Curling Canada Stories

By Mario Annicchiarico Gaétan Lavallée’s motto is there are no barriers in life and everything is possible, which suits the 51-year-old to a tee. Gaétan Lavallée delivers a shot during the Caledonia Cup   Having lived with muscular dystrophy for the last 17 years, the Quebec resident hasn’t allowed the ... read more

When Owen Tester was considering which college to attend there were a few requirements on his list. He was looking for a solid education and overall enjoyable post-secondary experience. But he also wanted something else from school – the chance to win a national curling championship. So the 20-year-old from ... read more

When Ottawa’s Cameron Goodkey signed up for a Learn to Curl progam at the local Sportsplex five years ago, he had no idea that the skills he absorbed through that introduction to the sport would lead surprisingly quickly to a special moment: hoisting the trophy at the 2019 U SPORTS/Curling ... read more

This week, John sits down with Matthew Hall, the reigning World Junior champion (playing second on Team Tyler Tardi) and multi-time Ontario champion (as skip) at the junior level. Matthew heads back to Ontario after a successful year in B.C., and before he did that, sat down for an interview ... read more

SILKEBORG, Denmark — Team Canada’s record has levelled out at 2-2 after a 7-5 setback to Japan’s Seina Nakajima at the 2019 LGT World Women’s Curling Championship, presented by Pioneer Hi-Bred. Chelsea Carey’s Calgary team — rounded by by vice-skip Sarah Wilkes, second Dana Ferguson, lead Rachel Brown, alternate Jill ... read more

Cathy MacCallum finds it hard to believe that her efforts to improve ice conditions at her little curling club in Lacolle, Que., have resulted in recognition by Curling Canada as the 2017-18 Volunteer of the Year. “To be honest, I was surprised and thrilled at the same time,” says the ... read more

Jon Thurston is mastering his abilities on both ice and water. The Dunsford, Ont., all-around athlete has his bases covered when it comes to the variety of sports he plays. His openness and involvement in all sports present him with the unique opportunity to represent Canada at a world championship ... read more

This week, John sits down with Selena Sturmay, the first junior ladies’ skip to go undefeated at the Canadian Juniors since Rachel Homan did it in 2010 and only the fifth ladies team to ever do so at a Canadian Juniors. Selena also won the Alberta Juniors in 2016 as ... read more

This week, John sits down with his first-ever international guest, Matt Hamilton! Matt won an Olympic gold medal with Team Shuster in 2018 and is a former World Junior champion to go along with his three World Championship appearances. Matt also gained some notoriety during the Olympics for his mustache ... read more

It started as a suggestion from a club curler in Ontario and now it’s spreading to Member Associations across the country. The Curling Canada Hit Draw Tap competition for kids is hitting the big time, including showcasing a couple of provincial finals in front of the crowd at both the ... read more

This week, John sits down with Shannon Birchard, the Scotties and World Champion and two-time Canadian Junior finalist from Winnipeg, Man. Shannon is currently playing on the “all skips” foursome of Kerri Einarson, Val Sweeting, Briane Meilleur, and herself, and they’ve had a ton of success on the World Curling ... read more

When the 2018 Travelers Curling Club Championship wrapped up last weekend at the Miramichi Curling Club in Miramichi, N.B., the event’s success resonated far beyond the hard-won medals on the ice. “After four years of overseeing this event, I have to say this was among the best,” says Robyn Mattie, ... read more

Curling clubs are always looking for ways to attract and retain members, and that can be especially tough for curling facilities affiliated with golf or country clubs, where the pressure to deliver on membership is even stronger. But the Ottawa Hunt Club has found a way to meet the challenge: ... read more

This week, John sits down with Kirk Muyres, the 2011 Canadian Junior champion, the 2018 Canadian Mixed Doubles champion, 2018 World Mixed Doubles bronze medallist, and a 4-time Brier participant with one Brier bronze medal. Kirk is now skipping his own team of brothers, with his own brother Dallan at ... read more

This week, John sits down with the newly-minted Laura Walker (formerly Crocker), a Canadian Junior Champion, World silver and bronze medallist in Juniors and Mixed Doubles, respectively, and the first-ever winner of the Curling World Cup in Mixed Doubles, with her partner Kirk Muyres. Laura’s set to debut a brand-new ... read more