November 15, 2005

Gerald Shymko, the "friendly giant" from Calder, Saskatchewan, (supported by Aryn Schmidt, Ryan Sveinbjornson, and Steve Slupski) won the WHITES' DRUG STORE CLASSIC in Swan River, beating Vic Peters of Winnipeg Valour Road (with son Daley Peters, and Chris and Denni Neufeld on the front end) 7-6 in last night's final (Nov.14th).

The Shymko team earned $11,500 in topping a 28-team field. Peters received $6,500, while losing semi-finalists Dave Boehmer of Petersfield and Steve Laycock of Saskatoon picked up $4,500 apiece. Losing in the quarter finals was worth $3,500 each to Dave Smith of Valour Road, Brent Scales of Swan River, Allan Lyburn of Brandon, and David Hamblin of Morris (eight qualifiers).

November 14, 2005

Peter Nicholls of Elmwood and Janet Harvey of Fort Rouge were crowned as the men's and women's winners in the EAST ST. PAUL CASH SPIEL last night (Nov.13th).

With Dean Dunstone at fourth, and his front end of Travis Graham and Wayne Sigurdson, Nicholls defeated David Bohn of Valour Road 5-3 in the men's final. Harvey, supported by Jill Thurston, Cherie-Ann Loder, and Carey Burgess, had to go to an extra end to subdue Karen Porritt of St. Vital 9-8 in the women's final.

Nicholls earned $4,500, Bohn $2,500, losing semi-finalists Wayne Ewasko of Beausejour and Grant Steski of East St. Paul $1,500 each, and the losers in the quarter-finals, Randy Neufeld of La Salle, Trevor Buchanan of Argyle, plus Randy Dutiaume and Mark Lukowich, both of Valour Road, picked up $750 each (32 teams--8 qualifiers). Curtis Joyal of Springfield won the Consolation event and $750.

Harvey's team received $2,500, Porritt $1,200, losing semi-finalists Shauna Streich of Fort Rouge and Patti Burtnyk of Stonewall $800 apiece, and those losing in the quarter-finals, Barb Spencer and Darcy Robertson of Fort Rouge, Lois Fowler of Brandon and Lori Boudreau of Thistle, earned $400 each (16 teams -- 8 qualifiers).

November 10, 2005

The separation of personnel on the 2005 Manitoba Curling Tour men's championship team has prompted a special playoff to be held on Wednesday, November 23rd, at 8:00 p.m., at Winnipeg's Thistle Curling Club.

Skip Renaud Gagne now is the third on Brent Braemer's team from Assiniboine Memorial, while Chris Suchy, Hub Perrin, and Brad Hawkins are aligned with Mark Lukowich at Valour Road Curling Club.

A previous MCT decision resolved that a playoff between the 2005 and 2006 men's champions would be held in January to fill the tour berth in the Safeway Select in Steinbach. The 2006 MCT Championships will be held in Swan River January 6th-8th, and if the men's champion is eligible it will meet the winner of the Braemer-Lukowich match in that playoff at a time and place to be determined.

F.M.I.-- Bob Picken; MCT Coordinator, E-mail - [email protected]

November 8, 2005

Randy Neufeld and his team from La Salle (Charlie Salina, Birk Cramer, and Scott Podolsky) won the KEN KURBIS MEMORIAL GALAXY BONSPIEL at Rossmere Country Club, beating Rob Cosens of West St. Paul 9-3 in last night's final (Nov.7th).

Neufeld's team earned $4,000 in topping the 32-team field. Cosens picked up $2,000, and curled his best in pounding Vic Peters of Valour Road 10-4 in the semi-finals; Neufeld was a 5-3 winner over Rob Atkins of East St. Paul.

Peters and Atkins received $830 each, while losing quarter-finalists Wes Jonasson of Arborg, Dave Tonnellier of Valour Road, Jeff Tarko of Fort Rouge, and Ryland Young of Springfield earned $500 (8 qualifiers).

November 7, 2005

John Salo of Thunder Bay (with Brian Adams, Jr., Jonas Dupuis, and Justin McCarville) won the LAKE OF THE WOODS DAYS INN CASH SPIEL, beating Murray Woodward of Ste. Anne 10-6 in the final (Nov.6th) in Kenora.

Salo's Port Arthur Curling Club team earned $5,400 (including $400 in the Skills Shootout) in topping the 12-team field in a three-group round robin plus three-team playoffs. Woodward received $3,000 for reaching the final, while Chris Galbraith of Stonewall settled for $1,500, losing 5-4 to Woodward in the semi-final.

November 1, 2005

The Brad Heidt team from Kerrobert, Saskatchewan, won the premier men's event on the Manitoba Curling Tour, earning $15,000 in the inaugural MEYERS NORRIS PENNY PRAIRIE CLASSIC in Portage la Prairie last night (Oct. 31st).

An outstanding shot by Heidt's third Joel Jordison on the 10th end set up a winning three points and a 6-4 victory over Ryan Fry of Winnipeg's Valour Road club in the cashspiel final. Brent Gedak and Mitch Heidt (the skip's 20-year-old son) are the front end of the Saskatchewan team.

Fry earned $9,000, while losing semi-finalists Glenn Howard of Coldwater, Ontario, and Virden's Graham Freeman picked up $6,000 apiece. Reaching the quarter-finals ($4,000 each) were Dean Joanisse of Victoria, B.C., Thomas Ulsrud of Norway, Don Spriggs of Portage, and Ralph Stockli of Switzerland (32 teams--8 qualifiers).

October 31, 2005

Ian Beavis of Morden (with Steve Friesen, Ken Friesen, and James Pearce) won the HAMIOTA MEN'S CASH SPIEL (Sunday, Oct.30th), a long time fixture on the Manitoba tour.

Beavis earned $4,000 for an 8-6 extra end victory over Allan Lawn of Hamiota ($2,000) in the final. Trevor Loreth of St. Vital and Lawrence Daniel of Hamiota ($1,000 apiece) lost in the semi-finals (16 teams--four qualifiers).

October 25, 2005

The 17th edition of the Lloyd Gunnlaugson Memorial Senior Bonspiel is another feature on the curling scene in Winnipeg, starting tomorrow (Wednesday, Oct. 26th) with draws at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. at the Asham Arena.

The Gunnlaugson spiel has been a fixture at Valour Road (now known as the Asham Arena) since the three-time Canadian Senior champion passed away in 1988.

Carl German of East St. Paul and Joyce McDougall of Souris will be back to defend the titles won in 2004, in a field of 28 men's teams and 12 in the women's division, for a total purse of $10,000.

Other former championship skips in this year's cashspiel are Clare De Blonde, Len Jackson, and Ron Westcott of Winnipeg, Lorne Hamblin of Morris, and Jean Garbolinsky of Minnedosa. A new addition is Lois Fowler of Brandon, who will play in senior as well as women's ranks this season.

The Gunnlaugson event (double knockout - three game guarantee) will continue through to Sunday (Oct. 30th) at the Asham Arena.

(F.M.I.-- Bob Picken, (204) 489-8642;E-mail - [email protected]

October 24, 2005

Reigning Canadian champion Jennifer Jones of the St. Vital Curling Club in Winnipeg (with Cathy Overton-Clapham, Jill Officer, and Georgina Wheatcroft) won seven straight games, and captured the premier women's event on the Manitoba tour at the Fort Rouge Curling Club (Monday, Oct.24th).

Jones wiped out a 3-0 deficit, and roared back to score a 7-6 victory over Shannon Kleibrink of Calgary in the final of the CASINOS OF WINNIPEG WOMEN'S CLASSIC, earning $14,000. Kleibrink settled for runner-up money in the event for the second year in a row, worth $9,000.

Janet Harvey of Fort Rouge and Krista Scharf of Thunder Bay ($5,000 apiece) lost in the semi-finals, while American champion Cassie Johnson of Bemidji, Minnesota, 2005 world champion Anette Norberg of Sweden, Sherry Anderson of Delisle, Saskatchewan, and Karen Porritt of St. Vital were the losing quarter-finalists ($3,000 each)(32 teams-8 qualifiers).

October 23, 2005

Kelly Skinner's home town foursome (with Darcy Hayward, Dale Wallace, and Trevor Taylor) won the men's division of the GUILD INSURANCE BROKERS OCTOBER CLASSIC (Sunday, Oct.23rd) at the Brandon Curling Club.

Skinner earned $3,200 in the final in an 8-end Skins Game format, topping Don Spriggs of Portage (with Dean Moxham, Barry Pugh, and Dale Michie), who received $1,800. Both teams won four skins, but Skinner clinched the victory by winning the pivotal final end.

In the Senior men's division of the Brandon spiel, Brian Moffatt of Brandon defeated Doug Harrison of Winnipeg's Granite club 6-5 in an extra end final, to earn a total of $3,500. Harrison picked up $2,500; Carl German of East St. Paul ($1,375) and Brian Fowler of Brandon ($1,625) lost in the semi-finals, while Barry Fry of the Granite and Ron Westcott of Fort Rouge were quarter-final losers ($1,000 each)--(all including $125 per round robin win).

October 16, 2005

Vic Peters of Valour Road (with son Daley, Chris and Denni Neufeld) made his first bonspiel of the season a winning one, capturing the men's division of the AGRICORE UNITED CLASSIC in Beausejour. The women's title went to the Swiss foursome of Mirjam (meer-yam) Ott, a team competing in Manitoba for two MCT events.

Peters drew the four-foot-circle with his last stone to nip Ryan Fry of Valour Road 7-6 in the men's final Sunday night (Oct.16th), earning $3,500. Fry's team, with Don Nelson from Dave Smith's foursome playing second, picked up $1,740 for its runner-up finish.

Dean Zammit of West Kildonan and Scott McFadyen of Assiniboine Memorial ($1,000 each), lost in the semi-finals, while Trevor Loreth of St. Vital and Reid Carruthers of Valour Road ($700 apiece) bowed out in the quarter-finals (24 teams-6 qualifiers).

Ott's team from Flims in Switzerland (with Binia Beeli, Valeria Spaelty, and Michele Moser) denied a third straight MCT win for Barb Spencer of Fort Rouge, staging a late rally to pull out an 8-7 victory, worth $1,200 in the women's final. Spencer's last rock draw attempt on an extra end wrecked on a guard. Her team earned $700, while losing semi-finalists Linda Stewart of Swan River and Rhonda Varnes of Stonewall received $450 each (12 teams-4 qualifiers).

The Ott quartet will try for more cash in the CASINOS OF WINNIPEG WOMEN'S CLASSIC, upcoming later this week (Oct.21-24th) at Winnipeg's Fort Rouge club. Also on the MCT schedule is the GUILD INSURANCE BROKERS OCTOBER CLASSIC in Brandon (Oct.21-23rd), with 8-team men's and 24-team senior men's divisions.

October 11, 2005

Jeff Stoughton of Charleswood and Janet Harvey of Fort Rouge skipped their teams to victory in the inaugural ASHAM 8-ENDER OPEN, held at the former Valour Road Curling Club in Winnipeg. Stoughton (with Jonathan Mead, Garry Van Den Berghe, and Steve Gould) won seven out of eight starts, including a 7-4 victory over Mark Lukowich of Valour Road in the men's final at the Asham Arena. The win was worth $10,000 to Stoughton, who also captured the Manitoba Lotteries Wheat City Classic to start the MCT circuit two weeks ago.

Lukowich earned $6,000, while losing semi-finalists Graham Freeman of Virden and Sean Grassie of Deer Lodge picked up $4,400 apiece. Dave Smith of Valour Road, Doug Riach of St. Vital, Allan Lyburn of Brandon, and Brent Scales of Swan River received $3,600 each in losing in the quarter-finals, while Reid Carruthers of Valour Road earned $2,400 for reaching the playoff extra series (24 teams-9 qualifiers).

In the women's division, Harvey (with Jill Thurston, Cherie-Ann Loder, and Carey Burgess) had a perfect 5-0 record, beating Linda Stewart of Swan River 7-1 in the final to earn $1,800. Stewart took home $1,160, losing semi-finalists Karen Porritt and Marlene Lang, both of St. Vital, $800 apiece.

October 10, 2005

The nine playoff qualifiers are set in the men's division of the ASHAM 8-ENDER OPEN at the completion of play at the Asham Arena (Valour Road Curling Club) last night (Sunday).

Jeff Stoughton of Charleswood, Reid Carruthers of Valour Road, and Doug Riach of St. Vital were the last three qualifiers, and competed in a 3-way draw-to-the-button shootout for playoff positions. Stoughton won it with 15 points to 14 for Carruthers and 13 for Riach.

As a result, Carruthers will meet Riach in an extra series playoff match at 9:00 a.m., the winner to advance to the quarter-finals at 12 noon to meet Mark Lukowich of Valour Road. The other 12 noon pairings are Dave Smith of Valour Road against Stoughton, Graham Freeman of Virden meeting Allan Lyburn of Brandon, and Brent Scales of Swan River versus Sean Grassie of Deer Lodge.

Two qualifying matches in the women's division are slated for 9:00 a.m., Marlene Lang of St. Vital against Tracey Lavery of Fort Garry and Karen Porritt of St. Vital versus Brandon's Lois Fowler. Waiting to meet the winners in the 3 o'clock semi-finals are Linda Stewart of Swan River and Janet Harvey of Fort Rouge.

The draw at 3:00 and finals at 7 'clock will wrap it up as they shoot for total prize money of $46,160 in the two divisions of the MCT event.

October 4, 2005

Barbara Spencer's Fort Rouge team chalked up a second straight victory on the Manitoba Curling Tour, winning the women's division of the STEELTOWN FORD CLASSIC in Selkirk last night (Oct.3rd).

Spencer (with Chelsea Carey, Kim Keizer and Barb Enright) followed up her win in the Manitoba Lotteries Wheat City Classic a week ago by winning five straight games in Selkirk, earning $2,500. They defeated Connie Shepell of Fort Garry 8-3 in the women's final. Shepell's team earned $1,000.

Janet Harvey of Fort Rouge and Allison Nimik of Victoria earned $530 each for reaching the women's semi-finals (16 teams-four qualifiers).

The men's title in Selkirk went to the Peter Nicholls foursome from Elmwood. With Kyle Werenich playing fourth, and Travis Graham and Wayne Sigurdson on the front end, Nicholls beat Peter Pruden's team from Petersfield (skipped by Dave Boehmer) 10-7 in the final. Nicholls earned $3,000 for the win, while the Pruden quartet picked up $1,300.

Carl German of East St. Paul and Wes Jonasson of Arborg received $610 apiece for their semi-final finish (16 teams-four qualifiers).

October 3, 2005

The semi-final qualifiers have been determined in the SELKIRK STEELTOWN CLASSIC as a result of last night's play (Oct.2nd).

In the men's division, Peter Pruden of Petersfield and Carl German of East St. Paul won three straight games to qualify in the "A" event. The "B" event went to Peter Nicholls of Elmwood, who beat Brent Braemer of Assiniboine-Memorial 4-2 in the final; the "C" event winner was Wes Jonasson of Arborg, who eliminated Rich Muntain of St. Vital   8-4.

Tonight's (Oct.3rd) 6 o'clock semi-finals will send Pruden against Jonasson, and German will meet Nicholls, with the men's final to follow at 9 o'clock.

In the women's division, Barb Spencer of Fort Rouge and Allison Nimik of Victoria won three straight to qualify in the "A" event. The "B" event was won by Connie Shepell of Valour Road, who topped Kristy Jenion of St. Vital 9-4 in the final; the "C" event winner was Janet Harvey of Fort Rouge, a 9-2 winner over clubmate Darcy Robertson.

Spencer meets Harvey and Nimik goes against Shepell in the women's semi-finals at 6 p.m. tonight, the final to follow at 9 p.m.

September 25, 2005

The Jeff Stoughton team from Charleswood (with Jonathan Mead, Steve Gould, and Don Harvey) (Garry Van Den Berghe is out with a rib injury), won the men's division of the MANITOBA LOTTERIES WHEAT CITY CLASSIC, the opening event of the season (Sept.25th), beating Steve Laycock of Saskatoon 7-5 in the final at the Wheat City Curling Club in Brandon.

Brent Scales of Swan River and Dave Boehmer of Petersfield lost in the semi-finals, while Mike McEwen of Brandon, Murray Woodward of Ste. Anne, Steve Petryk of Calgary, and Graham Freeman of Virden lost in the quarter-finals (24 teams--8 qualifiers).

Barb Spencer of Fort Rouge (with Chelsea Carey, Kim Keizer, and Barb Enright) won the women's division in Brandon, topping Jennifer Jones of St. Vital 10-5 in the final. Lois Fowler of Brandon and Jolene McIvor of Regina lost in the semi-finals (8 teams--4 qualifiers).

September 15, 2005

The Manitoba Curling Tour is set to start its 15th season, with 22 events and a total of $493,140 in cash purses. The schedule begins with the Manitoba Lotteries Wheat City Classic in Brandon next Thursday (Sept.22-25) to Sunday.

The tour has added two new events this season, the Courtesy Freight Curling Classic in Thunder Bay and The Skins Game At Grand Marais. The Lake of the Woods Days Inn Cash Spiel in Kenora is back after a one-year absence due to ice plant upgrading, and the Wheat City Classic has added an 8-team women's division.

In addition, the former Labatt Valour Road Cash Spiel has been expanded to include play at both the Asham Arena (Valour Road) and West Kildonan clubs in Winnipeg in men's and women's divisions, and has been re-named the Asham 8-ender Open. The MCT also has retained the former McCain SuperSpiel West in Portage, now entitled the Meyers Norris Penney Prairie Classic. The Aseneskak Classic in The Pas has been suspended, but all other events have returned for another season.

"We're always pleased to have curling interest in our tour from Northwestern Ontario," said Andy Stewart, MCT president. "It also is a boost to see the expansion of the Valour Road spiel under the influence of Arnold Asham, and to see a major curling event continue in Portage."

The 2005 MCT men's championship team has separated, with skip Renaud Gagne joining Brent Braemer, while Chris Suchy, Hub Perrin and Brad Hawkins will team up with Mark Lukowich. As a result, a playoff between those teams will be scheduled in November to determine an opponent to meet the 2006 MCT champion for a berth in the 2006 provincial Safeway Select. Both the Braemer and Lukowich teams will be curling this season in the new Valour Road Curling Club Super League on Tuesday nights at the Asham Arena.

This season's Labatt MCT Championships are slated for Swan River, with some preliminary draws in neighboring Bowsman, January 6th-8th, 2006, with a 24-team men's and a 12-team women's division. The potential extra men's playoff against either Braemer or Lukowich would be held prior to the start of the MCA bonspiel (January 19th, 2006).

The qualifying process for the tour championships is unchanged. Each cashspiel champion will be eligible, and teams will be added as required from non-winners that are highest in money earnings on the MCT to complete the men's and women's fields.

A total of 12 MCT cashspiels have been identified as events at which CCA Canadian Team Ranking System (CTRS) points may be earned, based on the size of their purses. They are the men's division of the Manitoba Lotteries Wheat City Classic, the men's division of the Asham 8-ender Open, the Casinos of Winnipeg Women's Classic, the Hamiota Men's Cash Spiel, the Meyers Norris Penny Prairie Classic, the Lake of the Woods Days Inn Cash Spiel, the Whites' Drug Store Classic, the Agricore United Oiltown Classic, the Pharmasave Gimli Classic, the men's and women's divisions of the Interlake Pharmacy Classic, the Courtesy Freight Curling Classic, and the Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy Cash Spiel.

F.M.I.-- BOB PICKEN, MCT Co-ordinator.
Phone -- (204) 489-8642;
E-mail -- [email protected]
 

September 1, 2005

The 2005-06 MCT schedule has been finalized, with a total of 22 events including the 2006 MCT Championships in Swan River-Bowsman on January 6th-8th. New features are the return of the Lake of the Woods Days Inn Cash Spiel after a one-year absence, plus addition of the Courtesy Freight Curling Classic in Thunder Bay and The Skins Game At Grand Marais. The tour's opening event, the Manitoba Lotteries Wheat City Classic in Brandon, now has a women's division. Two major adjustments are the expansion of the men's division of the Valour Road cashspiel and re-naming it The Asham 8-ender Open, and renewal of the former McCain SuperSpiel in Portage under new sponsorship and re-named the Meyers Norris Penny Prairie Classic.  There also is one deletion -- the Aseneskak Casino Classic in The Pas will not be held this season.

September 1, 2005

Notice has been received from the Canadian Curling Association requesting TEAMS AND ELIGIBLE EVENTS to register for the Canadian Team Ranking System (CTRS) to collect or remit points. The process is without fees and the information is protected by CCA privacy policy.

To register your team, go to --
http://www.curling.ca/championships/ctrs/registration.asp
To register your event, go to --
http://www.curling.ca/championships/ctrs/event_registration.asp

The MCT has identified 12 of its cashspiels eligible for CTRS event registration by the CCA, based on the size of their purses. They are the Wheat City men's division, the Asham 8-ender Open men's division, the Casinos of Winnipeg Women's Classic, the Hamiota Men's Cash Spiel, the Meyers Norris Penny Prairie Classic, the Lake of the Woods Days Inn Cash Spiel, the Whites' Drug Store Classic, the Agricore United Oiltown Classic, the Pharmasave Gimli Classic, the men's and women's divisions of the Interlake Pharmacy Classic, the Courtesy Freight Curling Classic, and the Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy Cash Spiel.

June 7, 2005

After a one year absence due to updating of the ice plant at the Kenora Curling Club, the Lake of the Woods Days Inn Cash Spiel will be back on the MCT this coming season. It will be held November 4-6th, with an entry fee of $600, a total purse of $13,100 and a top prize of $5,000.

May 16, 2005

The Wheat City Classic in Brandon will continue to be the lead-off event on the Manitoba Curling Tour. It will be held at the Wheat City Curling Club in Brandon Sept. 22-26th, 2005, but will have a change in format for next season. An eight-team women's division will be added, to go with a 24-team men's section.

Formerly the McCain Super Spiel West, the newly entitled Meyers-Norris-Penny Prairie

Classic will extend the tradition of a major cashspiel on the MCT in Portage la Prairie.

It will be held on the usual weekend, Oct. 28-31st in 2005, with a $52,000 purse, and a breakdown of $15,000 for first, $9,000 for second, $6,000 each for third and fourth, and $4,000 for fifth to eighth place.

April 18, 2005

The MCT directors have approved the addition to the tour of the COURTESY FREIGHT CURLING CLASSIC in Thunder Bay for the 2005-06 season. With the expected return of the Lake of the Woods Days Inn Cash Spiel in Kenora, the tour now will have two events in Northwestern Ontario.

The Thunder Bay event is scheduled for Dec. 1-4, 2005, at the Port Arthur Curling Club.

It will be an open event (men and women) with up to 32 teams, an entry fee of $500,

and a purse of $17,500, with eight qualifiers and a top prize of $5,000.

Contact Clayton Shaw, (807) 767-1069 (res.),

email [email protected]

April 16, 2005

The Manitoba Curling Tour has announced a decision in regard to the division of

personnel on the 2005 men's championship team.

The foursome of Renaud Gagne, Chris Suchy, Hub Perrin, and Brad Hawkins of the

Ste. Anne Curling Club, won the 2005 men's MCT Championship in January of this

past season.

The non-monetary awards accruing with the title were a berth in the CCA Canada Cup

West Bonspiel in Edmonton next December, and a playoff against the 2006 MCT champion

(to be declared January 6-8, 2006, in Swan River) for a berth in the 2006 Manitoba

Safeway Select Championship, to be held next February in Steinbach.

Since the team won the 2005 MCT championship, it has dissolved, with Gagne joining Brent Braemer's team, and Suchy, Perrin, and Hawkins remaining together to curl for Mark Lukowich. Both factions applied to the Manitoba Curling Tour to retain the Canada Cup West Bonspiel berth and the position in the playoff for the Select berth.

The resulting MCT decision is based on (1) the CCA rule that states in qualifying for Canada Cup events a team must consist of three of the four original members, and (2) an MCT eligibility rule approved by curlers at the tour's annual meeting in 2001 stating that a team can qualify with either the skip, or three other members of the team.

On that basis, the MCT will recommend to the Canadian Curling Association that the Suchy-Perrin-Hawkins group (and Lukowich) receive the Canada Cup West Bonspiel berth. And, due to the impasse on eligibility, and in fairness to all four players on the original Gagne team, the MCT directors requested the two factions agree to curl in a playoff for the position in the playoff for the Select berth, and both have agreed to that compromise.

The Braemer-Lukowich playoff will be arranged by the MCT, likely to be held in the month of November, 2005, at a neutral venue.

F.M.I.-- Bob Picken,
MCT Co-ordinator.
Phone - (204) 489-8642;
E-mail - [email protected]
 

February 23, 2005

The Manitoba Curling Tour has announced that the 15th edition of the MCT Championships will be held January 6-8th, 2006, at the Swan River Curling Club.

The MCT board of directors approved the bid to stage the men's and women's tour wrap-up event in Swan River for a second time. It was highly successful when held previously in that venue in 2003.

The MCT Championships date back to 1991-92, when Vic Peters defeated Kerry Burtnyk 8-3 in the final at Winnipeg's Granite Curling Club. They also have been held at Valour Road, Wildewood, Selkirk, Portage, Dauphin, and this season were co-hosted by Ste. Anne and Steinbach. The MCT board is committed to the intention of moving the event around the province as a contribution to the promotion of curling.

A total of 24 men's and 12 women's teams will qualify for the tour championships through victories or earnings on the regular MCT schedule from September to December each season.

The 2005 prize purse was $26,000, and the winning Renaud Gagne and Liza Park teams also earned berths in the CCA Canada Cup West cashspiel, to be held in December this year. Gagne's team also is eligible for a playoff against the 2006 MCT men's division champion for an exemption into the Manitoba Safeway Select in February, 2006.


FOR MORE INFORMATION --
Bob Picken, MCT Co-ordinator - Phone: (204) 489-8642 Email: [email protected]

Marilyn Peters, Swan River Committee Email: [email protected]
 

January 10, 2005

The teams of Renaud Gagne of Ste. Anne and Liza Park of Brandon are the 2004-05 Labatt Manitoba Curling Tour champions.

Gagne won the men's division title at his home club in Ste. Anne last night (Sunday), beating James Kirkness of Fort Rouge 8-5 in the final. The victory was worth $7,000 to Gagne (with support from Chris Suchy, Hub Perrin, and Brad Hawkins), plus a berth in the Canada Cup West Bonspiel next December. The Gagne team also is assured of a playoff against next year's MCT champion for a spot in the 2006 provincial Safeway Select.

Kirkness earned $4,000; losing semi-finalists Murray Warren of Deloraine and Ryan Fry of St. Vital received $2,000 apiece, and for reaching the quarter-finals Dave Boehmer (now curling out of the Grain Exchange) and Chris Galbraith of Stonewall picked up $1,500 each (24 teams - 6 qualifiers).

Park's team (Jaimie Coxworth, Rhonda Ritchie and Heather Mowat) defeated Ainsley Champagne of Fort Rouge 5-3 in the women's final, earning $4,000 plus a berth in next December's Canada Cup West Bonspiel. Champagne settled for $2,000, and losing semi-finalists Barb Spencer of Fort Rouge and Patti Burtnyk of Stonewall each received $1,000 (12 teams - 4 qualifiers).

This was the 14th edition of the tour championship; it dates back to the 1991-92 season.

January 3, 2005

The annual meeting of the Manitoba Curling Tour is an informal session held at the site of the championships each year, and deals with tour procedures, recommendations to advance through our delegates to the Manitoba Curling Association, and others matters of general curling interest.

All MCT curlers, directors, officials, cashspiel chairs, and championship host committee representatives are invited to attend, and as usual, the meeting will be of short duration.

This year it will be on:

SATURDAY, JANUARY 8th, 2005, at 1:30 p.m.
STE. ANNE CURLING CLUB, UPPER CLUBROOMS

If you are unable to attend, but have any matters you would like to have discussed, please communicate with me ([email protected]) or phone (204) 489-8642, or with president Andy Stewart ([email protected]) or phone (204) 467-5609.

2004 News Articles