News Release: Hall of Fame 2022

Date: FEBRUARY 2, 2022

Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame Introduces 2022 Class

The 2022 class of inductees announced for honouring in 2022 by the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame includes a Builder, two Olympic Curlers, two Curlers, and four teams who made their mark in Canadian curling in the early years of the current century.

The 2022 class will be inducted along with the 2020 group, whose induction was postponed due to the pandemic, at an Induction and Fund-raising Dinner scheduled for May 14, 2022 at Canad Inns Destination Centre, Polo Park.

“It will be an expanded agenda from our usual induction dinner,” says MCHoF&M President Peter Nicholls. “We think that after nearly three years of pandemic pauses and shut-downs, the curling community is ready for a party. The combination of the two induction classes will create an opportunity for curling fans across several generations to get together with something special to celebrate.”

The May 14 date is a move to a Saturday evening function from the traditional Sunday evening timing, considered better timing for what could be a slightly longer evening of celebration.

The 2022 Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame Inductees will be:

BUILDER: Judy Brown – served as Manitoba Ladies Curling Association President in 1990-91 and was made an MLCA Honourary Life Member in 1992. Prior to election to the MLCA Board, she had been an executive volunteer and two-term President of the Grain Exchange Ladies and after serving at the MLCA, she was an executive volunteer and two-term President of the Wildewood Ladies. She served in a wide range of committee leadership positions on the MLCA Board for a decade beginning in 1984. In partnership with the MCA, the MLCA leadership group of which she was a part developed the original proposals for MLCA-MCA Amalgamation and also encouraged consideration of ‘thinking time’ as an alternative to ‘running time’ which was in use for game timing. During her term as President, she also served on the Board of Directors of the 1991 Winnipeg World Championship Committee. After leaving the MLCA Board, she continued on the Board of the Manitoba Curling Foundation. During her six years of leadership with the Foundation she served as President in 1994 and 1995. In the late 90’s she served on the committee which finalized the MLCA-MCA Amalgamation. In addition to volunteering at the executive level, for many years Judy volunteered as a time-keeper at cash bonspiels as well as provincial and national events.

CURLER: Keith Fenton – Between 1977 and 2011, Keith Fenton competed in 23 Manitoba championships at the Junior (2), Men’s (18), Senior Men’s (1), and Mixed (2) levels. As a career front-ender, he played on teams with Jeff Ryan, at either third or skip, and with skips Jeff Stoughton or Kerry Burtnyk in all but three of his provincial appearances. With Tim Dewart (and Ryan at third) his first trophy win was the second event of the 1977 Manitoba Junior Men’s bonspiel. He won the MCA Bonspiel Grand Aggregate with skip Jeff Ryan in 1981. He was with Stoughton for two provincial mixed and three provincial men’s appearances in the 1980’s, re-joined Ryan for three provincial men’s championship in the early 1990’s, and won his world championship with Burtnyk (and Ryan) in 1995 in the first year of seven consecutive remarkable years for the team. During the 7-year period, they won the MCA Grand Aggregate three times, the Manitoba Men’s twice, the Brier and the Worlds. They also made three other Manitoba Men’s final appearances and two Olympic Trials appearances, including a loss in the 2001 Trials final – the same year they also lost the Brier final. He made his last Manitoba Men’s championship appearance in 2008 with Vic Peters. That year he was named all-star lead for the third time. He had also been named all-star lead at the 1995 Worlds.

CURLER: Jeff Ryan – Perhaps best remembered as a part of the 1995 Kerry Burtnyk World Champion team, Jeff Ryan’s career spanned nearly four decades. It began at lead for Mark Olson in winning the 1976 Junior Men’s Bonspiel championship and ended in the familiar spot as third for Burtnyk in posting a 7W-3L record in his lone Manitoba Seniors appearance in 2011. In an era when winning the MCA Bonspiel Grand Aggregate was still one of the most prestigious accomplishments in all of curling, Jeff Ryan captured that prize a total of six times. He skipped his own team to the Aggregate and a win in one of the two main event finals in 1981. He won the Grand Aggregate again with Kerry Burtnyk in 1985 and 1986, in 1997 and 1998, and in 2001. In total, he made 16 Manitoba Men’s Championship appearances, five as skip of his own team and 11 as Burtnyk’s third. With Burtnyk, he won Manitoba twice; in 1995 enroute to the world title, and in 2001 when they lost the Brier final. His career men’s championship record was 75W – 40L at provincials, 21W – 7L at the Brier, and a perfect 11W – 0L at the world championship.

OLYMPIC CURLER: Carolyn Darbyshire – At the Vancouver Olympics in 2010, Carolyn Darbyshire was the second on Cheryl Bernard`s Silver Medal winning team. At the Roar of the Rings Trials, a 7W – 1L record, including a final game victory over Shannon Kleibrink, earned them the opportunity to be Team Canada at home in the Vancouver Olympics. An 8W – 1L round-robin record earned them top spot in the standings. They defeated Switzerland in the semi-final but lost to defending Olympic Champion Anette Norberg of Sweden in the gold medal game. While she has curled mainly in Alberta, Darbyshire`s first national appearance came as a member of the 1985 Manitoba Scotties champion team, from Portage la Prairie, skipped by her mother Merline.

OLYMPIC CURLER: Ryan Fry – At the Sochi Olympic Games in 2014, Ryan Fry won his Olympic Gold Medal. As third for Team Brad Jacobs, qualifying through the Road to the Roar pre-trials created seemingly unstoppable momentum. They were perfect (7W – 0L) in the Roar of the Rings Trials and earned a bye to the final, where they defeated Team John Morris. At the Sochi Olympics, a 7W – 2L round-robin record carried them to the playoffs. Playoff wins over China (10-6) and Great Britain (9-3) earned them Canada`s third straight Gold Medal. Before moving out-of-province, Fry skipped back-to-back Manitoba Junior champion teams in 1996 and 1997 and went to the Brier as third for Jeff Stoughton in 2007.

TEAM: 2001 Canadian Senior Champion Team – Granite (Gary Ross, Winston Warren, Gary Smith, Ken Orr) – Team Ross won the Canadian championship in their second year competing together as a team. At the 2000 Manitoba Seniors, they had reached the playoffs but lost in the second playoff game to post a 5W – 3L record. The next year saw them win the championship with a 7W – 2L record. At the Canadian Seniors, where Ross was named second team all-star skip, they had a 10W – 3L record and won the championship. For Ross and Orr it was the first, and only, championship of their careers. Ross was previously inducted into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame as a Curler in 2005. For Smith, it was a second senior title in a career which saw him add three Masters titles. He was inducted into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame as a Curler-Builder in 2003. For Warren, who has a total of seven Manitoba championships in Mixed, Men’s, Senior’s and Masters’ competition, it was the first of two championships won in the same season – a very rare accomplishment in Manitoba curling. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a Curler in 2002. (Posthumous induction – Gary Smith)

TEAM: 2001 Canadian Master’s Champion Team – Granite (Barry Fry, Don Duguid, Winston Warren, Barry Coleman) – The 2001 Canadian Masters Championship, at the Fort Garry CC, created  an opportunity for Barry Fry and Don Duguid to win the last championship of their illustrious careers at home in Winnipeg. They had won Seniors titles together in 1992, 1994, and 1995. In 2001 they teamed with Barry Coleman, who had been with them in winning the Seniors in 1992, and with Winston Warren. Coleman and Warren had won the Manitoba Seniors together in 1988 and came within a game of winning the Canadian title.

Winston Warren had already won the 2001 Manitoba Seniors when they went to the provincial Masters in Souris. They posted a perfect 9W – 0L record at provincials and went on to win the Canadian title with a 6W – 2L record. For both Fry and Duguid, it is a fourth Hall of Fame induction; Fry as a Curler in 1994 and with his 1973 Mixed (in 2013). and 1979 Men’s (in 2014). teams, Duguid as a Curler in 1999, with his 1970 & 1971 team (in 1987), and with Terry Braunstein’s 1965 team (in 2013). Warren was inducted as a Curler in 2002. (Posthumous induction – Barry Fry)

TEAM: 2002 Canadian Senior Champion Team – East St. Paul (Carl German, Ray Fillion, Brian Copeland, Ray McDougall) & World Senior Silver Medalists (Ron Westcott, Ray Fillion, Brian Copeland, Ray McDougall) – In 2002, in their first year together, Team German was perfect (9W – 0L) in winning the Manitoba Senior Men’s and near-perfect (11W – 2L) at the Canadian championship. Carl German was named the all-star skip and Ray Fillion was named the all-star third at the Canadian championship.

When German was ineligible to attend the inaugural World Senior Championships in Bismarck, ND due to differing age standards for Senior competition at the Canadian and World levels, Westcott joined the team and led them to a 4W – 2L round-robin record. They defeated Sweden in a tie-breaker semi-final but lost to the United States in the gold medal game. The German team stayed together as a unit for two more seasons. In 2004 they won the McDiarmid Lumber Bonspiel and had a 5W – 4L record at the provincials. Westcott was inducted into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame as a Curler in 2016.

TEAM: 2002 Canadian Master’s Champion Team – Lac du Bonnet (Ken Grove, John Usackis, Bob Lesko, Richard Schroeder) & Manitoba Masters Champions (Orest Meleschuk, John Usackis, Bob Lesko, Richard Schroeder) – In their lone appearance as a team, skipped by Orest Meleschuk, they won the Manitoba Masters championship with an 8W -1L record. Meleschuk was unable, due to health, to compete at the nationals.

Ken Grove, who had won the 2000 Manitoba Seniors, was recruited to fill in at skip. Their 7W – 2L record earned them the Canadian title. Meleschuk was previously inducted as a Curler (in 2011) and with his 1972 team (in 1991). Usackis was previously inducted as a Curler (in 2008). (Posthumous induction – Ken Grove, Bob Lesko)

Also to be honoured at the May 14 dinner will be the class of inductees announced in January of 2020, including Builder Resby Coutts; Curlers Vic Peters, Chris Neufeld, and Karen Purdy; as well as the 1984 Darcy Kirkness (Robertson) Canadian Junior Champions and the 2011 Jeff Stoughton World Champions. Builder Ernie Oliver was formally inducted in September at the Manitoba Stick Curling Association AGM.