Link to:
Presidents | Sources
Winnipeg newspapers reference the St. Vital club being formed in 1913 but only having a brief existence. The article references the club being part of the St. Vital Agricultural College which was located on the southwest corner of St. Mary's Road and St.Vital Road with two sheets and adding four more sheets for the 1915 season. The club had 28 curlers and David Croom Whyte (1882-1928) served as the first President. In 1920, the club tried to revive itself with Robert Henry Lyon (1869-1948) serving as President for the 1920-1921 season.
The St. Vital Curling Club was founded in 1933, and the first rocks, borrowed, were thrown in December 1933, in a building owned by the St. Vital Agricultural Society. The building located at St. Anne's Road and Fermor Avenue, was used in summer months for agricultural fairs, displays, horse shows and animal exhibits. The newly formed St. Vital Curling Club arranged to lease the premises during winter months, which allowed three sheets of ice. The first club President was Allan J. Ramsay (1885-1952). The club affiliated with the Manitoba Curling Association in 1937.
As the curling club grew, a lean-to addition was added in the 1940s to house an additional sheet of ice. In 1950, the club purchased the building, and added another lean-to, which allowed for six sheets of ice. In 1954, a large supermarket chain purchased the land from the city.
In 1956 the club moved to its present location at St. Anne's Road and Regal Avenue. A new clubhouse was added in 1958, through fundraising that included an airplane as the prize, complete with flying lessons. Artificial ice was installed for the 1958-1959 season. In 1965, again through fundraising, this time with an automobile as the prize, the current pillar free barn was constructed. In October 1965, the new six-sheet arena was officially opened; in 1972, a second storey was added to the clubhouse, with bar facilities and dance floor.
Along with continued improvements, the latest upgrade has been the purchase of new curling rocks in 2012, and an update to the club’s interior to reflect the club colours of blue and gold.
To celebrate St. Vital Curling Club members, team Jennifer Jones, who won the Women’s Gold medal in the 2014 Winter Olympics at Sochi, Russia, the club commissioned a mural depicting the ladies’ accomplishment on its southern outer wall. As well, the city designated Regal Avenue with the honorary title of “Team Jones Way”.
Period
President
1933-1934
Allan J. Ramsay (1885-1952)
1934-1936
Clifford Sayre Blenkhorn (1895-1980)
1936-1937
I. G. Dickson
1937-1938
Arthur Henry “Art” Leech (1892-1986)
1938-1939
William “Bill” Tod (1869-1943)
1939-1940
Harry William Gore (1880-1963)
1940-1941
Alexander Lawrence (?-1957)
1941-1942
Robert Stewart McClay (1892-1977)
1942-1943
William Donald “Bill” Peters (1893-1957)
1943-1944
Charles Stewart Simpson (1892-1974)
1944-1945
Francis Garnet “Frank” Donaghy (1882-1964)
1945-1946
Percy Ferman Thompson (1898-1977)
1946-1947
Frank Wall
1947-1948
Jack Watson
1948-1949
Harvey Charles Kendall (1907-1980)
1949-1950
Arthur Ronald Thorpe (1906-1992)
1950-1951
Wellington Geddes Rathwell (1887-1951)
1951-1952
W. Lloyd Greenway (1909-?)
1952-1953
Francis Arthur Bowman (1906-1962)
1953-1954
Herbert Brown “Brownie” Grant (1911-1991)
1954-1955
Jack Carter (1907-1998)
1955-1956
James Maynard Davis (?-1993)
1956-1957
Joseph Robert “Bob” Coxe (1919-1983)
1957-1958
Lorne Arthur Leech (1922-2005)
1958-1959
Ronald T. Baker (1917-1991)
1959-1960
Herbert Reginald “Herb” Turner (1916-1997)
1960-1961
Harold Hubert Hood (1903-1977)
1961-1962
Roy Russell “Bud” Ramsay (1920-2001)
1962-1963
Wilfred Midge Dodds (1902-1985)
1963-1964
Arthur Alexander Murphy (1917-2018)
1964-1965
Louis Plantje (1921-2001)
1965-1966
B. McKay
1966-1967
John Gordon “Gord” Rayment (1921-1985)
1966-1968
Barry Smith
1968-1969
Victor Charles “Vic” Rose (1920-1997)
1969-1970
Albert “Al” Lafreniere (1922-1995)
1970-1971
Lorne Cameron
1971-1972
William J. “Dutchy” Hems (1928-1998)
1972-1973
Shigeo Sakiyama (1920-1992)
1973-1974
Arthur “Art” Gomez Fonseca (1931-2015)
1974-1975
John Henry Pratt (1930-1995)
1975-1976
Percival “Percy” Frederick Macklem (1921-2001)
1976-1977
Robert Leslie “Bob” Caughlin (1934-2012)
1977-1978
Wayne Jones
1978-1979
Gerry Ducharme
1979-1980
Augie Haugen
1980-1981
Barry Warriner Hewitt (1939-2022)
1981-1982
Stanley Hiroaki “Stan” Osaka (1931-2015)
1982-1983
Glen Brand
1983-1984
Geoffrey Lawrence “Larry” Jones (1939-2019)
1984-1985
Bryan Davies (1932-2018)
1985-1986
Gord Horton
1986-1987
Greg Milloy
1987-1988
Robby Clifford “Robb” Finnen (1945-2023)
1988-1989
Denis Lafreniere (1931-2014)
1989-1990
Al Pilling
1990-1991
Bart Jenner
1991-1992
Thomas Rae Bellamy (1949-2016)
1992-1993
Ed Pratcshler (1932-2020)
1993-1994
Larry Smith
1994-1995
Les Oliver
1995-1996
David Klym
1996-1997
Dan McDonald
1997-1998
Roger Fontaine
1998-1999
Lorne Cox (1943-2017)
1999-2000
Mike Ducharme
2000-2001
Jim Colman
2001-2002
Howard Bloomfield
2002-2003
Ken Stanley
2003-2004
Robert “Bob” Kirkland (1944-2023)
2004-2005
Jim Pratcshler
2005-2006
Richard Muntain
2006-2007
Ralph Dooley
2007-2008
William “Bill” Stewart
2008-2009
Mike Hebert
2009-2010
Annette Giguere
2010-2011
Terry Moon
2011-2012
Darryl Bukoski
2012-2013
Neil Denyer
2013-2014
Duane Budnick
2014-2015
Matt Jacques
2015-2016
Greg Keddie
2016-2017
Al Wingate
2017-2018
Pam Kok
2018-2020
Ken Stevens
2020-2022
Jason Pruden
2022-2023
Kevin Blunden
“St. Vital Curling Club adds four sheets of ice for this season's play,” Winnipeg Tribune, 4 December 1915, page 21.
“St. Vital will have curling - Lovers of the “roaring game” decide to revive old club,” Winnipeg Tribune, 28 June 1920, page 14.
“New St. Vital rink is big step from 3 sheeter in 1933,” Winnipeg Free Press, 17 November 1955, page 38.
This page was prepared by Rick Mutton and Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 4 January 2024
