As President of MSCA, it was my privilege to present the champions trophy to Gwen Smith and Lynne Rehbein.
Gwen Smith & Lynne Rehbein (St. Vital) needed extra end wins in the semi-final and the final Sunday afternoon to win the Manitoba Stick Curling Association’s Women’s Championship today at East St. Paul.
Smith/Rehbein were the only team to run undefeated through the four-game round robin and three playoff rounds. Their final game opponents Darlene Maywood & Kathie Allardyce (also St. Vital), were also unbeaten going into the final.
Two blue OR one yellow wins the game – one blue it is a tie and an extra end. The game went to the extra end!
The champions survived a three-stone measure , one of theirs vs two of the opponents, giving up a single point and a tie to force an extra end. Smith/Rehbein won 6-5, scoring one on the extra without throwing their final stone.
To reach the final, Smith/Rehbein also needed an extra end to be Britta Spiring/Terry Beaudoin) St. Vital/Ft Rouge) in the semifinal. Allardyce/Maywood defeated Debbis Palson/Marian Versluis (East St. Paul) in their semifinal.
The other four qualifiers, eliminated in quarterfinals, were Janice White/Shelly Stupnisky (Morris), Lorna Marr/Val Kolson (Springfield), Alison King/Irene Runolfson (Warren), and Sherry Gruhle/Fern McConnell (Victoria Beach).
The MSCA’s second championship, the Open Championship, will be played next weekend in Stonewall.
Reid Carruthers and his Granite team (BJ Neufeld, Catlin Schneider, Connor Njegovan, Coach Rob Meakin, Fifth Kyle Doering) have won the 2025 Viterra Championship, the 100th Manitoba Men’s curling championship.
The top seed in the championship, the Carruthers foursome had to win a semi-final and final game Sunday to earn Carruthers his ninth championship (2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2024), a fourth for Neufeld (2016, 2017, 2023), and third for Njegovan (2020, 2024). It is a first Manitoba title for Schneider, a Saskatchewan resident.
Leading 6-1 early, the Carruthers foursome needed a time-out coming home to figure out how to deal with the Calvert (red) attack. With neither red going anywhere, they played a perfect tap – pushing their yellow stone biting the four foot just back of the button. The Calvert slash double attempt failed.
The final game against #3 seed Braden Calvert and his Fort Rouge team (Corey Chambers, Kyle Kurz, Brendan Bilawka) looked to be decided as early as the third end when Carruthers scored a four to go with a stolen two on the opening end and lead 6-1. There was no quit in the Calvert team – they fought back to trail 8-7 coming home and challenged Carruthers right to the end but the game did end without the winners having to throw their final stone.
The morning semi-final against Brett Walter – Assiniboine Memorial (JT Ryan, Graham McFarlane, Hugh McFarlane) was tied 5-5 coming home with Carruthers scoring a single with the hammer for victory.
No matter what happened Sunday afternoon in Portage la Prairie, the 2025 Viterra Champion was going to be a team with at least some Canadian championship experience.
Reid Caruthers skipped the most experienced team in the final three with two Canadian and world men’s champions: Carruthers (2011) and BJ Neufeld (2019 representing Alberta). As noted above, Carruthers has won eight previous provincial men’s titles. He also won a juniors (2003) and a Mixed (2008). Neufeld won three Manitoba Juniors (2004, 2005 & 2007) along with his three Manitoba Men’s titles (2016, 2017 & 2023); lead Connor Njegovan has a junior title (2010) and the two Men’s championships (2020 & 2024). Fifth Kyle Doering won Manitoba junior titles in 2012 and 2016 and the Canadian juniors in 2016. Coach Rob Meakin won a pair of Manitoba Men’s titles in 1995 and 2001 and in 1995 won both the Brier and World Championship. He also won a pair of Manitoba Mixed titles (1988, 1989) and a Canadian Mixed in 1988.
CurlManitoba has announced that the Viterra Championship will return to the Selkirk Recreation Complex for the 2026 Championship. It will be the sixth Manitoba Men’s championship in Selkirk’s arena and the seventh championship hosted by Selkirk.
The 2026 event will also be the tenth actual championship played under the Viterra sponsorship.
A Labatt Tankard (1993), two Safeway Selects (2001 & 2005), one Safeway Championship (2009), and two Viterra Championships (2016 & 2022) have been played previously in Selkirk.
“The Selkirk Recreation Complex is one of Manitoba’s best curling venues,” says CurlManitoba Executive Director Craig Baker. “That venue has provided great curling and great curling entertainment over about three decades. I am excited to see this current group of competitors playing there.”
“We are delighted to be bringing the Manitoba Men’s Championship back to Selkirk,” say Committee co-chairs Shayne Merritt and Scott Szydlik. “The greatest champions of the modern era won here in Selkirk and we are excited to again host Manitoba’s best. It will be interesting to watch this new generation of young stars play here trying to add their names to that list.”
The first five championships were all played in Selkirk’s arena while the sixth represented the first return to curling club ice in many years. In 2022, the Viterra Championship, due to Covid restrictions, was played as a closed event in the Selkirk Curling Club.
“We truly appreciated the Selkirk Curling Club stepping up to host in that no-spectators, and therefore no revenue, situation,” says Baker. “We have wanted to go back to Selkirk because it is a great venue but also to show our appreciation for their help that year.”
The honour roll of Manitoba champions who won in Selkirk includes: 1993 Vic Peters, Dan Carey, Chris Neufeld, Don Rudd (Granite) 2001 Kerry Burtnyk, Jeff Ryan, Rob Meakin, Keith Fenton (Assiniboine Memorial) 2005 Randy Dutiaume, Dave Elias, Greg Melnichuk, Shane Kilgallen (Valour Road) 2009 Jeff Stoughton, Kevin Park, Rob Fowler, Steve Gould (Charleswood) 2016 Mike McEwen, B. J. Neufeld, Matt Wozniak, Denni Neufeld (Fort Rouge) 2022 Mike McEwen, Reid Carruthers, Derek Samagalski, Colin Hodgson (West St. Paul)
Selkirk will be the first community to host three Viterra Championships. Portage, with this year’s event, has hosted two while Winkler, Virden, Neepawa, Stonewall, and Winnipeg (Charleswood) have each hosted one.
Three of the top five seeds have advanced to play Sunday for the 100th Manitoba Men’s curling championship.
Third-seeded Braden Calvert (Fort Rouge) made a last stone draw for a single point in an extra end on the late draw Saturday. The draw gave the Calvert foursome a 5-4 win over #5 seed Brett Walter (Assiniboine Memorial).
Calvert will play the provincial final game Sunday at 3PM. Walter drops into the Sunday morning semi-final where his team will play top-seeded Reid Carruthers (Granite). The Walter-Carruthers winner will meet Calvert in the championship game.
The Carruthers team defeated Sean Grassie (Deer Lodge) in eight ends Saturday evening in the Page Playoff bottom side elimination game.
Calvert’s team is the only unbeaten team left in the competition. Calvert and Walter were the two playoff round “A” winners Saturday morning with Calvert beating Grassie and Walter sending Carruthers to the “B” side.
On the afternoon draw, Grassie had eliminated #4 seed Jacques Gauthier (West St. Paul) and Carruthers ousted #2 Jordon McDonald (Assiniboine Memorial). The other two teams in the final eight, Steve Irwin (Brandon) and Jeff Stewart (Gladstone) had been eliminated on the morning draw.
(CurlManitoba Release) The first games were played in the eight-team playoff round Friday evening at the 2025 Viterra Championship in Portage la Prairie with top-seed Reid Carruthers (Granite), #3 Braden Calvert (Fort Rouge), # 5 Brett Walter (Assiniboine Memorial), and Sean Grassie (Deer Lodge) winning their opening playoff games.
The top five seeds had all qualified for the playoff round although #2 Jordon McDonald (Assiniboine Memorial) and #4 Jacques Gauthier (West St. Paul) had both lost “A” side qualifiers and had to qualify through the “B” side.
While Manitoba’s best put on on the on-ice show, off-ice the show at Stride Place in Portage includes the launch of the pop-up Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame, a trophy display including the Brier Tankard, and a museum display which includes championship banners and a small selection of the 40,000+ items in the collection
Among the evening draw match-ups, three games were tied coming home while #3 Calvert led #2 McDonald by a single point coming home. Calvert had last rock and used it to hit for a single and an 8-6 win.
Carruthers, tied 4-4 coming home, also had a hit for a single to win 5-4 over #4 Gauthier.
Walter, led Jeff Stewart (Gladstone) 6-3 after scoring a four on the seventh end but gave up a deuce and steal of one more to be tied coming home enroute to a 7-6 win.
Sean Grassie was also tied 4-4 coming home but didn’t have to throw his final stone in a 6-4 win over Steve Irwin (Brandon).
On the early draw Friday, #1 seed Reid Carruthers (Granite), #3 seed Braden Calvert (Fort Rouge), #5 seed Brett Walter (Assiniboine Memorial), and Steve Irwin’s Brandon foursome had all won their third consecutive games to qualify for the playoff round.
The other four teams, Gauthier, McDonald, Stewart, and Grassie, came through the “B” side to qualify for the playoff round.
On Saturday morning at 9AM, Calvert will play Grassie and Carruthers will play Walter with the winners advancing to the Page Playoff format championship round. Stewart will play Gauthier and Irwin will play McDonald in a rematch of the game that sent McDonald to the “B” side of the draw.
The 32-team field has been cut in half. Sixteen teams have survived the first two days of play in the 2025 Viterra Championship and the first four qualifiers to the second round of play, the playoff round, will be determined on the morning draw Friday.
The top five seeds and one of the next three seeds are so far unbeaten. They’ll play in the Friday morning qualifying game. Sixth seed Riley Smith (East St. Paul) was eliminated on the first day of play while #8 seed Jordan Peters (Fort Rouge) lost Thursday afternoon to Jeff Stewart (Gladstone) to drop to the “B” side of the opening round. On the late draw Thursday, the Peters team bounced back to stay alive with an 8-4 win over Ryan Ostrowsky (Granite).
Coach Kerri Einarson with some advice for Beausejour skip Justin Richter
The eight “A” side teams playing for those first four playoff round berths are top seed Reid Carruthers (Granite) who will play Stewart’s Gladstone team Friday morning; second-seeded Jordon McDonald (Assiniboine Memorial) who will take on the seventh seed, Steve Irwin (Brandon); third-seeded Braden Calvert (Fort Rouge) who will play the veteran Sean Grassie (Deer Lodge), a former provincial finalist; and fourth seed Jacques Gauthier (West St. Paul) who will play fifth seed Brett Walter (Assiniboine Memorial) in the fourth Friday morning game.
Gauthier, playing with a three-man team comprising Derek Samagalski and Tanner Lott, came closest to tasting defeat among the eight two-game winners, trailing Justin Richter (Beausejour) 9-6 after seven ends before scoring a three and two deuces for victory.
The eight surviving teams on the “B” side of the draw, after Thursday evening’s late draw are Ed Barr and Kelly Marnoch (Carberry), Jace Freeman (Virden), Justin Richter (Beausejour), Marcus Titchkosky (Morden), Jordan Peters (Fort Rouge), Devon Wiebe (Charleswood), and Daniel Birchard (Pembina).
These eight must win two games Friday to advance to the playoff round.
Opening day of the 100th Manitoba Men’s Curling Championship, the 2025 Viterra Championship at Stride Place, Portage la Prairie, like most opening days went mainly according to the form chart as determined by the pre-event seeding by the teams.
The opening draws pit the top seeded teams, the favorites to win the championship, against the lower seeded teams, often teams with little or no experience playing in championship arena ice conditions which are significantly different from the club ice conditions they normally play. It is unlikely in the first games for the top eight seeds that there will be an upset win by the lower-ranked teams.
Local fans went home disappointed Wednesday evening when Gladstone’s Jeff Stewart executed this angle raise takeout for four on the ninth end to go up three enroute to victory at Stride Place Arena.
When the Carberry team skipped by Rob Van Kommer, with Ed Barr throwing fourth, went on the ice at noon Wednesday against #6 seed Riley Smith and his East St. Paul team, the betting odds would have favoured the Smith foursome. Authoring the first upset of the week, Barr hit for three on the ninth to go three up and then made a double kill with his last coming home for an 8-5 win.
Top-seeded Reid Carruthers and his Granite team, along with the other six among the top eight seeds, won by concession before the full ten ends were complete.
At the end of the competitive spectrum, the 32-team draw format dictates that four games on the late draw of opening day will see the first four eliminations from the “B” side of the double-knock-out opening round.
A disappointing second loss ended the Smith foursome’s short stay at the championship. Marcus Titchkosky and his young Morden team stole two on the ninth end in their late draw game with the Smith team then stole again to eliminate them 9-6. Robin Nelson (Granite), Travis Gregory (Hamiota), and Grant Brown (Burntwood) were the other first day two-loss eliminations.
The 2025 Viterra Championship opened with a Reunion of Champions celebration banquet Tuesday evening with 43 champions from across the four Men’s Championship sponsorship eras on attendance sharing stories of their glory days with today’s young competitors.
British Consols champion Dave Romano, a 1972 World champion, was joined by six other champions from the 1970’s; 1981 Labatt Tankard champion Kerry Burtnyk, whose five Manitoba titles also included 1995 when he won the first Safeway Select enroute to a world title, headlined the 18 Labatt and 16 Safeway champions in attendance; and the six past Viterra champions in attendance included Reid Carruthers, Derek Samagalski, and Connor Njegovan who are competing this week in Portage. Safeway champions Bob Scales (2003 with John Bubbs) and Greg Melnichuk (2005)
The Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame & Museum has announced its 2025 Inductee Class, a group which includes a dedicated curling volunteer, three accomplished athletes and three champion teams.
The announcement, made Tuesday evening, February 4th, at CurlManitoba’s Reunion of Champions Opening Banquet at the 2025 Viterra Championship, includes the rare father-daughter induction of Ron Westcott and his daughter Raunora.
Curlers Raunora Westcott, Dan Carey, and Dawn McEwen will be joined by Builder Darren Oryniak, as well as the champion teams of Ron Westcott (Canadian Masters (2015), Randy Neufeld (Canadian Seniors 2015), and the dominant Mike McEwen team of 2008 to 2018 which won Manitoba titles in 2016 & 2017.
World Senior Silver Medalists (l-r) Dale Michie, Peter Nicholls, Dean Moxham, and Randy Neufeld – one of three teams, 3, curlers and a builder announced for induction into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame in May, 2025.
The formal induction ceremony will take place at Winnipeg’s Victoria Inn on Saturday, May 3, 2025. Ticket information is currently being finalized. Those interested in attending, to support a specific inductee OR to celebrate the end of another great curling season and some of the greats in the game, are invited to contact the committee at mbcurlmuseum@gmail.com.
Media are invited to contact MCHoF&M President Peter Nicholls (204-391-5041) for more information and for inductee contact information.
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BUILDER: Darren Oryniak <> Curling Canada Governor (2020-2024) <> CurlManitoba Director (2014-2020), President (2018-19 & 2019-20) <> Coach/Instructor, Certified NCCP Level III (beginning 2008) <> Vice-Chair (Facilities) 2013 Roar of the Rings
CURLER: Dan Carey <> Manitoba and Canadian Men’s Champion (1992) <> World Championship Semi-finalist (1992) <> Manitoba Men’s Champion (1993 & 1997) ** Previously inducted into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame in 2005 as a member of the Vic Peters 1992 & 1993 team.
CURLER: Dawn McEwen <> Olympic Gold Medalist (2014) <> World Champion (2008 & 2018) <> Canadian Women’s Champion (2008, 2009, 2010, 2015 & 2018) <> Manitoba Women’s Champion (2008, 2012, 2013, 2015 & 2018) ** Previously inducted in to the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame as a member of the 2014 Olympic Gold Medal Jennifer Jones team
TEAM: Mike McEwen – BJ Neufeld – Matt Wozniak – Denni Neufeld – Coach Chris Neufeld (Fort Rouge CC) <> 11 consecutive years Manitoba Men’s Championship final four, 10 consecutive years CTRS top-7 ranking, CTRS #1 (2014-15) <> Eight Manitoba Men’s final game appearances <> Manitoba Men’s Champion (2016 & 2017), Canadian Men’s Bronze Medallist (2017) <> Winner of seven Grand Slam events ** Coach Neufeld was previously inducted as a curler in 2020 and with the Vic Peters 1992 Canadian Champion team in 2005
TEAM: Randy Neufeld – Dean Moxham – Peter Nicholls – Dale Michie (LaSalle CC) <> Five-time Manitoba Senior Men’s Champions (2015, 2016, 2021, 2022, 2024 <> Canadian Senior Men’s Champion – 2015 <> World Senior Men’s Silver Medalist – 2016 <> Canadian Senior Men’s Finalist – 2016 ** Nicholls was previously inducted into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame as a Curler.
TEAM: Ron Westcott – Ken Dusablon – Bob Boughey – Howard Restall (Fort Rouge CC) <> Manitoba and Canadian Masters Champions – 2015 <> Undefeated at the 2015 Canadian Championship ** Westcott and Boughey were previously inducted into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame – Boughey as a Curler-Builder in 2014, Westcott as a Curler in 2016.
Team McFarlane, at 5W-1L, is the big surprise of the championship (Photo: CurlManitoba/Big Day Media)
(CurlManitoba Release) DAY 3 SUMMARY: CURLMANITOBA RME WOMEN OF THE RINGS PRESENTED BY CASE IH: Hailey McFarlane and her team from Neepawa are alone in first place in the standings after the first round of play in the championship round of the RME Women of the Rings Championship presented by Case IH.
McFarlane’s 9-8 win over Beth Peterson Friday evening in Pilot Mound gave her a 5W-1L record, a win ahead of the other five teams who share second place in the standings with 4W-2L records. The Kate Cameron and Kristy Watling teams came into the second round of play with 3W-2L records. Cameron defeated Darcy Robertson and Watling was victorious over Lisa McLeod to create the 5-team tie.
Three teams from each of the two pools advanced from the preliminary round into the championship round where they play three cross-over games against the teams from the other pool. Three teams will advance to the Sunday playoffs.
The top teams in the Asham Pool were Lisa McLeod (Pembina) and Hailey McFarlane (Neepawa), both with 4W-1L records. McLeod was awarded the #1 ranking in the group thanks to a win over McFarlane on the opening draw of the competition Wednesday morning. Top seed Kate Cameron (Heather) missed her chance at the top ranking with an 8-7 extra end loss Friday to McLeod.
The top teams in the Asham Ultra Force Pool were three-time former champion Darcy Robertson and #2 seed Beth Peterson (both Assiniboine Memorial) who also had 4W-1L records. Robertson got the #1 rank in the group because she beat Peterson on Wednesday evening in a game in which her team came back from four down twice. Third seed Kristy Watling (East St. Paul) finished third in the pool with a 3W-2L record.
The teams will play two games Saturday, at 10AM and 4PM, to determine the playoff positions. If necessary, one tiebreaker game will be played Saturday evening. The playoffs are scheduled for 9:30AM and 2:00PM Sunday.
(CurlManitoba Release) DAY 1 SUMMARY: CURLMANITOBA RME WOMEN OF THE RINGS PRESENTED BY CASE IH: Three of the top four seeds at CurlManitoba’s 2025 Women’s Championship, the RME Women of the Rings presented by Case IH, completed the opening day of the championship in Pilot Mound with a pair of victories.
Kate Cameron and Taylor McDonald contemplate the next shot in their opening round match in Pilot Mound (photo courtesy CurlManitoba/Big Day Media)
#1 seed, Kate Cameron (Heather), put nine on the scoreboard in both of her team’s victories on opening day at the championship in Pilot Mound, winning 9-5 over Cheyenne Ehnes (Manitoba) and 9-2 over Sarah-Jane Sass (Granite)
#2 seed, Beth Peterson (Assiniboine Memorial), started the day Wednesday with a 5-4 win over Alyssa Calvert (Carberry) but gave up a steal coming home to lose 10-9 to three-time former champion Darcy Robertson on the late draw. Twice in the game, Robertson trailed by four but both times came back to tie, setting up the final end steal. Robertson also ended Day One with a pair of victories.
#3 seed, Kristy Watling (East St. Paul), needed an extra end to win her opener, a 7-6 extra end win over Cassidy Dundas (Heather) but then had a seven-end win over Alyssa Calvert on the late draw.
#4 seed Lisa McLeod (Pembina), with wins over Hailey McFarlane (Neepawa) and Cheyenn Ehnes (Manitou) also ended the opening day with a pair of victories.
Sarah-Jane Sass (Granite) and Hailey McFarlane (Neepawa), in the Asham pool, and Peterson and Cassidy Dundas (Heather), in the Asham Ultra Force Pool, ended the day with 1W-1L records.
The RME Women of the Rings presented by Case IH will continue Thursday in Pilot Mound with draws scheduled for 8:30AM, 12:15PM, 4:00PM, and 7:45PM. One game on each draw will be livestreamed on the CurlManitoba YouTube channel.
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