Hall of Famers: 2012

Boreham, H. Bruce
BUILDER
Inducted 2012

Bruce Boreham (1901-1987) learned to curl at an early age in Fort William (Thunder Bay), Ontario and continued to do so for the rest of his active life in many cities including Winnipeg, Victoria and Vancouver.

In 1927, as sports editor for the Winnipeg Tribune, he wrote the original story announcing the beginning of the Macdonald Brier Tankard.

He was made a director of the Macdonald Brier in 1940 and in 1967 was appointed secretary of the Macdonald Brier Trustees and the Canadian Curling Championship. In 1970 he wrote the Official History of the Macdonald Brier which covered the first 40 years of the event which includes a breakdown of the participants, scores, standings, biographies, entertainment, etc. Bruce and Bert Cameron of Winnipeg wrote a sequel that covered the Brier to 1979. 

He was invited to become a member of the Governor General’s Curling Club in 1967 and was inducted into the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame in 1975.

Heather Helston began curling at an early age in Sanford, MB and developed a lifetime love for the sport. She curled at clubs that include the Eaton, Selkirk, Grain Exchange, Heather, St. Vital and Pembina. She served on the executive of ladies’ leagues at both the Heather and Pembina, and was President of the Pembina Business Girls.

Heather Helston has been a volunteer Curator and Collection Manager of the Manitoba Hall of Fame and Museum continuously since 1992.  Under her tutelage she has nurtured and expanded the museum to where it is the most complete curling museum in the country.  Her dedication and hard work in collecting, cataloguing, researching and maintaining the museum as well as displaying and providing assistance to curling clubs and events has been invaluable to the sport.

Heather has participated as a volunteer at many Championships; 1985 Scott Tournament of Hearts as a statistician; 1989 Pepsi Junior Championship and 1998 Brier as Decorations Chairman; 1991 Worlds as Media Reception and Banquet Coordinator; 2003 Worlds and 2008 Brier as Banquet Chairman.  She was also on the organizing committee for the Canadian Masters Championship at Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club (2011)

Heather has coordinated and provided museum displays for Briers (1998, 2008), Brandon and Winnipeg Worlds (1995, 2003) and Canadian Senior and Mixed Championships. She has also worked with the Manitoba Sports Museum in development of special curling displays.

As a curler she competed in Ladies and Mixed Provincial Championships.  In 1977, she was lead on the Dorothy McKenzie team that won the MLCA Grand Aggregate, Main Event and Provincial Lassie Championship.  At the Canadian Championship held in Halifax, they finished third in round robin play.

Helston, Heather
BUILDER
Inducted 2012

Rummery, Nancy
BUILDER
Inducted 2012

Nancy Rummery first started to curl in 1969, curling in several clubs over the years; Pembina, Heather and Highlander.  In later years, as a member of the Deer Lodge and Assiniboine Memorial, she worked on the executive of both; President of Deer Lodge Ladies in 1989-90 and Assiniboine Ladies in 1991-92.

In her ten year association with the Manitoba Ladies Curling Association, Nancy chaired several committees including Prizes, Publicity, Dineen Challenge, Ways and Means, Management and Finance, vice-chair of Nominations.  She chaired the Senior Women’s Provincial Championship, Junior Women’s Provincial Championship and Manitoba Scott Tournament of Hearts.  She assumed the presidency for the 1997-98 season.  Highlights of the year included participating in events at the Brandon Olympic Trials and bringing the Manitoba Scott Tournament of Hearts to an arena venue at the St. James Civic Centre, only the second time in an arena setting.  The success of this event provided the impetus for future Scotties to be held in arenas.

Nancy volunteered at provincial, national and world events.  She was a team driver at both the 1989 Pepsi Junior Canadian Championship and the 1991 Winnipeg Worlds.  In 2003 she was Executive Vice President responsible for Facilities at the Ford World Championship.  She also volunteered as a timer at many events and officiated at Provincial, Canadian and World Championships including the 1995 World Championships in Brandon.

On the ice, she competed in the MLCA and MCA Women’s Bonspiels many times, winning event trophies including Clay Law Grand Aggregate (1993), Investors (1993) and Eight Ender Event (2003). She also appeared in one Provincial Masters (2010).

The 1980 Canadian Mixed Champions skipped by Jim Dunstone included third Carol Dunstone, second Del Stitt and lead Elaine Jones. They curled out of the Heather Curling Club.

In St. John’s Newfoundland, they had a 9W – 2L record to top the round robin and won the Seagram’s Championship with a final 10W – 2L record.  There were many close games and extra ends, including a marathon double extra end final against John Fortier of Charlottetown, PEI.

Jim was selected all-star skip and Elaine was selected all-star lead.

This team subsequently appeared at Manitoba Provincial Mixed Championship four more times.

Elaine is already a member of the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame in the curler category (2005) and the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame as an all-around athlete (2001).

Dunstone – 1980 TEAM Canadian Champions
Inducted 2012

Watson – 1936-1942-1949 TEAMS
Canadian Champions
Inducted 2012

The 1936, 1942, 1949 Canadian Men’s Champions, skipped by Ken Watson, represented the Strathcona Curling Club.

The 1936 team members were Ken Watson – skip, Grant Watson – third, Marvin MacIntyre – second and Charles Kerr – lead. They won the Manitoba British Consols with a 5W – 0L record.    At the Macdonald Brier Dominion Championship, they became known as the “sliding Watsons”.  Their contentious style proved to be deadly accurate. They won the competition with an 8W – 1L record.

In MCA Bonspiel competition, the team won the Dingwall Trophy (1935) and Grand Aggregate (1939). They were City Champions in 1936 and 1938.

The 1942 team members were Ken Watson – skip, Grant Watson – third, Charlie Scrymgeour – second and Jim Grant – lead. At the Macdonald Brier Dominion Championship in Quebec City, they again won the championship with the same 8W – 1L record as in 1936.

In MCA Bonspiel competition the team won the Grand Aggregate and the Sir John Eaton Trophy.

The 1949 team members were Ken Watson – skip, Grant Watson – third, Lyle Dyker – second and Charles Read – lead.  They played an undefeated record in provincial and national competitions.

In MCA Bonspiel competition the team won the Birks Dingwall Trophy (1947), the Grand Aggregate (1947), the City Hydro (1948) and the Henry Birks Trophy (1949).

The three teams were inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame in 2013. Four curlers from these championship teams are members of the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame: Ken Watson (1987) and Charlie Scrymgeour (1996) as Curler-Builders and Grant Watson (1992), and Lyle Dyker (1997) as Curlers.  Ken Watson is also a member of the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame (1969) and Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame (1980).

The 1930 and 1940 Canadian Men’s Champion Teams, skipped by Howard Wood Sr., represented the Granite Curling Club.

The 1930 team members were Howard Wood Sr. – skip, Jimmy Congalton – third, Vic Wood – second, Lionel Wood – lead.

They won the Manitoba British Consols Provincial Championship; after Manitoba Bonspiel wins that included the Grand Aggregate, Shea Trophy and Ganong Event.

At the Macdonald Brier Dominion Championship, after round robin play, Manitoba finished tied with Alberta for first place with a 7W – 2L record.  The Wood team won the playoff.  This marked the third time in four years the Brier Trophy returned to Manitoba.

The 1940 team members were Howard Wood Sr. – skip, Ernie Pollard – third, Howard Wood Jr. – second, Roy Enman – lead.

At the Macdonald Brier Championship, held in Winnipeg, the veteran Manitoba skip led his team to an undefeated 9W – 0L record.  This marked the first time that play was conducted outside Toronto; and were an unqualified success! This team also won the Grand Aggregate and Dingwall Trophy at the Manitoba Bonspiel.

The 1930 team and the 1940 team were both inducted into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame in 2019.

Individually, four of these champion curlers are members of the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame in the curler category.  Howard Wood Sr. (1988),  Jim Congalton (1997), Vic Wood (2006) and Ernie Pollard (2003).  Howard Wood Sr. is also a member of the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame (1981).

Wood – 1930 & 1940 TEAMS
Canadian Champions
Inducted 2012