Curling executive.
Born at Winnipeg on 22 April 1921 to Elizabeth May Adams (1892-1976) and Joseph Arthur Sproule (1886-1967), as a young man he spent four years in the Navy during the Second World War, working as a telegrapher. Returning to Winnipeg, he married Bettina Fay “Betty” Lapierre (1922-2002) in 1947 and they went on to have three children. He started recreational curling with the Buffalo Curling Club in 1948 and then the Thistle Curling Club in 1954. He joined its executive in 1958 and served seven years as the club secretary. He also served as President of the Thistle in 1966-1967 and was named a Life Member of that club in 1986. In 1987 he was chairman of the Thistle Curling Club Centennial Committee.
In 1964, he became involved in the Manitoba Curling Association Bonspiel (MCA) and for six years was in charge of telephones in the ice room. In 1966, he helped with the transition of bonspiel headquarters from the Marlborough Hotel to the International Inn. In 1966-1967 he became the MCA Club Rep for the Thistle, and the following year was elected to the MCA Council, serving for 14 years. He was elected President of the Manitoba Curling Association (1978-1979) and was named as an Honourary Life Member of the MCA.
In 1970, he served as a sub-committee chairman of The Brier men’s curling championship and was a member of the Board of Directors of the 1978 Silver Broom. He was a member of the Silver Broom Foundation (1979-1986), serving as Treasurer for three years. Through the Foundation he was instrumental in promoting school curling clinics throughout the city. In 1991, he was Chairman of the Safeway World Championship Museum Committee. At this event, a large display of artifacts and curling memorabilia was staged at the Museum of Man and Nature (now the Manitoba Museum) at Winnipeg. In the 1980s, he chaired a committee that conducted the first two Ice Makers Schools in Manitoba. These schools were held at Gimli and served as the forerunner for the Canadian Curling Association’s involvement with ice technician courses.
In 1995, at the age of 74, he accepted an assignment as trustee of the O’Grady Cup. He continued in that role for many years and was proud of the traditions that have been handed down over the years evolving from this grassroots event. During that period of time, he also developed a complete history of all 1331 games, which had involved 7800 curlers from 119 affiliated clubs to that point in time.
In recognition of his community service, he was given a City of Winnipeg Community Service Award (1978) and was inducted into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame (2007).
He died at Winnipeg on 15 December 2010 and was buried in the Chapel Lawn Memorial Gardens.
Birth registration [James Arthur Sproule], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
“Jim Sproule,” Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame.
“James (Jim) Arthur Sproule,” Sproule Family Tree, Ancestry.
This page was prepared by Lois Braun.
Page revised: 25 November 2025
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