Kaitlyn Lawes • Rob Meakin • Isla Hagborg • Garry DeBlonde Pidzarko 1974 Team • Fallis 1981 Team
Lawes, Kaitlyn
OLYMPIC CURLER
Inducted 2019
In 2019, a new category was established to recognize the Olympic Mixed Doubles gold medal accomplishment of Kaitlyn Lawes. In the future, any Manitoba curler who competes at the Olympics will be automatically considered for induction in the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame.
Kaitlyn Lawes is a ‘sure-bet’ future inductee in the individual curler category. However, her gold medal achievement was recognized in 2019 as she became the first curler to win consecutive gold medals and with her partner John Morris, she became the first to win two Olympic curling gold medals. Lawes has already been inducted into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame with the Jennifer Jones and Paralympian Dennis Thiessen for their Gold Medal performances at the 2014 Olympics & Paralympics.
Rob Meakin won a world championship in 1995 in Brandon, playing second for Kerry Burtnyk. Meakin is a four time Manitoba champion. In 1988, as second for Jeff Stoughton, he won a Canadian Mixed title. They returned to defend the title in 1989 finishing second. Meakin’s Brier record is identical – a championship with Burtnyk in 1995 and a finalist finish in 2001. He was previously inducted into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame with both the 1988 Stoughton and 1995 Burtnyk teams.
Meakin, Rob
CURLER
Inducted 2019
Hagborg, Isla
BUILDER
Inducted 2019
Isla Hagborg was President of the Manitoba Ladies Curling Association in 1988-89. Prior to her service to the MLCA, which began in 1981, she had been a dedicated club volunteer as well as a junior curling and district-level organizer. During her time on the MLCA executive, while representing Manitoba at the Canadian level, she was directly involved in the movement to amalgamate the CLCA and CCA. After her time on the MLCA Board, she served as Chair of the Winnipeg Board of Directors for the 1991 World Curling Championships. Isla Hagborg is an Honourary Life Member of the Warren Curling Club (1988) and of the MLCA (1990).
Garry DeBlonde had competitive success with Manitoba championships in Mixed, Men’s and Senior Men’s play. At the same time, he played a key role in teaching the game to others.
He is a four-time Manitoba Mixed champion with Ernie Boushy consecutively from 1964 to 1967 with Canadian titles in ’64 and ’66. He won the Manitoba Men’s in 1976 (with Clare DeBlonde) and in 1980 (with Earle Morris) and was a Brier finalist in 1976. He won the Manitoba Senior Men’s in 1998 (again with Clare DeBlonde) and again had a runner-up finish at Nationals.
In addition to his competitive career, Garry was a Curl Canada National Course Instructor (1975-80), Manitoba’s Curl Canada Coordinator (1978-80), the CCA’s National Technical Director (1980-86 and 1988-90), Calgary Olympic Team Program Coordinator (1986-88) & Canada Olympic Team Coach/Manager (1988).
He is an Honourary Life Member of the Heather Curling Club and Manitoba Curling Association (1986) as well as being previously inducted into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame and Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame with the Ernie Boushy Mixed team. He was made a member of the Governor General’s Curling Club in 2013.
DeBlonde, Garry
CURLER-BUILDER
Inducted 2019
Fallis – 1981 TEAM Canadian Champions
Inducted 2019
The 1981 Canadian Junior Women’s Champions featured skip Karen Fallis (Porritt), with Karen Tresoor, Caroline Hunter, and Lynn Fallis (Morrow, Fallis-Kurz). It was a second consecutive championship for a team representing the Winnipeg Winter Club. The team had won the 1980 Manitoba championship and in 1981 Karen Fallis moved up to skip while Karen Tresoor stepped in to replace Shannon Affleck.
They won the main event of the Christmas Junior Women’s Bonspiel. At the provincials, the Fallis team won the A-side final but lost a B-side semi-final. They rebounded to win the A-B final game and the provincial title. At the nationals, an 8W – 2L round robin record earned a first place tie with Ontario. Manitoban defeated Ontario in a playoff game to win the Canadian Championship.
Karen and Lynn were previously inducted into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame as individual curlers (2007) and as members of the Jeff Stoughton 1988-’89-’91 Mixed team.
(Prior to 1988, there was no World Junior Women’s championship – the Canadian championship was the highest possible level of competitive achievement)
The 1974 Canadian Junior Women’s Champions were the two-time defending provincial junior women’s champion team of skip Chris Pidzarko (More, Scalena), Cathy Pidzarko and Barb Rudolph with Patti Vande joining to replace Beth Brunsdon. They qualified for the provincials by winning the Christmas bonspiel’s main event and had a perfect 5W – 0L at the provincial championship. They posted a 9W – 1L record in winning the national junior women’s title.
Chris and Patti were both inducted into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame as individual curlers in 1994. All of the team members have been previously inducted with other teams: Chris, in 1995, with Connie Laliberte’s 1984 Women’s World Champion team; Chris, Cathy and Barb, in 2003, with Chris’ 1972 Canadian Junior Women’s champion team; and Cathy and Chris, in 2014, with Cathy’s 1978 Canadian Women’s champion team.
(Prior to 1988, there was no World Junior Women’s championship – the Canadian championship was the highest possible level of competitive achievement)
Pidzarko – 1974 TEAM Canadian Champions
Inducted 2019
Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame & Museum
We are volunteer driven not-for-profit organization dedicated to celebrating the sport and telling the stories of curling in Manitoba.