Hall of Famers: 2005

Armstrong, Iris
CURLER
Inducted 2005

Iris Armstrong was born in Melville, SK She moved to Winnipeg in 1955 and started competitive curling in 1971.

Iris participated in sixteen Manitoba Provincial Championships; on four occasions winning the Manitoba Buffalo Crests. She is a three time provincial Women’s champion; in 1978 as second for Cathy Pidzarko, in 1979 as second for Chris Pidzarko (More, Scalena) and in 1983 as second for Patti Vande. Her fourth Manitoba championship was at the Masters Women’s level (2003) playing lead for Elaine Jones.

Iris also finished as a finalist on three other occasions in Manitoba championships; in 1981 playing with Bea Cole in the provincial women’s, in 1997 playing lead for Marlene Cleutinx in the provincial senior’s and in 2000 playing lead for June Reece in the Diamond Ladies.

In 1978, at the Canadian Macdonald Lassie Championships in Sault St. Marie, Ontario, the Cathy Pidzarko team won the Canadian Ladies Championship. This was one year prior to the introduction of the World Ladies Championship and therefore Iris did not have the privilege of participating in a World event. At the 2003 Canadian Masters Ladies Championship, the team finished second.

In MLCA bonspiels, Iris played on teams that won the Grand Aggregate in 1974 and 1975. She also won the Lady Eaton main event four times (1971, 1974, 1975, and 1977)

Other credits in her distinctive career include three City and District Championships and two “eight-enders”.

The Pidzarko 1978 Canadian champion team was inducted into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame in 2014.

Elaine Jones was born in Carman, MB where she attended elementary and high school before she moved to Winnipeg in 1957.

She curled very little in high school but after 1968, she started to pursue the sport seriously and soon joined the competitive ranks of the game.

At the time of her induction, her 28 provincial championship appearances included six provincial women’s, six mixed, twelve senior women’s and four diamond ladies/masters. Appearing in five finals at the Senior Women’s Provincial Championships, she won four times – 1997, 1999, 2002, and 2003. Also participating in four Diamond Ladies (Masters) Championships, she dominated, winning three out of four times. During the 2002 to 2004 seasons she skipped her team to a remarkable five Manitoba championships: back to back seniors titles in 2002 and 2003 along with a three-peat of Masters titles in 2002, ’03 and ’04.

She won Manitoba and Canadian Mixed Championships in 1980 with the Jim Dunstone team and was all-star lead at the Canadian championship.

Subsequent to her induction, Elaine continued to compete. She added two more Senior Women’s appearances along with six more at the Masters level. She won the Manitoba Women’s Masters championships in 2007, 2009 and 2010. Attempting another three-peat, she lost the Manitoba final in 2011.

In MLCA/MCA Women’s Bonspiels, Elaine won a total of eighteen trophies. Before the bonspiel was divided into competitive and recreational sections, her teams won one Grand Aggregate, three main events and five minor events. After starting to compete in the recreational section, she won two Grand Aggregates and two main events.

Elaine won the Diamond Ladies Bonspiel four times and the Winnipeg City Championship three times.

Elaine is a certified level two coach, certified official and accredited statistician. She served on executives of curling clubs where she curled and assisted in host committees of championships at the provincial, national, and international levels.

Elaine was also inducted into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame in 2012 with the Dunstone Canadian Mixed Champion team.

As an all around athlete, Elaine excelled in other sports – specifically softball and lawn bowling.

Elaine was inducted, as a multi-sport athlete, into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame (2001) and the Manitoba Softball Hall of Fame (2004)

Jones, Elaine
CURLER
Inducted 2005

Rochon, E. J. (Mac)
CURLER-BUILDER
Inducted 2005

Eli Joel (Mac) Rochon (1856 -1937) was a charter member of the Fort William Curling Club. He participated in MCA bonspiels from 1892-1917. In the early years, he travelled from his home in Fort William, Ontario to take part in the Winnipeg Bonspiel. In 1905, he moved to Winnipeg.

As a skip in Manitoba Curling Association bonspiels, he won twenty trophies. He won the Galt Cup in 1894, 1897, and 1900; the Walkerville in 1894; Alfred Dolge in 1895; New York Life Challenge Cup in 1896; Tetley Tea Tankard in 1903, 1904, and 1915; Royal Caldonian in 1905; Tuckett Trophy in 1908; William Whyte Cup in 1909, 1910, 1911, and 1913; Blue Ribbon in 1912 an 1913; and Walker Theatre Trophy in 1917. He won the Grand Points Singles Competition in 1906 and the Governor Generals Grand Aggregate Trophy in 1917.

He was involved administratively, serving as President of the Fort William Curling Club from 1895-1897 and as President of the Winnipeg Thistle Curling Club from 1912-1915. He also served as the President of the Manitoba Curling Association in 1913-14. He was an Honourary Life Member of the MCA, the Thistle Curling Club, and the Fort William Curling Club.

Gary Ross was born in Birch River, MB. He grew up in Carman, MB and started curling in the high school program there. After moving to Winnipeg in 1970, he continued curling for many years in Miami, MB. Subsequently, he curled in various Winnipeg clubs including the Granite, St. Vital, Valour Road, Deer Lodge and Charleswood.

Prior to his induction, Gary appeared in thirty-two provincial championships. Eighteen of those were provincial men’s championships where he was a finalist six times with a 72W – 39L record of 72W – 39L. He also appeared in eleven senior men’s championships, reaching the final on four occasions and in three masters provincial championships, reaching the final once.

Persistence finally paid off and after losing ten provincial finals, Gary finally tasted the thrill of victory, winning the 2002 Senior Men’s Provincial Championship! In Calgary, at the Canadian Men’s Championship, they finished in first place. Gary was the second team all-star skip at that event.

He added one more provincial appearance in 2006 when his team posted a 5W – 2L record at the Manitoba Masters.

In MCA bonspiels, Gary won ten trophies, including the Henry Birks main event four times and the Eaton main event once.

In 1995, Gary’s team won the Senior Men’s McDiarmid Lumber Bonspiel and in 2000, his team won the Masters Gourmet Coffee Bonspiel.

Gary was the first recipient of the Safeway Curler of Distinction Award that was presented in Brandon in 2000.

Ross, Gary
CURLER
Inducted 2005

Saper, Zivan
BUILDER
Inducted 2005

Zivan Saper (1951-2020) was born in Winnipeg and began curling in the Maple Leaf Junior Curling League in 1963.

Working tirelessly on the administrative side of curling, Zivan served as Secretary-Treasurer of the Maple Leaf Curling Club from 1975-1994. In 1980-1981, when his father Max was president of the MCA, Zivan became the club’s representative to the MCA and served in that capacity for three years. In 1983-1984, he was elected to the MCA Council and in 1990-1991 to the Executive Council. In 1994-95, he served as president of the Manitoba Curling Association.

In 1996-97, he was elected a director of the Canadian Curling Association and served as President of the CCA in 2000-2001.

During his years on the CCA, he was instrumental in helping Winnipeg to obtain their bids for the 1998 Labatt Brier and the 2003 World Curling Championships. Zivan then served as General Chairman of the very successful 2003 Ford World Curling Championships.

Zivan is an Honorary Life Member of the Manitoba Curling Association and the Maple Leaf Curling Club. In addition, he received a life membership from the Canadian Curling Association in 2001 and was named to the Executive Honour Roll of the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame in 2002.

The 1992 Canadian Men’s Champions, skipped by Vic Peters, with third Dan Carey, second Chris Neufeld, and lead Don Rudd, represented the Granite Curling Club.

In 1992, this team won the Labatt Provincial Tankard and travelled to the Brier held in Regina where they were successful in capturing the Canadian Championship. Vic was named the all-star skip and Dan was named the second team all-star third. In Garmish-Partenkirchen, Germany at the World Championship they were bronze medallists.

In 1993, they again won the Provincial Men’s Championship and in doing so became only the second team since 1925 to defend their Provincial Men’s Championship. The Brier was held in Ottawa in 1993. The team finished in a four way tie for first place , but never recovered from a controversial tie-breaker when they had beaten all three of the other first place teams during the round robin. They could not repeat as Brier Champions and placed fourth after the play-off round.

In 1993, the team won the MCA Bonspiel Grand Aggregate Trophy.

Peters – 1992 TEAM Canadian Champions
Inducted 2005