Curler’s Corner is a column written by the Kamloops Curling Club’s Randy Nelson. This column will highlight moments of Tournament Capital curling history and noteworthy athletes from over the decades.

Every curler knows that having good ice to play on is a special treat.

Making good ice is mostly a science combined with years of experience, listening skills and a willingness to learn. Kamloops currently has one of the best ice makers anywhere in Mike Merklinger and his crew.

When the current Kamloops Curling facility was built in 1949, Douglas (Bus) Ellis came forward and started making the ice.

Bus was born in Vanderhoof, but moved to Kamloops where his dad was the game warden. Like many young men in Kamloops, Bus joined the war effort. He was a gunner on a destroyer that helped protect merchant fleets.

After returning from the war at age 25, Bus leased some crown land, bought a book on how to build a log cabin and built a hunting and fishing lodge at Caverhill Lake, northeast of Barriere. Five years later Bus built a second lodge on Bonaparte Lake. He also guided hunters and fishers throughout the years.

Larry Loney, the current owner (along with his wife Marlene) of Caverhill Lodge, said Bus was a very successful guide and moose hunter. Larry went on a moose hunt with Bus, who was 88 at the time. Bus shot a moose and Larry said his job was always to start a fire and boil some tea while Bus dealt with the moose. (I wish I had a moose hunting partner like Bus).

The lodges kept him busy during the summer and fall, but Bus wanted to be busy year-round. The job as an ice technician for the Kamloops Curling Club came along shortly after it was built in 1949.

Bus made the ice on and off over the next 25 years. His expertise was utilized for many larger events where arena ice was converted to curling.

In 1983, he was given an award for the great ice he made in Prince George for the Ladies B.C. Provincial Championships. In 1991 he received a lifetime membership to the Kamloops Curling Club.

Bus was also a very successful curler himself, having won the B.C. Legion Provincials 5 times and the National Championships once in 1957. He also won the senior men’s title in 1982.

Bus lived to be 101 years old and died November 5, 2024. His son Judy relayed a remarkable story to me about Bus.

There were some concerns he might be having cognitive issues later in life, so some tests were given to Bus. He was answering the questions fairly quickly until the interviewer asked “What gives you stress?”

After a long pause, Bus said, “I was a gunner on a destroyer in the Second World War. My job as a gunner was to spot and shoot out incoming torpedoes before they hit our ship. That caused me stress.”

Next time you think you’re having a bad day or something or someone is really getting to you, think of Bus’ definition of stress.

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The program exists to offer elite training and development opportunities for athletes across British Columbia who possess the potential and drive to represent the province at Canadian championships and beyond.

With the start of a new quadrennial, Curl BC is seizing the opportunity to evolve, presenting improved pathways for athlete growth. The HP team has developed a robust structure that supports the long-term athlete development pathway, providing clear avenues for advancement over multiple years.

The HP program will support athletes across several Long-Term Curler Development categories:

• Learn to Train (U12)
• Train to Train (U15)
• Learn to Compete (U18)
• Train to Compete (U21)
• Learn to Excel (U25)
• Train to Excel (25+)

While resources and training opportunities differ by stage, the core priority remains the same: developing well-rounded athletes through systematic, data-driven testing and training—both on and off the ice.

Application & Selection

• Applications Open: April 15, 2026
• Applications Close: April 30, 2026

There are program requirements to be completed in May 2026, with the program officially launching in June 2026, and will come to an end March 2027.

Selection will be based on specific criteria, an athlete’s demonstrated interest in the high-performance stream, and their commitment to following program requirements. We are prioritizing teams and individuals who show the mindset, readiness, and discipline necessary to maintain a high standard of training year-round

Program Benefits & Deliverables

The Curl BC HP team provides successful candidates with a comprehensive support ecosystem, including:

• Technical Performance Planning: Targeted training plans designed to address specific performance gaps and accelerate athlete development.
• Elite Coaching Access: Direct oversight and technical guidance from Curl BC’s high-performance coaching staff.
• Coach Mentorship & Support: Collaborative assistance for team coaches, including the development of Yearly Training Plans (YTP), detailed gap analyses, and on-ice delivery assessments.
• Integrated Support Team (IST) Services: Professional-grade access to specialists in Strength & Conditioning, Mental Performance, and Nutrition.
• National Alignment: Seamless integration with Curling Canada resources and development standards.
• Strategic Financial Support: Targeted funding to facilitate additional high-performance services (reserved for Tiers 1–4).

Learn More: Virtual Information Session

Interested athletes, coaches, and parents are invited to attend a Virtual Information Session to learn more about the program structure, tiers, and application process.

• Date: April 13, 2026
• Time: 6:00pm PT
• Registration: Register here

For an in-depth breakdown of the three program levels (Elite, Development, Foundations), the eight tiers within those levels, and the full 2026/27 timeline, please visit the Curl BC HP Website.

For any program inquiries, please email curlbchp@gmail.com.

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Curler’s Corner is a column written by the Kamloops Curling Club’s Randy Nelson. This column will highlight moments of Tournament Capital curling history and noteworthy athletes from over the decades.

Searching the history of curling revealed many surprises.

Curling has been traced back to the late 1800s in Kamloops. Women were not part of curling in the early years, although attempts were made as early as Feb. 6, 1917.

On that date, Kamloops ladies posted an article in the Kamloops Standard pointing to the community of Golden where “Ladies play at the curling rink. There are 12 rinks, and a lady is on every one of them. This might be tried in Kamloops where the club is an exclusive male organization.”

The article never resulted in immediate changes but, over time, it did occur. On Jan. 15, 1925, ladies curling was officially formed in Kamloops, as per reporting in the Kamloops Standard. The first year was free, and opened the door to ladies curling much earlier than many curling clubs.

The Vernon Curling Club was one of the earliest curling clubs in the Interior with their own building in 1905. Women curlers, however, were not welcomed until the 1947-48 season.

An article in the Vernon news on Dec. 4, 1947, reads, “Although all but a dozen or so of the women interested have never thrown a rock before, the men had better watch their trophies judging from the enthusiasm with which the ladies are going at this popular winter sport.”

The popularity of women’s curling has developed over the years, right along with the men’s sport. In the glory days of competitive men’s curling, there were mixed views, and it was not until the early 1990s when women were allowed to participate in the Kamloops Super League.

Most curlers readily approved of the move, but a few were reluctant to accept the change. A few short years later in 2000, Allison MacInnes became the first woman to have her name etched on the championship trophy. Today, the trend continues and the Tuesday time slot, that was traditionally a men’s night, has turned into an open league.

More than 100 years after the first ladies were allowed to curl in Kamloops, women’s curling is alive and well. Locally, Kamloops has two competitive ladies’ teams as well as two up and coming teams in U-18 and U-20 categories.

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On March 20, at the start of the Mixed Doubles Nationals, Curl BC held the Hit Draw Tap Provincial Championships at the Cloverdale Curling Club.

The Hit Draw Tap is a Curling Canada skills program that encourages young curlers to develop precision and technique. The competition is open to three age groups: 6–7, 8–9, and 10–12. Throughout the season, BC curling clubs ran local Hit Draw Tap events and submitted their athletes’ scores. Each participant had five attempts at each skill: Hit, Draw, and Tap.

The top scorers from each age category were invited to compete at the provincial championships. Curl BC congratulates all finalists and medalists for their excellent performances!

A big thank you to all the volunteers, the Cloverdale Curling Club, and Curling Canada for making this event possible and helping young athletes develop their curling skills.

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Curler’s Corner is a column written by the Kamloops Curling Club’s Randy Nelson. This column will highlight moments of Tournament Capital curling history and noteworthy athletes from over the decades.

The Kamloops Curling Club’s club championship trophy is the oldest curling trophy in Kamloops. I recently looked at the detailed plaques and found several surprises.

The cup is called the Kamloops Grand Challenge Cup, and the oldest plaque on the cup is from 1915. I immediately thought this must be some recycled trophy from older days. Through some internet searches and attending the Kamloops Archives, I was soon gazing into a whole world of curling history few today have ever heard of.

We are celebrating the 75th anniversary of our club and building, but curling goes back much further, to the late 1800s.

The trophy contains plaques from 1915, 1916, two from 1917, 1922, 1927-28, 1931-32, 1937 and then jumps to 1974 right through to today. Those few plaques revealed so much history.

A Rev. W.W. Peck played lead on the 1916 winning team. He was a local reverend. Can you imagine having a practising clergy on your team?

Sadly, one of his teammates was James Enright, who was killed in action in the First World War In April of 2017.

One of the 1917 plaques has a title across the top of the plaque that reads “Daughters of Empire Day.” Further searches determined that the Daughters of Empire were an organized group of women who supported soldiers returning from war, as well as families of those who did not return.

The other 1917 plaque has the words, “Red Cross Guild Day.” This was another major fundraising group and featured event to support those injured in battle. There were likely two plaques awarded that year as these events were major fundraisers to support the war effort.

Mr. A. Dalgleish played second on the 1916 winning team. H. Dalgleish was on the winning team in 1922, followed by Don Dalgleish in 1931-32 and H. R. Dalgleish in 1937. The Dalgleish family had a big hardware store in downtown Kamloops, and A. Dalgleish moved to Kelowna where he opened another hardware store. The Dalgleish family were instrumental in sport development in Kamloops, including hockey and curling.

It is a mystery where the trophy ended up for the years in between. I also wondered why there was only one old trophy from the club. The answer likely lies in Vernon.

This theory is supported by a 1920 Kamloops newspaper article titled, “All in readiness, but no ice.” The article speaks about the formation of the Interior Curling Association, an effort involving the clubs in Revelstoke, Salmon Arm, Enderby, Kamloops, Ashcroft, Armstrong, Vernon, Kelowna, Penticton, Peachland and Summerland.

The first bonspiel of the association was to be held in Vernon in 1920, and each club was asked to support one of the cups for the event. There are many very old trophies in Vernon today, and the Kamloops trophy may well have been used in that event in some years.

The reference to no ice is about locals trying to raise funds for an indoor hockey and curling rinks. A lot of money was raised in 1920, but not enough for both buildings. The outdoor ice was notoriously unreliable and would experience melting trends.

One of the more hilarious things found in the article refers to the Kamloops Curling Club meeting on Dec. 17, 1920, to “elect” the skips for the season! Wouldn’t that be interesting today? If your peers don’t think you’re a skip, you will be finding a new position.

The post Curler’s Corner: The Kamloops Grand Challenge Cup appeared first on Curl BC.

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Photos from Curling Canada

Nate Vernon of BC captured gold in the Skills Competition at U-15 RockFest West, held March 12–14, 2026, in Calgary.

The event brought together 96 young curlers from across Western and Northern Canada for a weekend focused on development, competition, and fun. Participating regions included:

• Alberta: 56 athletes (28 male, 28 female)
• British Columbia: 24 athletes (12 male, 12 female)
• Northwest Territories: 8 athletes (4 male, 4 female)
• Yukon: 8 athletes (4 male, 4 female)

Athletes took part in skill development sessions, games, and a Skills Competition, with some activities taking place on the World Curling Ice at the WinSport Arena.

In the Skills Competition, BC’s Nate Vernon stood out among the field, winning the gold medal, while several other athletes from British Columbia also reached the finalist stage.

The event was organized by Curling Canada in partnership with Curl BC, Curling Alberta, Yukon Curling Association, the Calgary Curling Club, and the World Curling Federation.

Curl BC congratulates Nate and all the BC athletes who participated, and thanks Curling Canada, Curling Alberta, the Calgary Curling Club, and the many volunteers who helped deliver a fantastic development opportunity for young curlers. 🥌

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During the 2025–26 season, 78 of 86 BC curling facilities participated, along with six affiliated curling organizations. Total ticket sales reached $167,000, with $61,000 distributed directly to participating clubs and organizations through the program.

Regional Highlights

Clubs in Northern BC led the way in total sales with $42,690, followed by:

• Thompson-Okanagan – $38,790
• Kootenays – $23,960
• Vancouver Island–Coast – $23,750
• Lower Mainland – $13,490
• Affiliated Associations – $3,440

Congratulations to Elkford Curling Club, which once again emerged as the consistent leader in ticket sales and was also home to the final jackpot winner of the season.

Top 20 Club Beneficiaries

Looking Ahead to Next Season

Clubs that haven’t yet taken advantage of Curl BC’s free handheld ticket-selling device are encouraged to sign up next season. The devices are a great way to boost engagement during bonspiels and club events while generating additional revenue for clubs.

Learn more about the program here: curlbc.ca/members/50-50/

Thank you again to everyone who helped make the 2025–26 Curl BC 50/50 season a success. Your support continues to strengthen curling communities across the province.

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The 2026 AMJ BC Mixed Curling Championship took place March 11–15, 2026, at the Kimberley Curling Club, delivering a memorable week of competition and camaraderie.

The championship featured not only excellent curling but also a fun and creative atmosphere. Teams embraced the spirit of the event with inventive team names, unique uniforms, and playful team photos, adding plenty of personality to the competition while still delivering high-quality curling on the ice.

Team Tanaka Claims the Title

In the end, Team Tanaka emerged as champions after navigating the challenging triple knockout format. The team suffered two losses during the event but battled their way through the bracket to claim the provincial title.

The win also marked a remarkable milestone for skip Cody Tanaka, who captured his third provincial title of the season, following victories at the BC Men’s Championship and the BC Mixed Doubles Championship.

Team Tanaka will represent British Columbia at the 2026 Canadian Mixed Curling Championships, November 8–15, 2026, at the West Prince Curling Club at Mill River in Woodstock, Prince Edward Island.

Champions – Team Tanaka

• Fourth/Skip: Cody Tanaka
• Third: Sarah Wong
• Second: Matthew Fenton
• Lead: Amanda Wong

Silver Medalists – Team McCrady

• Fourth/Skip: Matthew McCrady
• Third: Jorja Kopytko
• Second: Chris Parkinson
• Lead: Ashley Mallett

Bronze Medalists – Team Pohlod

• Fourth/Skip: Layna Pohlod
• Third: Nicholas Meister
• Second: Shawna Jensen
• Lead: Gregory Pohlod

Fair Play Award

The Fair Play Award was presented to Blair Jarvis in recognition of outstanding sportsmanship throughout the championship.

Thank You

Curl BC extends sincere thanks to the Kimberley Curling Club for hosting a fantastic event, as well as the volunteers, officials, athletes, and fans who contributed to a great championship week.

For full scores, visit: curlbc.ca/comp/mixed/

Check out the creative team photos and fun moments from the event: photos.app.goo.gl/NwNueJDipEfiiaZaA

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Curler’s Corner is a column written by the Kamloops Curling Club’s Randy Nelson. This column will highlight moments of Tournament Capital curling history and noteworthy athletes from over the decades.

The headline above likely caught your attention and you thought, really? It is real — however, it’s from more than 100 years ago.

The early 1900s saw enthusiasm for both curling and hockey. Curling likely carried more prestige than hockey at the time, presumably because the European curling roots of Kamloops residents were much stronger.

Curling took place in the late 1800s in Kamloops with proof of competitive play dating to 1914. They curled wherever they could lay down a sheet of natural ice.

They sometimes played in Riverside Park near Heritage House, or at one of several locations along Victoria Street. Curling or hockey could pop up wherever it was thought ice would hold up and space was available. Curlers played on the natural hockey sheet in Riverside Park at times as well.

A Nov. 18, 1897, article in the Inland Sentinel sets the scene.

“All lovers of skating and curling will be pleased to learn that there is a scheme on foot to provide for Kamloops a really good rink,” the story reads.

“Mr. Jas Vair has the matter in hand and is endeavouring to form a small company for the purpose of raising funds wherewith to properly cover in a rink 65 by 195 feet with a lean-to for curling. The idea is to issue 100 $10 shares. $1,000 will be the utmost required to pay the cost of laying out and enclosing a rink of the size mentioned above. There should be no difficulty getting 100 skaters and curlers to purchase the shares.”

Kamloops was incorporated in 1894 with 500 residents, so getting 100 shares sold would equal about 20 per cent of the population.

Pairing up for new facility

Joint discussions had been held prior, but on March 17, 1922, the Kamloops Curling Club held a banquet at a local restaurant attended by 60 hockey players and curlers. The objective of the meeting was to discuss plans for a joint hockey and curling building.

The meeting was opened by curling club president Bromley presenting the city championship trophy — the Burns Cup — to Fred Irwin, E. Bethene, Angus Nelson and W. Docker, won on New Year’s Day. They were also given a sack of flour each for their success.

A second trophy, The Na-Dru-Co Cup, was presented to the Gower rink, who won the February championship. They each received a box of chocolates with the trophy.

Discussions about a new facility were led by Mr. Macbeth, where he tabled a sketch of the proposed building with a large skating area, ample seating for spectators and four sheets of ice for curlers. The proposed site was directly behind the Sash and Door Factory in east downtown Kamloops at 10th Avenue and Lorne Street.

The curling club president, Mr. Irwin, suggested that revenues from the past year’s operation of the outdoor rink proved that revenues from the new building would cover the costs of operation (with any year of descent frost). Substantial funding would also come from the Stock Breeders’ Association as they needed a new place to hold their annual bull sale.

Locals voiced unanimous support for the facility. Judge Swanson elected Macbeth and Irwin to lead a committee of 12 to form a company or organization to develop more detailed plans. As the plans evolved and funding was acquired, an arena was built in 1925, but it was just for hockey.

The provincial government and the BC Stockbreeders provided the bulk of funding, and hockey players were allowed to use the building in the winter. The building was completed in 1926. In 1929, the floor was paved and made the keeping of ice much easier. They still relied on cold weather for refrigeration but the ice held up much better through warm spells.

The city received 20 per cent of gross receipts to maintain the building and the ice.

“The presence of the hockey club in the arena was not entirely welcome as there was considerable vandalism and lack of respect for the building, but the city could not bring themselves to evict the players, so made do with periodic stern warnings.”

It would be more than 20 years before curlers in Kamloops would get a stand-alone curling building.

New facilities needed again

The hockey arena completed in 1929 only lasted until 1940, when it was declared unsafe. A few patches made it usable a few more years but another building was needed. The Second World War delayed the work even longer.

Fast forward more than 100 years, and Kamloops curlers and hockey players are both in need of new facilities again.

The proposed four-sheet hockey arena is planned for the Dufferin area, and will help address the critical shortage of ice for hockey and figure staking.

A new curling facility planned for downtown will be a state-of-the-art facility, bringing future events and successes into Kamloops for many years.

Hopefully discussions between all sports groups takes a more unified approach, resulting in multi-use needs being addressed for everyone.

The post Curler’s Corner: Curlers, hockey players unite for new facilities appeared first on Curl BC.

A longtime member of the Victoria Curling Club, Kathy played an active role in supporting and growing curling both locally and provincially. She served as an official at numerous Zone, Regional, and Provincial Championships, and was a respected mentor who helped train and develop many officials throughout the Vancouver Island officiating community.

Beyond officiating, Kathy contributed in many other ways. She coached junior curlers, coordinated the Evening Ladies League at the Victoria Curling Club, and helped organize numerous bonspiels, programs, and community initiatives. Her dedication and leadership made her a true ambassador for the sport.

Kathy’s contributions were recognized with several honours, including being named a Lifetime Member of Curl BC and receiving the Golden Shield Award from the Victoria Curling Club. In 2007, she was recognized with the Curl BC Official of the Year Award and the Janette Robbins & Sport BC President’s Award, presented annually to an individual who exemplifies the spirit of volunteerism and whose dedication and commitment have significantly advanced curling in British Columbia.

In addition to her work in BC, Kathy also contributed to the international curling community as part of the 2010 Canadian Women’s Curling Tour to Scotland, helping represent Canadian curling abroad.

Kathy’s passion, generosity, and commitment to the sport touched many people across the province. She will be deeply missed by the curling community throughout British Columbia.

Curl BC extends its heartfelt condolences to Kathy’s family, friends, and the many volunteers, athletes, and officials whose lives she impacted.

A celebration of life is planned for May 6. Additional details and Kathy’s obituary can be found here:
https://www.mccallgardens.com/obituaries/kathleen-gail-mackenzie/

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