Six Manitoba Curling Clubs, one in Winnipeg and five in rural Manitoba clubs, will be receiving Bob Picken Junior Legacy grants in the near future. The Picken Open Masters Bonspiel Committee has reviewed this year’s applications and has announced that this year’s awards will go to support the junior programs at Brandon’s Riverview club along with the clubs in Stonewall, Steinbach, Teulon and both East and West St. Paul.

This year’s six $500 grants, made with the support of Access Credit Union and CurlManitoba, brings the total to $12,000 in Bob Picken Junior Legacy grants since the program began seven years ago.

“We continue to be impressed with the quality of the grant applications and the imagination that junior coordinators are putting into making their programs interesting to the junior curlers – a key to a successful program,” says committee co-chair Bob Minaker.

“We are also pleased to see programs continuing. It is a tribute to the hard work of the junior coordinators, but also a tribute to the memory of Bob Picken who was such a dedicated servant of our sport, when we see their junior programs succeeding,” Minaker says.

Back in 2019, Brandon’s Riverview club was one of the first three recipients of a Bob Picken Junior Legacy grant. Two others of this year’s recipients, Teulon and East St. Paul are also past recipients, Stonewall was part of Interlake Junior League group which received a grant in 2021.

Two clubs, Steinbach and West St. Paul, are receiving a Bob Picken Junior Legacy Grant for the first time.

In the years since the first grants were awarded in 2019, 15 different Manitoba clubs have benefited directly from the program. In addition, support has been provided to four different Junior Development Leagues with indirect benefit to some 15-20 additional clubs.

The Bob Picken Open Masters Bonspiel Committee is very appreciative of the support of CurlManitoba which has made a Masters Championship berth available and of Access Credit Union who became the bonspiel’s presenting sponsor two years ago. Other sponsors such as Asham Curling Supplies and the curlers who have participated have also made a significant contribution to the Legacy Grant fund.

The Bob Picken Junior Legacy grant program will continue in the 2026-27 curling season. Details will be announced in the fall of 2026.

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Including 2025, Bob Picken Junior Legacy Grants have been presented to:
(2024) Altona CC Juniors
(2022) Carman CC Juniors
(2024) (2025) East St. Paul CC Juniors
(2023) Elmwood CC Juniors
2019) Oakville CC Juniors
(2023) Portage CC Juniors
(2019) (2025) Riverview CC Juniors
(2024) Ste. Anne CC Juniors
(2024) St. Vital CC Juniors
(2025) Steinbach
(2025) Stonewall
(2022) Swan River CC Juniors
(2024) (2025) Teulon CC Juniors
(2019) Thistle CC Juniors
(2025) West St Paul
(2023) Winkler CC Juniors
(2021) Bob Picken Inter-Club Youth League (Winnipeg clubs)
(2021) Interlake Junior Inter-club League (Interlake clubs)
(2024) Sliding Stars North junior program (based at Swan River Curling Club)
(2022) Westman Development League (based at Virden)

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