Jeff Guignard team wins VCC Championship
VCC champions from the Thursday Open League, left to right: Richard Brower (lead), Patrick Prade (second), Chris Faa (third), Jeff Guignard (skip)
The annual VCC Championship ran April 14-16 with 32 teams taking part, representing nearly every league in the club. The championship started in 1994 as a way to have teams from every league play in a club event together.Visit the VCC Championship webpage for pictures of event finalists and the championship draw results.
Clancy Grandy team in Grand Slams
Clancy Grandy at the Princess Auto Players' Championship
The Clancy Grandy team (Kayla MacMillan, Lindsay Dubue and Sarah Loken) that practices at VCC continues to qualify for Grand Slam of Curling events. The BC Scotties champions were 3-2 at the Princess Auto Players' Championship in Toronto, April 11-16, losing a tie breaker to Switzerland's Silvana Tirinzoni, the reigning world champion. They posted a shocking 13-0 victory over Scotties champ Kerri Einarson, along with defeating Sweden's Anna Hasselborg and Jennifer Jones. They are also in the field for the final Grand Slam event, the Kioti Tractor Champions Cup, May 2-7 in Regina. Olympic gold medalist Niklas Edin has been showing up at VCC recently, coaching team members, as he did at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
VCC board member wins BC senior women's championship
Diane Gushulak (far right) skipped her team to a BC senior women's title over other VCC curlers.
VCC board member Diane Gushulak skipped her team to the BC senior women's title at Langley CC, March 22-26. Gushulak, curling out of the Royal City CC with Grace McInnes, Danielle Shaughnessy and Cory McLaughlin, won the championship final over a team that included VCC curlers Sandra Comadina, Shiella Cowan and Christine Mathews. Gushulak's team will represent BC at the Canadian Senior Women's Curling Championship, December 4-10 in Vernon.
Legendary Brier curler Ron Braunstein is retiring
Ron Braunstein (left) with Motors League teammates Joel Bronstein, Robin Wong and Steve Zolnay
Longtime Motors League member and 1965 Brier champion Ron Braunstein is retiring from active league curling. Ron was second on the Manitoba team that won the 1965 Brier with his brother Terry skipping, Don Duguid at third and Ray Turnball at lead. Ron was a medical student at the time, and unable to join the team at the world championship, where American Bud Sommerville claimed an upset win over the Canadians in the final.
The Braunstein legend started in 1958 when teenagers Terry, Ron, Ray and John Van Hellemond shocked the curling world by winning the Manitoba title, and losing the tie-breaking Brier final to Alberta's Matt Baldwin after the two teams were tied with 8-2 records in the round robin. Having teenagers competing at the Brier was controversial, and resulted in a ban on teens participating that lasted nearly 60 years.
Ron and his Motors League team won the A event in the league playoffs this season and last season.
Ron in 2019, wearing his Manitoba team sweater with two Brier crests
In December of 2019, the Motors League had a jersey day, and Ron showed up wearing his Manitoba team sweater from the Brier. VCC posted pictures of Ron on Facebook that ended up becoming our most widely shared post ever.
Ron generously donated money to pay for the recent acquisition of our little rocks, and has been using them to teach curling to his grandchildren.
Jack Dunlop got OK Tire as a curling sponsor first
Jack Dunlop was ahead of his time getting OK Tire as a curling sponsor.
Featuring VCC curlers Angelica Perez, Estefana Quintero and Ismael Abreu
VCC volunteers participate in the International Tankard
Longtime VCC volunteers Keltie Worrall and Ron McKay were rewarded for their years of service with a trip to the International Tankard held March 24-26 in Chilliwack. Keltie is a long-time Point Grey League representative and VCC finance committee member, and Ron is a past president and honourary life member. It was the return of the International Tankard after three years off due to Covid, and the BC side won over their American counterparts.
The International Tankard is a legacy event that started in 1962 as an unwritten agreement between the Pacific Coast Curling Association, a forerunner to Curl BC, and the Washington State Curling Association, now the Pacific Northwest Curling Association. It honours curling club volunteers by having their clubs send them to the event and pay expenses.
The International Tankard’s initial format had six teams from each association meet in a friendly competition with Canadian teams playing only American teams. Each team still plays three games, but there are now eight teams for each country. The games are eight ends, including a break at the end of the fourth with a broom stack and teams enjoying a libation together.
The rotation of the event is two years in BC and one year at the Seattle Granite Club. VCC will be hosting the event in April of 2026.
Keltie and Ron were placed onto their respective teams under the tutelage of Jim and Hilda Gordon from the Abbotsford Curling Club. The Gordons added their own contribution to the 2023 International Tankard by putting on display their collection of curling memorabilia, chinaware, books, and pins. The most interesting memorabilia from our club's perspective was the program from the 13th annual VCC men's bonspiel in 1953.
Click here to view phographs from the International Tankard.
VCC curler skips team to bronze at BC Winter Games
VCC curler Erin Fitzgibbon (right) with father and coach Brian beside her
Prior to reaching the final of the VCC Championsip, Erin Fitzgibbon skipped the Zone 5 team to a bronze medal at the BC Winter Games in Vernon, March 24-26. Erin teamed up with three Delta Thistle CC members - Alexandria Halliday, Brooke Halliday and Sydney Taylor-Hunt - and her dad, Brian Fitzgibbon, coached the team.
VCC team wins silver at BC Curling Club Championship
Left to right: Jeff Guignard (skip), Chris Faa (third), Deryk Brower (second), Richard Brower (lead)
The Jeff Guignard team from the Thursday Open League won the VCC Championship, but two weeks earlier they nearly won the BC Curling Club Championship in Abbotsford against other club league teams from around the province. They lost the championship final in an extra end to the Tyler Orme team from Vernon.
Sunday Open League Champions
Indiana Stones and the Temple of Broom, left to right: Dennis Leard, Nishad Jamaldeen, Graeme Duckett, Trevor Knox, Kristin Defer
Pharmacists recruiting curlers for next season
The Pharmacists & Travelers league (you DO NOT have to be a pharmacist or a traveling sales rep) is looking for new members and we want you!
A little bit about us:
- We are a social and fun league and welcome all players of any skill level.
- Our league has been part of the Vancouver Curling Club since 1950.
- We curl from late September / early October to March, and our draw time is on Thursdays at 4:30 pm.
- Our members range from 13 years old to 80+ years young.
- While full teams are welcome, we do make up new teams each year from existing players
Please email our league rep (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) by no later than May 15 if you are interested in joining our league, or if you just want to learn more about us. We would love to have you.
Submitted by Anna Bond
Norwesters looking for senior men and women
The Norwesters’ Curling league is looking for new curlers for the 2023/24 season. The league consists of curlers aged 55 or over, and is open to both men and women.
Our curling year is made up of four quarters. At the beginning of each quarter the makeup of the teams is changed. This provides a chance to curl with with different members throughout the curling season.
There is a bit of competitiveness in the club, however the primary objective is to have fun and enjoyment. To further this objective, following the Thursday morning games we gather in the lounge for coffee and muffins. The cost of this is included in your registration fee.
Our club plays each Tuesday and Thursday mornings at the Vancouver Curling Club from 9:45 am to 12:00 pm. Curling usually commences near the end of September and ends about the middle of March each year.
If you are interested or know of someone who is, please have them contact Ron at 604-565-8021.
Submitted by Ron Cox
