60th MCA bonspiel featured 454 teams

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This article was published 21/02/2022 (1384 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In the winter of 1947-48, Winnipeg truly was the curling capital of the world. The Manitoba Curling Association marked a milestone in its history by holding its 60th annual bonspiel.

One hundred and eighty-two rinks from Greater Winnipeg area clubs and 272 from outside the City entered what was titled the Diamond Jubilee bonspiel. The total of 454 rinks was believed to be a world record. Sixty years before, in 1888, the first bonspiel was held, featuring 62  rinks.

Diamond jubilee bonspiel play began on Feb. 10, 1948, on 89 sheets of ice in the Winnipeg region and wound up on Feb. 19. A record total of 249 curling clubs were affiliated members of the MCA that season.

There was more than just bonspiel action that month, too. On Feb. 16, high school curlers from across the country hit the ice at the Amphitheatre rink in the Dominion championship. In addition to the host province, provincial champions came from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Quebec plus one team representing Western Ontario. They competed for the Victor Sifton Trophy, put up for play by the Winnipeg Free Press. On Feb. 17, the Manitoba Ladies Curling Association opened its 24th annual bonspiel with a record entry of 127 rinks.

George Sangster and his Granite team won the MCA’s Charles N. Harris Memorial grand aggregate trophy by winning the most games in the two main events, the Birks and Eaton. Bung Cartmell’s team from Glenboro beat Dr. Bill McTavish of Elmwood in the Birks final while Googs Hindle of the Civic-Caledonian captured the Eaton Trophy over defending Canadian champion Jimmy Welsh of Deer Lodge. In the British Consols final for the right to represent the province in the Dominion Curling Championship, Sangster prevailed over Roy Forsyth of the Strathcona.

Cec Pooles of the Civic-Cal won two minor events, the Hudson’s Bay and Imperial Oil. Other minor trophy winners included Welsh and Ken Watson from Strathcona, the 1936 and 1942 Canadian champion. The Free Press Trophy went to a team from Antler, Sask., skipped by J.S. Doerr.

Earlier that curling season, from Dec. 29-31, 1947, 192 teams competed in the annual provincial high school bonspiel held at Winnipeg clubs. The finalists in the four events entered a playoff to determine who would represent the province in the Dominion championship. Bill Ferguson from Transcona, who won the main Free Press event, and Grant Marshall from West Kildonan were only city reps. In the playoff final, Ferguson suffered his only loss, dropping a 10-7 decision to Stan Gowling of Morden.  

At the Amphitheatre in February. Gowling and his team of Norm Stewart, Ross Topley and Jack Borthwick won what essentially was the first Canadian high school title. After round-robin play, Gowling and Keith Lackey from Weyburn, Sask, were tied with records of four wins and one loss. In a playoff, Gowling and company prevailed 10-5.

The previous February, when only high school teams from the Prairie provinces competed in Regina, Don Montgomery and his Manitoba team from the village of Franklin won the Sifton Trophy.  

Mrs. C. J. Poulton and her Fort Rouge team of Mrs. W.L. Graham, Mrs. H.A. Mason and Mrs. D. James won the Clay Law Shield, emblematic of the grand aggregate title and the main North Star Oil event in the MLCA bonspiel. Four-time Ontario champion Mrs. L.E Woolley of the Toronto Granite club won the other main event, the Lady Eaton.