Recipients of the LCC 50th Anniversary Recognition Award

The criterion for this award is longstanding service to the club, which at least in part occurred between 2003 and 2012. Nominations for this award came from the board of directors and selected past club presidents. Current board members were not eligible to receive this award.

The recipients and their contributions are listed below.

Christine Anderson – Co-organizer of the re-gifting spiel, Little Rock coach and section co-head for several years, regular curling skills clinic coach and volunteer, 2005 Ross Solomon award winner.

Neil Anderson– Co-organizer of the re-gifting spiel, Little Rock coach and section co-head for several years, served on the LCC board of directors as VP, shared 2010 Volunteer of the Year winner, 2010 Ross Solomon award winner.

Sharon Blemings – Served on the Mixed and Women’s Executive Committees, helped start the Sunday Open League, co-organizer of the 2005 & 2008 Lovecraft bonspiel, regular curling skills coach and volunteer and currently co-coordinator for Education, shared 2008 Volunteer of the Year winner, Mae Werden award winner.

Mike Butler – Has run the Skins section for 17 years, Little Rock coach and section head, shared 2010 Volunteer of the Year winner, shared 2002 Ross Solomon award winner.

Howard Cook – Served on Day Men Executive Committee, organized the 2007 Ross Tarlton Senior Men' International Spiel, regular drawmaster for club breakfasts, 2008 Ross Solomon award winner.

Craig Duff - Served on Evening Men Executive Committee as President & Treasurer, co-organized the Great Canadian Bonspiel, co-founder of the Aki Latvala Foundation, co-organizer of the annual Aki Cup bonspiel and Aki golf tournament.

Simon Elkin - co-founder of the Aki Latvala Foundation, a children’s charitable organization whose work honors the legacy of late Leaside member Aki Latvala, co-organizer of the annual Aki Cup Bonspiel and Golf Tournament, part of the Great Canadian bonspiel committee.

Warren Ferguson – Service on the LCC board of directors as President twice 1983-84 and 2000-2002, lead the 2000-2001 club remodeling initiative, service on the club Governance committee.

Carol Fraser – Leaside’s “head chef” for most major events including the 2009 Provincial Colts and Trophy event and the 50th anniversary celebration, long time OCA representative for Leaside, oversees OCA events held at Leaside.

Gerry Hawkins – Service on the LCC board of directors as both Programming chair and Volunteer Coordinator and on the Mixed Executive Committee, organizer of the Re-gifting, Snowball and Lovecraft bonspiels, regular curling skills coach and volunteer and organizer for the Learn to Curl Program, organizer of the 2009 Provincial Colts and Trophy event, 2009 and shared 2006 Ross Solomon award winner and the creator of gripper amnesty month.

Ron Judge – Service on the LCC board of directors President 2008-2011 and as Ice Chair and VP, organized the Green Grass & Ice bonspiel, on the 2009 Provincial Colts and Trophy event and 50th Anniversary committees.

Mike Krupanszky– Service on the LCC board of directors as President 2005-2008 and as Treasurer and VP prior to that, led the club incorporation initiative, Chair of the 50th Anniversary committee, Little Rocks instructor and Club Coach.

Chris Marino – Service on the Mixed as Drawmaster for 6 seasons, Day Women and Junior Executive Committees, regular curling skills coach and organizer of Leaside High School curling program exposing 80% of the students to curling since 2006, Little Rock coach.

Jerry Michaels – Creator and Webmaster of the LCC website for 11 years, 2007 Volunteer of the Year winner.

Pat Reid – Service on Day Ladies Executive Committee as Co-President, Little Rocks coach, regular curling skills coach and volunteer and currently co-coordinator for Education, 2009 Volunteer of the Year winner, shared 2010 Volunteer of the Year winner, 2011 Ross Solomon award winner.

Monica Sloan – Service on the LCC board of directors as Secretary and Program Chair, served as Chair of the Mixed Executive Committee, regular curling skills coach and volunteer, organizer for the Learn to Curl Program, 2004 Ross Solomon award winner.

Richard Van Dine – Service on LCC board of directors in the mid-1990s as Men’s Section representative and subsequently as Membership chair; drawmaster of the Evening Men’s Section in the early 1990s and then Section Committee president in the mid-1990s and again from 2009-10 through 2012-13; established and maintained the original LCC web site in 1998-2001; Ross Solomon award recipient in 2001.

 Alfred Wong - Juniors and Bantams coach and section head, Leaside representative at Junior and Bantam OCA Zone meetings and competitions.

---

The Decorations!

Our Open House 

 Recognition of our Founding Members by Member of Parliament Rob Oliphant

Thanks to our Past Presidents for your Leadership, Vision and Direction

 

  

Who was at the Party?

---

On March 2, 2024, Leaside Curling Club had a celebration in honour of its 60th anniversary. During the ceremony, the following members were recognized for their longtime volunteer contributions to the club.

 KIM AIKENHEAD

• has served as organizer of day women’s internal and invitational bonspiels for numerous years
• coach for little rocks program

KAREN ATKIN

• Served on weekend mixed committee for 10 years,7 years as chair
• Co-chair of Mixed Snowball bonspiel since 2013

JOHN BONNER

• Longtime drawmaster for men’s tag draw
• Current drawmaster for Wednesday Open Skins league

JOHN BROOK

• Served on weekend mixed committee for over a decade, including a term as chairperson
• Co-chair of Mixed Snowball bonspiel since 2013
• Member-at-large and bonspiel liason for men’s committee
• Frequent instructor at educational clinics

GRACE BUGG

• Has served on day women’s executive as treasurer
• Current drawmaster for Thursday team entry league
• Frequent instructor at educational clinics

MARGARET BUTLER

• co-chair of Monday Open skins league for 30 years

 MIKE BUTLER

• has served as chair of Monday Open skins league for 30 years
• treasurer for little rocks and bantam/junior leagues

JOHN DICKSON

• Has served as Education co-chair for over 5 years
• Long time coach for youth leagues

GAIL ANN FERGUSON

• organizer and lead instructor for Stick clinic for last 10 years
• organizer of Stick Bonspiel
• assists with decorations for numerous club events

BETTY HICKS

• Many years of service on day women’s committee, including president
• Current drawmaster for Monday women’s league
• Liason with TCA day ladies championship committee

TOM HAGUE

• President of Board of Directors from 2019 - 2023
• navigated the club through the covid pandemic

DAVE HURAS

• Long-time co-chair of the Education committee
• Frequent instructor at clinics

DARREN KARN

• board president from 2016 – 2019

PATRICK KNISS

• chaired men’s Great Canadian bonspiel for many years
• Has run numerous club breakfasts
• Served on board of directors
• Consultant for lounge renovation project

CELINE LACROIX

• long time secretary and member of the board of directors

TARA LANG

• organizer of many of the day women’s bonspiels
• former drawmaster of the Tuesday morning women’s section

NEILL MACLEOD

• long time member of Leaside Curling Club's Education Committee

JIMMY MACMILLAN

• general handy man for numerous projects at the club
• built and installed broom rack holders; shelving unit in office
• recovers club brooms annually without charge

DOUG MANNING

• Thursday evening men’s league drawmaster for 14 years
• handled schedule changes and rules debates with calm and steady hand

PETER PILLE

• has provided long term technical support for the day men’s league

NORM RAPPAPORT

• Tuesday evening men’s drawmaster since 2016
• has provided generous support to drawmasters of other sections of the club, particularly on effective use of Curling Club Manager tools

BRIDGET SOKOLUK

• organizer of numerous day women’s bonspiels, both internal and invitational

LAURA SPALDIN

• has served on the executive for the evening women’s section for many years
• has run the women’s “Beat the Winter Blahs” bonspiel which celebrated its 10th anniversary this year; one of the most successful women’s bonspiels in the entire city

GAIL WALKER

• served as board president from 2011-2016
• successfully negotiated lease agreement with city of Toronto
•  We ROC!!!

LEIGH WHITCOMB

• Chair of both little rocks and bantam/junior leagues for 17 years

IVAN YUEN

• Long time coach for bantam/junior section
• Founder and drawmaster of the open doubles series

---

Each spring, Leaside Curling Club hosts an annual 2-day Learn to Curl clinic. This session is aimed at adults only.

For the 2025/26 season, the clinic will be held on:

Part 1: Saturday March 21, 2026, from 9 am till noon

Part 2: Saturday March 28, 2026, from 9 am till 5 pm

 Cost $100 + HST

The program is full; no further registrations are being accepted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

---