News from our House - April 27, 2026

1) Congratulations Champions! 
2) Volunteer Appreciation Dinner & Town Hall Meeting 
3) Readying for Retirement
4) Bits and Bites

 

Sorry for the delay in getting this edition of the newsletter out....I dare say there have been a few distractions recently!

1) Congratulations Champions!

There are so many people to recognize in this edition of the newsletter!

To kick things off, at the World Championship Pre-Qualifier (Pan Continental) held April 13-16 in Dumfries, Scotland, team Mexico (with skip Diego Tompkins, lead Mateo Tompkins, and coach Doug Tompkins) went undefeated, winning a gold medal and earning promotion to the World Championship qualifier (to learn more about the upcoming changes to the World Championships, click here). Way to go team Mexico!!

This caps off what has turned out to be a phenomenal season for Diego, who defended his title as the Mexican mixed doubles champion and also skipped the winning team in the evening men's league.

To see the winners of our evening men's leagues, click here.

To see the winners of our Monday Open Skins league, click here.

To see the winners of our Wednesday Open Skins league, click here

To see the winners of our Wednesday Evening women's league, click here.

We'll continue to collect pictures of the various winners in the week's ahead for inclusion in future newsletters and on the website.

2) Volunteer Appreciation Dinner & Town Hall Meeting

On Monday April 20, the board of directors hosted a dinner for a group of roughly 70 people who had volunteered at the club in some capacity this past season.  I'd like to give a shout out to Blazing Kitchen who served us a most delicious meal.

Following the dinner, the Volunteer of the Year award was presented to Duncan MacCallum. The following is one of the nominations that was submitted for Duncan.

"I am pleased to nominate Duncan MacCallum for his outstanding volunteer contributions to curling and Leaside Curling Club.  Over the past three years, he has shown an unwavering dedication to supporting and growing the sport within our community.  He has recently played a key role in being the treasurer for the weekend mixed league, assisting with organizing the Snowball Bonspiel, and volunteering at the Spring & Fall Breakfast as well as the LCC Novice Bonspiel.  His welcoming attitude has encouraged new members and supported new curlers.  Always reliable, he generously gives his time wherever needed.  His passion, leadership and commitment embody the true spirit of curling.  

In addition, Duncan has volunteered many hours over the past 5 years to timing and ice tech at the Scotties, Grand Slam Events, and Women's Worlds.  He also volunteered during the Milan Olympics at Cadillac Fairview malls to promote the CF Play Makers campaign, a nationwide curling experience that focuses on uniting Canadians through the power of sport and play."

Congratulations Duncan!

Prior to the start of the Town Hall meeting, two other presentations were also made.  Jason Chang (pictured far left) from the Toronto Curling Association was on hand to present team Leung (Peter Osborne, John Moritsugu, Sam Chong, & Teddie Leung) with its banner for winning the novice division of the TCA Men's Goldline Championship back in January.

Lastly, TCA president Sean Holman and TCA board member Greg King presented me with the TCA Outstanding Contribution award for 2026 (I was more than a little surprised!).

For those who were unable to attend the Town Hall meeting, click here to see the slide deck from that night. A copy has also been posted in the member-only portion of the website (under Governance, By-Laws and Members' Meetings).

3) Readying for Retirement

The countdown is now in single digits!

I want to again extend my thanks to the sections and individuals for the lovely emails, cards and gifts; it has been quite overwhelming at times.

On Sunday April 19, I was the guest of honour at a special retirement celebration hosted by the women's leagues (both day and evening) at the club. What a wonderful afternoon it was! Thanks are extended to Susan Bedford and Stephanie Maier who took the time and effort to organize the afternoon. Thanks to all those who brought food and took time to sign the book (I am still going through it!) and all those who took time out of their busy schedules to drop in that afternoon. Thanks as well to Petra from Viva Retirement Communities for the lovely parting gifts.

To see some pictures from the day, click here.

One of the highlights of the afternoon was a spectacular vocal performance by Audrey Kouyoumdjian and Carol Pasternak (ladies: you really outdid yourselves on this one). To see the performance, click here. 

Thanks for creating such wonderful memories!

4) Bits and Bites

a) Celebrity Sightings: click here to see some of the curlers who came through our doors towards the end of this season!

 

b) Rachel Homan has written a children's book, called Curling  ABCs. During Rock League at Mattamy Athletic Centre the week of April 6 - 12, she did a book signing one afternoon.  The lineup was LONG and bless her heart, she sat there for two solid hours signing book after book after book. I purchased a copy for myself; I think it is quite well done. It's very inclusive and she put a lot of thought into the design and layout.

When she was here at the club, I was able to purchase 11 of the books from her and get them all signed. You can purchase a copy for $25 (tax included). Drop an email to [email protected] if you want us to set aside a copy for you. 

 

c) For those who are planning their curling schedules for next season, Curling Ontario just announced that Cornwall will be hosting the men's and women's provincial playdowns from January 10 - 17, 2027.

This year’s championships introduce a refined competition format developed by a Working Group of current and former athletes, coaches, hosts and Curling Ontario staff — informed by competitor feedback and stakeholder survey data. Key elements include:

• Field size & entry: Eight teams per division, with five teams earning direct entry based on CTRS season-long performance.

• Full Round Robin: Every team plays a predictable, fan- and broadcaster-friendly schedule that delivers more head‑to‑head competition.

• Playoffs: Single tie‑breaker draw, followed by semi‑finals and a final to determine the champions.

d) Rock Handle:  The following message is being shared on behalf of team Atkin from our weekend mixed section.

On April 12, following our playoff game, Team Atkin and David’s family held a rock handle dedication ceremony along with a celebration of life for our beloved teammate David Brown (1952-2025). His rock handle says “David Brown – supportive and fun teammate  LCC.” Please fondly remember David when you curl on Sheet F. May his rock bring you the joy that he always brought to the game.