Hall of Famers: 2007

Fallis-Kurz, Lynn
CURLER
Inducted 2007

Lynn Fallis-Kurz (Fallis, Morrow) was born in Winnipeg. At age 12, she and her twin sister Karen began curling at the Winnipeg Winter Club. Unlike her sister, who enjoyed playing in the skip or third position, Lynn has been content to be the one to set up the ends as a lead or second.

She played in two Provincial Junior Championships and on both occasions (1980 and 1981) she won provincial honours. In 1980 at the Canadian Junior Women’s Championship, team Manitoba finished in second place. One year later in Dartmouth, N.S., Manitoba won the Canadian Junior Women’s Championship. She also represented Manitoba in curling at the 1983 Canada Winter Games, finishing in fourth place. At the Junior Women’s Christmas Bonspiel she played on teams that won two main event trophies.

At the time of her induction, Lynn had participated in eleven Provincial Women’s Championships. In 2002, playing second for Jennifer Jones, she won the provincial championship and a trip to the Canadian Scott Tournament of Hearts in Brandon. At that event they finished fourth and Lynn was named as the second team all-star second. She has finished as the provincial finalist in the women’s competition five times: 1984, 1985, 1993, 2001 and 2003.

Lynn also played in seven Provincial Mixed Championships, and is a three time Provincial Mixed Champion with the Jeff Stoughton team, in 1988, 1989, and 1991. They were finalists in all three trips to the nationals, winning the Canadian Mixed Championship in 1988 and 1991 and losing the final in 1989 in Brandon. In 1988, she was named the all-star lead.

Locally, she won the MCA Women’s Grand Aggregate Trophy, four main event trophies and two minor event trophies. She also won a Ladies City Championship in 1983.

A decade after her induction, she returned to competition at the Senior Women’s level, winning the 2018 provincial championship and posting a 5W – 4L record at the Canadian championship.

In 2000, Lynn Fallis-Kurz was inducted into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame in the team category as a member of the Jeff Stoughton Mixed Team and in 2019 with the 1981 Canadian Junior Women’s champion team.

Alex Fidler (1893-DoD unknown) participated in MCA Bonspiels from 1914 to 1946. In the early years he travelled from Kenora, Ontario to participate. After moving to Winnipeg he curled at the Granite Curling Club before becoming a member of the Strathcona Curling Club where he played for many years.

Alex played third for Gordon Hudson before 1927, and then rejoined him again in 1940. He won a total of 22 trophies in MCA Bonspiels. Among these wins are four MCA Bonspiel Grand Aggregate Trophies – in 1914, 1922, 1923, and 1941. On six occasions he played on teams that won main event trophies. That list includes: The Henry Birks Trophy in 1916, 1922, and 1926, the Dingwall Trophy in 1922 and 1923, and the Eaton Trophy in 1923. He also won 12 minor event trophies. In that list there are the Tuckett Doubles in 1915, the Dominion Match Doubles in 1921 and 1923 and the Ganong Doubles in 1946. Other trophies won include the Hudson Bay Trophy in 1920 and 1925, the Walker Theatre Event in 1920, 1921, and 1923, the Purity Flour Trophy in 1935, and the Winnipeg Electric Event in 1940 and 1944.

Alex Fidler participated in eight British Consols Championships and also won a Men’s City Championship in 1921.

Fidler, Alex
CURLER
Inducted 2007

Hudson, Clifford R.
CURLER
Inducted 2007

Cliff Hudson (1895 – 1960) was born in Kenora, Ontario. Moving to Winnipeg in 1913, records indicate he won his first MCA Bonspiel trophy in 1914.

He won 19 of his 23 trophies in the MCA Bonspiel playing front end for his brother Gordon. The Hudson brothers played together up to 1927 and then again for three years, from 1931 – 1934. Of those 19 trophies, the total included three MCA Bonspiel Grand Aggregate Trophies in 1914, 1922, and 1923. They also won six main event trophies including the Henry Birks Trophy in 1916, 1922, and 1926, the Dingwall trophy in 1922 and 1923, and the Eaton Trophy in 1923. Minor event trophies included the Tuckett Doubles in 1915, the Dominion Match Doubles in 1921 and1923, the Black & Armstrong Doubles in 1931, the Walker Theatre Event in 1920, 1921 and 1923, the Hudson Bay Trophy in 1920 and 1925, and the MacDonald Memorial in 1934. Included in their success was a Men’s City Championship in 1921.

Cliff also won a fourth MCA Bonspiel Grand Aggregate playing for Robert Gourley in 1941. He won three other minor event trophies playing as a skip. He won the Capital Coal Event and the Winnipeg Hydro Trophy in 1937 and the MacDonald Memorial Trophy in 1938.

Cliff made eleven appearances in the British Consols Championship but failed to win a provincial title.

Cliff also made a contribution on the administrative side of the game, serving as president of the Strathcona Curling Club in 1928-29. He served on the MCA Executive Council and was President of the MCA in 1942-43. He was named an Honourary Life Member of the MCA in 1949. He was also an Honorary Life Member of the Kenora and Strathcona Curling Clubs.

With his induction, he joins his brother Gordon Hudson and nephew Bruce Hudson in the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame.

Karen Porritt (Fallis) was born in Winnipeg. She and her twin sister Lynn began curling at the Winnipeg Winter Club at age 12. Over the years the sisters competed together most of the time and thus share many of the same accomplishments.

Karen started a very successful junior career as the fifth member of the Shannon Affleck team in 1979. In 1980, playing third for Shannon, they captured the Provincial Junior Women’s title. In Charlottetown, P.E.I., they finished in second place with an 8-3 record. The next year (1981) Karen skipped her junior team of Karen Tresoor (third), Caroline Hunter (second) and Lynn Fallis (lead) to a Manitoba Junior Women’s Provincial Championship. At the nationals in Dartmouth N.S., the team was successful, claiming the third Canadian Junior Women’s title for Manitoba. She also won 2 Junior Women’s Christmas Bonspiel main event trophies and represented Manitoba in curling at the 1983 Canada Winter Games, finishing in fourth place.

After graduating from juniors she participated in ten Mixed Provincial Championships. Playing third for Jeff Stoughton, she won mixed provincial titles in 1988, 1989, 1991, and 1994. On two of those occasions, in 1988 and 1991, they won the Canadian Mixed Championship.

At the time of induction, she had made 16 appearances at the Provincial Women’s Championship and on five occasions, in 1984, 1985, 1988, 1993, and 2001 finished second. In 2002, she managed to win her first Provincial Women’s Championship playing third for Jennifer Jones. She was named the all-star third. At the national championship in Brandon, they finished in fourth place.

Karen also had success in the MCA Women’s Bonspiel, winning bonspiel aggregate titles in 1995 and 2001. She also won five main event trophies and three minor event trophies in that bonspiel.

Subsequent to her induction into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame, Karen had five more Scotties appearances and one more championship, in 2011 as third for Cathy Overton-Clapham. She won a Manitoba Mixed Doubles title in 2014 with nephew Kyle Kurz and Manitoba Senior Women’s championships in 2015 & 2018 as third for Kim Link.

In 2000, Karen was inducted into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame in the team category with the Jeff Stoughton Mixed Team and in 2019 with the 1981 Canadian Junior Women’s champion team.

Porritt, Karen
CURLER
Inducted 2007

Sproule, James A. (Jim)
BUILDER
Inducted 2007

Jim Sproule (1921 – 2010) was born in Winnipeg and, with the exception of the four years he spent as a telegrapher in the Navy during World War II, he spent his entire life in the city of Winnipeg.

Jim started curling with the Buffalo Curling Club in 1948 and joined the Thistle Curling Club in 1954. He joined their executive in 1958 and served seven years as the club secretary. He also served as president of the Thistle C.C. in 1966-67 and was named a Life Member of that club in 1986. In 1987 he was chairman of the Thistle Curling Club Centennial Committee.

In 1964, Jim became involved in the MCA Bonspiel and for six years he was in charge of telephones in the ice room. In 1966, he helped with the transition of Bonspiel Headquarters from the Marlborough Hotel to the International Inn. In 1966-67 he became the MCA Club Rep for the Thistle, and the following year was elected to the MCA Council. He served 14 years as a MCA council member and was elected President of the MCA in 1978-79. He is an Honourary Life Member of the MCA.

In 1970, Jim served as a sub-committee chairman of the Brier and was a member of the Board of Directors of the 1978 Silver Broom.

He was a member of the Silver Broom Foundation from 1979 – 1986, serving as treasurer for three years. Through the Foundation he was instrumental in promoting school curling clinics throughout the city.

In 1991, he was Chairman of the Safeway World Championship Museum Committee. At this event, a large display of artifacts and curling memorabilia was staged at the Museum of Man and Nature in Winnipeg.

In the 1980’s, Jim chaired a committee that conducted the first two Ice Makers Schools in Manitoba. These schools were held in Gimli and served as the forerunner for the CCA’s involvement with ice technician courses.

In 1995, at the age of 74, Jim accepted an assignment as trustee of the O’Grady Cup. He continued in that role for many years and was very proud of the traditions that have been handed down over the years evolving from this grassroots event. During this period of time he developed a complete history of all 1331 games, which had involved 7800 curlers from 119 affiliated clubs to that point in time.

Garry Vandenberghe was born in LaRiviere, MB. He took up curling after becoming manager of the Valour Road Curling Club at age 23.

After unsuccessful appearances in the Provincial Men’s Championship in 1987 and 1989, Garry joined the Jeff Stoughton team in 1991. Over the next 16 years, he played a key role in the many successes of the Stoughton teams.

Provincially he made 16 appearances. During that time he won five Provincial Men’s titles – in 1991, 1996, 1999, 2000, and 2006 and was a finalist in 2004. That year he was named the all-star second at the provincials. He played in exactly 100 Provincial Men’s Championship games and won 77.

In five Canadian Championships, Garry has a record of 42 wins and 19 losses. In 1996, at the Brier held in Kamloops, a record of 11W – 2L allowed the Stoughton team to win their first Brier and the opportunity to represent Canada at the World men’s Championship in Hamilton. Playing with Jeff Stoughton, Ken Tresoor and Steve Gould he won the World Championship. This was the fifth Manitoba team to accomplish that feat.

Three years later, in 1999, with Jeff Stoughton, Jon Mead and Doug Armstrong, he won a second Brier, in Edmonton. In St. John, New Brunswick they were silver medalists at the World Championship.

Garry also competed in Olympic Curling Trials, in 1997, 2001, and 2005. In 2005, the Stoughton team finished in the finalist position.

Garry was inducted into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame, in 2002, as a member of the 1996 World Men’s Champion team and, in 2010, as a member of the 1999 Canadian Men’s Champion team.

Vandenberghe, Garry CURLER
Inducted 2007

Gowanlock – 1938 TEAM Canadian Champions
Inducted 2007

The 1938 Canadian Men’s Champions were the first Manitoba team from a rural club to win the Macdonald Brier. The team skipped by Albert (Ab) Gowanlock included third Elwyn (Bung) Cartmell, second Bill McKnight, and lead E.R. (Tom) McKnight.

Records indicate this team was formed in 1933 and competed for 8 years until the end of the 1940 season. Playing out of the Glenboro Curling Club, in each of those years they qualified to play in the British Consols Championship.

The year 1938 was a very memorable one for the team as they were unbeatable. They started by winning the MCA Bonspiel Grand Aggregate title and the Henry Birks Main Event. Following that, they were undefeated (6W – 0L) in the provincial British Consols. At the 1938 Toronto Brier they compiled a 9W – 0L record and won the Macdonald Brier title. This was the eighth Canadian Men’s Championship for Manitoba.

This team was a finalist in the 1936 British Consols. Overall, their British Consols provincial record was 25W – 7L over the 8 year period.

This Ab Gowanlock team won MCA Bonspiel Grand Aggregate in 1934, 1935 and 1938. They won one main event trophy in 1934, two in 1935 and another in 1938. They also won minor event trophies in 1933, 1937 and 1939.

Ab Gowanlock was inducted into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame, recognizing his individual accomplishments, in 1987. He was later also included with his 1953 Canadian Champion team. He was inducted into the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame in 1975 and the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame as an individual curler in 1984 and with both champion teams in 2019.

The 1990 & 1991 Canadian Senior Men’s Champions featured skip Jim Ursel, third Norm Houck, and lead Stan Lamont. The second was Henry Kroger in 1990 and John Helston in 1991.

Representing the Charleswood Curling Club, the team of Jim, Norm, Henry and Stan was formed in 1989 and competed in the 1989 Senior Men’s Provincial Championship but lost to the Hal Tanasichuk team in the provincial final. The following year they went unbeaten in the provincials with a 7W – 0L record, and travelled to Whitehorse, Yukon where they won the seventh Canadian Senior Men’s Championship for Manitoba.

In 1991, John Helston replaced Henry Kroeger. After winning the McDiarmid Lumber Senior Bonspiel to qualify them for the Provincial Championship, their 6W – 1L record allowed them to repeat as provincial champions. In 1991, the Canadian Senior Championship was held in Victoria, B.C. where their 10W – 2L record allowed them to retain the Canadian Senior Men’s Championship.

In 1992 the team of Jim, Norm, John and Stan tried to win their third consecutive senior title but, after qualifying for the provincial championship, failed in their quest. That year they were, however, finalists to the Vic Peters team in the Manitoba Men’s Championship.

All four of these curlers have been inducted into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame for individual accomplishments: Jim in 1995, Norm in 1990, and Henry in 2003 as Curlers; John in 2001 as a Curler-Builder. In 2009, John was recognized with the 1984 Canadian Men’s Champion team. Norm and Henry were recognized in 2018 with the 1987 Canadian Senior Men’s Champion team.

Jim was inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame in 1997.

Ursel – 1990 & 1991 TEAM Canadian Champions
Inducted 2007