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The 2023 Love of Curling Scholarship

The 2023 Love of Curling Scholarship, presented by the Governor General’s Curling Club, is awarded to Benjamin Morin of Edmonton. As a member of the reigning Canadian junior men’s championship team, Benjamin is preparing to represent Canada in international competition during the 2023-24 curling season. We are proud to provide him with a scholarship of $2,500 to support his educational goals and aspirations of wearing the Maple Leaf this season and beyond,” said Governor General’s Curling Club selection panel member Wil Thurlow. “This scholarship, supported by donations from our membership, aims to invest in the future of curling in Canada and in athletes like Benjamin. Benjamin is a Political Science and History student at the University of Alberta.

Ben Morin, Barry Worth (L) and Wil Thurlow (R).

2023 Scholarship Committee Report

In 2020, as a club we committed to raise funds, supported entirely by the voluntary contributions of our members, to annually present a scholarship to an outstanding student athlete, who epitomized outstanding curling achievement, sound academic performance, community involvement and demonstrated leadership in developing the sport of curling.

The decision was taken at that time to present our scholarship in the amount of $2500, within Curling Canada's For the Love of Curling Scholarship Program as a stand alone award. The pairing with Curling Canada has been very beneficial and helped us build a strong initiative.

While contributions to the Scholarship Program are welcomed at any time, the GGCC formally reaches out to Members only twice a year, once at the time of the Safari/AGM, the other in early November. To date we have raised $13,300 and funded scholarships in 2021 and 2022.

Our previous scholarship winners have their accomplishments attached to this report. Our 2023 recipient has been selected from a group of very talented candidates and will be introduced at our AGM in Edmonton.

The Scholarship Committee, with the Executive Committee approval, have decided to add a second scholarship for presentation next year as part of our 150th anniversary celebration in Ottawa.

Your continued support is appreciated both by your committee and our student athletes.

Respectively submitted,

Wil Thurlow

Fran Todd

Pat Reid

Scholarship Donation Form

Recipients

2022 - Cate Fitzgerald

2021 - Chantal Hoag

Curling Canada announces that the Ray Kingsmith Award for dedication to curling will go to Elaine Brimicombe

The Ray Kingsmith Award is named after the man who played a leading role in bringing curling to the Winter Olympic family. He was a tireless volunteer in administration and management roles in the sport of curling. The award honours individuals who best demonstrate a similar commitment and dedication to our sport that made Kingsmith the consummate sport executive.

If it happens on the ice or off the ice when it comes to curling in the Ottawa Valley, chances are very good that Elaine Brimicombe is involved.

Major events such as the upcoming BKT Tires & OK Tire World Men’s Curling Championship, the 2017 Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings Canadian Curling Trials, the 2016 Tim Hortons Brier and the 2007 and 2015 Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championships all had Brimicombe’s touch on them, as she either chaired or vice-chaired host committees for them.

But championship events have hardly been Brimicombe’s only focus. She has volunteered countless hours at the club level in helping to organize Learn to Curl sessions for new players, particularly in the discipline of wheelchair curling. In addition to coordinating the long-running Cathy Kerr International Wheelchair Bonspiel, Brimicombe has created a plan to offer two Try It days for wheelchair curlers and one-10 week dedicated Learn to Curl for wheelchair curlers. Her current work-in-progress is a proposal to create opportunities for youth wheelchair curlers.

Brimicombe, who gives credit to family, friends and fellow volunteers in her efforts to build our sport, also has been active as a board member, including three years as Chair of the CurlON board, as well as serving on the Ontario Curling Council, the Ottawa Valley Curling Association, and her home club at the RA Centre in Ottawa.

Brimicombe also is a member of the Governor General’s Curling Club.

From the Sirc.ca

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A Brief History

The Governor General's Curling Club was founded by Lord Dufferin in 1874. He built a covered curling rink so that he and his staff could play the "roarin' game", and established the Governor General's Trophy competition that is still played today. In 1910 the Vice-Regal Curling Club was renamed the Governor General's Curling Club, and a number of prominent curlers in the Ottawa area were invited to become members. Since that time, the focus of the Club has been to recognize Canadians who have made a significant contribution to curling locally, provincially or nationally, not only as competitive curlers, but also as builders and administrators. The men and women of today's Club come from all walks of life and are proud to be honoured by membership in this historic organization.