bronze in 2012 and Silver in 2013; World championships in 2008 & 2010; the Gold medal at the 2013 Canadian Curling Trials; and the Gold Medal at the 2014 Olympics.

Prior to her induction in recognition of her individual accomplishments, in 1995 Janet Arnott had become an Honoured Member of the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame, with the 1984 Laliberte team. The team was also inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame in 1984.  In 2002, Janet was honored with an induction into the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame. Subsequently, she was inducted twice more into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame: in 2011 with the Laliberte 1992 & 1995 Teams and in 2015 with the Jones 2014 Olympic Gold Medal team.

George Cameron (1881-1945) was born in Ontario in 1881 and moved to Winnipeg in 1900.  He began curling in 1904 at the Thistle Curling Club and subsequently moved to the Strathcona and Winnipeg Granite Clubs.

He was known as the “Father of the Macdonald Brier Tankard.”  He originated the idea of a truly Canadian Championship with representatives from every province and territory.  He persuaded the Macdonald Tobacco Company to be a sponsor of an Eastern Canada tour by the Manitoba champion in 1925 and again in 1926 and then of a Men’s Canadian Curling Championship in 1927.  He was a Macdonald Brier Director from 1927-1945.

George was President of the Granite Curling Club and was named an Honorary Life Member of that club.  He was President of the Manitoba Curling Association in 1928-29 and was chosen to be an Honorary Life Member in 1938.  He is also an HLM of the Saskatchewan Curling Association and the Canadian Branch of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club.

George Cameron was inducted into the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame in 1973.

Cameron, George
BUILDER
Inducted 2002

Romano, Dave
CURLER
Inducted 2002

Dave Romano began his curling career at the age of 12 at Pine Falls in 1952 and made his first provincial championship appearance skipping a Pine Falls team at the 1958 provincial Juniors. In a competitive career that spanned over 50 years, he won his fourth provincial championship in 2011.

His pinnacle success came in 1972, winning the British Consols provincial title, the Macdonald Brier championship, and the Air Canada Silver Broom World Championships playing third for Orest Meleschuk with second John Hanesiak and lead Pat Hailley. He was all-star third at the 1972 Brier.

After his first appearance at the provincial level in 1958, he played in a total of 34 provincial championships with an overall record of 117 wins and 78 losses. He won two Manitoba championships playing third for Orest Meleschuk (the 1972 Men’s and the 1996 Senior Men’s) and two as third for John Usackis (the 1977 Men’s and the 2011 Masters).  He was a Manitoba Men’s finalist in 1982 with Garry Ross as well as being on the finalist team at the 2011 Canadian Masters.

Dave is a member of the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame (inducted 1991) and the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame as a member of the 1972 World Championship Team (inducted 1985).

Cliff Schmidt (1942-2015) was dedicated to the success and growth of curling in Manitoba.

At the Valour Road Curling Club, Cliff worked at the executive level from 1970-1980 and served as President of the club for two years (1975-1977).  Beginning in 1993, he was an active member of the club’s Gunnlaugson Memorial Senior Bonspiel Committee.

Graduating to the provincial level in 1981, Cliff worked on the MCA Executive on many committees – chairing the Junior Bonspiel, Provincial Juniors, the 100^th MCA Bonspiel, Finance and the MCA Men’s Provincial.  He became MCA President in 1991.

Volunteering at Canadian and World Championships, Cliff was a member of the Transportation Committee for the 1978 Air Canada Silver Broom, Controller and member of the Board of Directors for the 1991 Safeway World Curling Championships, and President of the Board of Directors Winnipeg Labatt Brier (1998).

For the 2003 Ford World Curling Championships, Cliff was Vice-President in charge of Finance and member of the Board of Directors.

Acknowledging that curling is not “all work and no play” Cliff had curled at Rossmere in junior programs and at the Rossmere, Selkirk and Valour Road Curling Clubs.  He appeared in provincial competitions 3 times in 1966, 1978 and 1979.

Cliff was made an Honorary Life Member of the Valour Road Curling Club in 1990 and of the Manitoba Curling Association in 1993.

He was also awarded the Canadian Curling Association’s Ray Kingsmith Award in 2002.

Schmidt, Cliff
BUILDER
Inducted 2002

Warren, Winston
CURLER
Inducted 2002

Winston Warren, long before daily practice became routine for competitive curlers, could be found on any given winter day throwing rocks at his favorite club as he worked to perfect his game.

Between his first championship appearance in 1963 and his appearance in the 2002 Senior Provincial Championships with Gary Ross, Winston appeared in a grand total of 27 Provincial Championships.

He achieved Provincial Championship honours at 4 levels – in the 1970 Mixed with Barry Fry; in the 1980 Men’s Championship with Earle Morris; in the 1988 Senior Men’s with Barry Coleman and the 2001 Seniors with Gary Ross; in the 1998 and 1999 Masters with Norm Houck; and in the 2001 Masters with Barry Fry.

He accomplished the rare feat of winning two Canadian Championships in the same season, winning both the Masters (with Fry) and Seniors (with Ross) in 2001.

Winston’s MCA Bonspiel credits include the Grand Aggregate Trophy (1965) and the T. Eaton Trophy (1979).

The 1996 World Champions, skipped by Jeff Stoughton, represented the Charleswood Curling Club. The team included third Ken Tresoor, second Gary Vandenberghe and lead Steve Gould.

The Charleswood team won the Safeway Select in Brandon with a 9W – 2L record. They triumphed at the Labatt Brier in Kamloops, again with 9W – 2L record, including three wins over favoured Kevin Martin.

Representing Canada at the Ford Worlds at the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, the Manitoba team won Canada’s 24th world title with a nearly perfect record of 10W – 1L in round robin play. Their only loss came to Patrick Hurlimann of Switzerland in the final round-robin game with first place already wrapped up. In the semi-final, Stoughton defeated the legendary Eigil Ramsfjell of Norway 7-1 in eight ends.  In the final, Warwick Smith and the Scots were defeated by Canada 6-2.

When Team Stoughton won the 1996 World title, it was the third time Manitoba had won back-to-back World Men’s titles. Team Stoughton had defended the world championship won a year earlier by Kerry Burtnyk. Don Duguid’s team had won back-to-back in 1970 and 1971 and the only previous time a Manitoba team had been able to defend a world men’s title won by another Manitoban was Orest Meleschuk’s 1972 victory.

Stoughton – 1996 TEAM
World Champions
Inducted 2002