Hall of Famers: 2006

Armour, Doug
CURLER
Inducted 2006

Doug Armour started curling at age 13 in his hometown of Souris, MB. While in high school he participated in the Christmas High School Bonspiels. He played in his first Men’s Provincial Championship in 1978.

At the time of induction, Doug had appeared in 36 provincial championships, including 16 men’s, 7 senior men’s, 11 mixed, and 2 masters. He had represented the province on five occasions at four different levels of competition. Subsequently, he won four more Manitoba titles.

In 1982, playing third for Mel Logan, he won the Provincial Men’s Championship and advanced to the Labatt Brier in Brandon. At that Brier, after surviving a three-way play off for third place, they lost the semi-final. Doug was voted all-star third.

In 1997 and 1999 he skipped mixed teams to provincial titles and represented Manitoba in Canadian Mixed Championships in Kindersley, Saskatchewan and Victoria, British Columbia.

In 2003 Doug skipped a senior team to victory, claiming the Senior Men’s Provincial Championship. At the Canadian championship his team lost the final to Alberta.

In 2005 Doug, in his first year of eligibility, won his fifth provincial title; the Masters. In Brandon, at the Canadian Open Masters, Doug won his first Canadian Championship.

He won the Manitoba Masters title again in 2008 and, moving to third for Kelly Robertson, he won three more Manitoba Senior titles in a four year period from 2011 to 2014. The 2011 team won the Canadian Senior Men’s title and the 2012 World Senior Men’s Silver Medal.

From his first provincial appearance in 1978, Doug qualified for provincial championships a total of 62 times, played 402 games and won 271 of them. All three are Manitoba records.

Malcolm Campbell (1858-1939) was born in Huron County, Stanley Township, Ontario in 1858. After completing his education he transplanted himself from Ontario to try his fortune in the west. In Winnipeg, he established the Campbell Heating Company, which he ran for 50 years.

He was a charter member of the Winnipeg Thistle Curling Club. He served as the Thistle Curling Club’s President from 1897-1899.

He played in the first MCA Bonspiel in 1889 on a rink skipped by C. A. Baskerville and had the distinction of being the only curler to play in every MCA Bonspiel for 49 years. In his MCA Bonspiel career he won the Tuckett Trophy (double team) competition in 1893, 1894, 1895, and 1906 and he won the double team event again in 1918. He also won the Grand Points (single curler) trophy in 1901 plus he was on event winning teams in 1905, 1911, 1913, and 1917.

At age 66, he competed in the first British Consols Competition in 1925, after which he participated in four more Manitoba British Consols in succession.

To summarize his character a quote in the 50^th anniversary publication of the Thistle Curling Club seems appropriate…”Malcolm loved a good tight game of curling against tough competition. The result was not important: he was delighted if he won, and the opposition always seemed to share his delight: he was delightful if he lost and everybody liked to play with or against him”.

Mr. Campbell served for 24 years on the Manitoba Curling Association Council. He acted as president in 1927-1928 and donated the Campbell Cup to the MCA Life Members in 1928.

He is an Honorary Life Member of both the Thistle Curling Club and the Manitoba Curling Association (1914).

When Malcolm Campbell died at the age of 80, as a fitting tribute to his skill as a curler and his integrity as a person his death was announced on the front pages of both Winnipeg daily newspapers.

Campbell, Malcolm (Mac)
CURLER-BUILDER
Inducted 2006

Overton-Clapham, Cathy
CURLER
Inducted 2006

Cathy Overton-Clapham started to curl at age 12 in the Heather Curling Club Junior Program.

Cathy had an exceptionally successful junior curling career. In five provincial junior appearances, she won provincial junior titles in 1986, at third for Janet Harvey, and skipping her own team in 1989. That year she skipped her team to the Canadian Junior Women’s Championship. At the World Junior Women’s Championship, held in Portage La Prairie in 1990, her team were bronze medalists.  She won all-star recognition at both the two Canadian championships and at the 1990 World Championship.

Her junior teams won the Junior Christmas bonspiel in 1986 and the third event in 1988. Also, as a junior team, playing in the Manitoba Ladies Curling Association Bonspiel, her team won 2 minor event trophies.

In 1991, she made her first appearance in the provincial women’s championship. Prior to her induction in 2006, she had won 4 provincial titles, in 1991 (third for Kathie Allardyce), 1999 (skipping the Connie Laliberte team), 2001 (as skip of her own team), and 2005 (third for Jennifer Jones); with finalist status in 1995 and 1997.

After losing the provincial final to the Connie Laliberte team in 1995 she became an injury replacement on the Laliberte team. They won the Canadian Women’s Championship and were silver medalists at the World Women’s Championship, held in Brandon. She was named the all-star third.

In 1999, Connie Laliberte returned to skip the Manitoba champions, while Cathy threw fourth stones, at the national Scott Tournament of Hearts and the team earned` a national Bronze Medal.

Cathy “O” won her second Canadian Scott Tournament of Hearts Championship in 2005, curling on the Jennifer Jones team. They finished fourth at the World Women’s Championship in Paisley, Scotland.

From 2006 to 2010, playing third for Jennifer Jones as either Team Canada or Team Manitoba, she won three national championship Gold Medals (2008, 2009, 2010), a Silver (2006) and Bronze (2007). She won the World Championship Gold Medal in 2008 and a Bronze Medal in 2010.

She won her final provincial women’s championship in 2011, skipping her own team.

In 1997, 2005 and 2009 Cathy qualified for the Canadian Curling Trials. She qualified again in 2017 and won the Silver Medal at the Trials at third for Chelsea Carey.

Cathy also played on teams that won 3 main event trophies in the MCA Women’s bonspiel and qualified for five provincial mixed championships (1991, 1992, 1995, 1998, and 1999).

Cathy won the national Scott Tournament of Hearts MVP Award in 2008 and the Marj Mitchell Sportsmanship Award in 2011. She was also inducted into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame, in 2011, with the 1995 Canadian Champion/World Finalist team and the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame in 2018.

She joins her grandmother, Dorothy MacKenzie, as an individual curler-inductee in the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame.

Vic Palmer (1919-2002) was born on the family farm outside of MacGregor, MB. He joined the Grain Exchange Curling Club in 1953 where he served on the executive of the club for many years and was subsequently given a Life Membership to the club. In 1966 he served as General Chairman of the Canadian Seniors Championship hosted by the Grain Exchange.

Joining the Manitoba Curling Association in 1964 as a club rep, he was elected to Council in 1966. He worked with the MCA Council for 11 years and was MCA President in 1975-1976. He is an Honourary Life Member of the MCA (1977).

In 1975, he led the bid committee to secure the rights to host the 1978 Air Canada Silver Broom in Winnipeg. He then served as General Chairman of that event.

With the success of the 1978 Silver Broom ($110,000) it was necessary to determine how the profits would be distributed. Vic presented the basic idea to create a foundation, which later became known as the Silver Broom Foundation. This foundation guided the distribution of profits to be used for the betterment of curling in Manitoba. He served on that board for 5 years and was its initial Chairman. Through investments, the Silver Broom Foundation distributed over $210,000. It was replaced by the Manitoba Curling Foundation in 1991.

Vic was also a member of the 1970 Winnipeg Brier Committee and the 1973 National Mixed Committee. In 1991 he served as Honourary Chairman of the World Championships.

Palmer, Vic
BUILDER
Inducted 2006

Tanasichuk, Harold (Hal)
CURLER
Inducted 2006

Hal Tanasicuk (1938 – 2021) was born in Clanwilliam, MB. After working in the northern mines, he settled in Winnipeg in 1958.

Representing the Civic Caledonian Curling Club and later the Deer Lodge Curling Club, at the time of his induction, Hal had appeared in 25 provincial championships – seven men’s, 11 mixed, six senior men’s and 1 masters.

A dominant player in mixed competitions, his team won 3 provincial championships, in 1976, 1977, and 1986. They also finished in the runner-up position 3 times, 1971, 1973, and 1980.

In 1997, at the Canadian Championship held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, he guided his team to a 10W – 1L round robin record, claiming the fourth Canadian Mixed Championship for Manitoba. In other national mixed championships his teams placed third in 1976 and fourth in 1986.

In men’s competition, it is noteworthy that in his first British Consols appearance in 1970 in Dauphin, he had an opportunity to eliminate the Don Duguid team on the A2 side of the draw. After sliding too far on his last rock, Hal lost in an extra end. History will show that the Duguid team went on to win back to back championships, beginning that year!

At the senior level, Hal won the 1989 Senior Men’s Provincial Championship. At the national seniors in Kenora, Ontario, his team finished in fourth place.

Hal captured the MCA Bonspiel Grand Aggregate title in 1976 and two MCA main event trophies – the Eaton in 1975 and the Henry Birks in 1976.

In 1971, he skipped a team to victory in the Charleswood Little Car Bonspiel.

Harold Tanasichuk is an Honorary Life Member of the Deer Lodge Curling Club.

He was also inducted into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame in 2018, with the 1977 Canadian Champion team.

Vic Wood (1887-1979) was born in Winnipeg. He was the eldest brother of Howard “Pappy” Wood and the son of former Manitoba Curling Association President (1900-1901) David Daniel Wood.

Vic Wood was introduced to curling at a young age on a backyard curling rink. His dad built this rink especially for his six sons to practice on.

Vic played on teams that won provincial championships in 1925 and 1930. In 1925, which was prior to the establishment of the Macdonald Brier, they were invited to Montreal to participate in exhibition matches with their eastern counterparts. In 1930, they won the Canadian Men’s Championship.

In 1925, Vic played at the third position but in subsequent years he played front end with brother Howard at third or skip.

In a 24 year period from 1910-1933, Vic played on teams that won 37 Manitoba Curling Association bonspiel trophies. On 7 of these occasions, they won the bonspiel Grand Aggregate title. In 1950, Vic won the Stovel Veteran’s Trophy, his 38^th MCA bonspiel award!

Vic also won City Curling Championships in 1934 and 1935.

Vic was an Honorary Life Member of the Granite Curling Club.

In an era where front end players got little or no recognition, each of the skips that Vic won trophies playing with, namely Bill Carson, Mac Braden and Howard Wood, are all members of the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame.

Vic Wood was also inducted into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame, in 2012, with the 1930 Canadian Champion team.

Wood, Victor (Vic)
CURLER
Inducted 2006

Hamblin – 2002 TEAM
World Champions
Inducted 2006

The 2002 World Junior Men’s Champions with David Hamblin as skip and third Ross Derksen, second Kevin Hamblin, and lead Ross McCannell, represented the Pembina Curling Club.

The team competed in the 2000-2001 provincial junior curling championships where their 4-3 record left them out of the play-off round but provided valuable experience. In the 2001-2002 season, winning the Dan Davidson Event in the Junior Christmas Bonspiel earned them a berth in the Provincial Junior Men’s Championship where their 8-2 record won them provincial honours and a trip to the Canadian Championships in Summerside, Prince Edward Island.

At that event, they finished the round robin in second place with a 9W-3L record and defeated Northern Ontario in the semi-final. In the final, against Quebec, steals of single points on three consecutive ends allowed them to build a 5-1 lead and they went on to win the Canadian Junior Men’s Championship. David Hamblin was named first team all-star skip. Ross McCannell at lead and Ross Derksen at third were named to the second all-star team.

At the Worlds, played in Kelowna, BC, they became just the second junior men’s team from Manitoba to capture a World Men’s Junior Championship. An 8W-1L round-robin record was followed by a 6-3 semi-final win over Scotland and a final game 3-2 victory over Sweden.

At the World Championship. David was again the All-Star skip joined by Ross Derksen as All-Star third and Ross McCannell as All-Star lead.

The team was inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.

The 1952 and 1956 Canadian Men’s Champion Teams were both undefeated in winning their Manitoba titles, undefeated in winning their first Brier championship and lost only twice in their second Brier.

Billy Walsh, with third Allan Langlois, second Andy McWilliams, and lead John Watson represented the Fort Rouge Curling Club and competed together for 8 years. This great team was formed in 1948 and in the next 8 year period competed in 7 British Consols Championships.

The 1952 year was very gratifying as they swept through the provincial championships with a 6-0 record. They then advanced to the Macdonald Brier which was held in Winnipeg, where they went undefeated at 10W-0L, capturing the Brier title for Manitoba.

The original team won two trophies in the Manitoba Curling Association Bonspiel; the Free Press trophy in 1952 and the Ganong Trophy in 1953.

In 1956, Cy White joined the team at second and Andy McWilliams moved to the lead position. They again went undefeated through the British Consols and advanced to the Brier in Moncton, New Brunswick. Their round-robin record of 8W-2L was good enough to tie for first place and force a playoff game with Ontario. The second Canadian Men’s Championship for Billy, Al, and Andy, and the first for Cy came in what was considered, at the time, the most exciting finish in Brier history. Walsh’s extra-end last shot, a tap-back on a buried Ontario counter with the final stone rolling to bite the 12-foot circle, is memorialized in a display in the Fort Rouge club-rooms. The display features the actual rock delivered by Walsh in the thrilling victory, presented to the team by the host committee.

Billy Walsh, Allan Langlois, and Andy McWilliams are members of the Manitoba Curling hall of Fame in the individual curler category. As two-time winners of the Brier they were also inducted into the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame in 1975.

Walsh – 1952 & ’56 TEAMS
Canadian Champions
Inducted 2006