CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. —
Five athletes will be inducted into the Prince Edward Island Curling Hall of Fame and Museum when it hosts its 13th annual induction ceremony Tuesday at the Charlottetown Curling Complex.
This year’s inductees are Mike Dillon, John Likely and Shelley Muzika, all from Charlottetown, Leslie MacDougall from Cornwall and Wayne Matheson, a former resident of both Summerside and Charlottetown, who now resides in Sudbury, Ont. “Recognizing the accomplishments of curlers and builders who have dedicated their time and energy to the sport of curling is an important component of our curling history,” said Jerry Muzika, chairman of the Hall of Fame and Museum.
Curl P.E.I. president Sandy Matheson said she is very pleased the Hall is continuing its work to recognize curlers and builders and looks forward to attending the event. The Hall’s main objectives are to recognize, honour and pay tribute to individuals or teams on the basis of playing ability, as an amateur or a professional in the curler category, and to individuals who have given distinguished service and have made major contributions to the development of sport on Prince Edward Island through the builder category.
The event, which will be hosted by Paul H. Schurman, gets underway at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 per person and available at the door. The Hall’s permanent home is located in the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O'Leary. Charcoal portraits of the members are displayed at the top of the stairway in the club’s main entrance. With this year’s five inductees, the Hall of Fame, which was started in 2007, grows to 74 members.
Following are profiles of MacDougall and Matheson:
Leslie MacDougall (Allan)
MacDougall began curling in 1982 at the Chinguacousy Curling Club in Bramalea, Ont.
As lead with the 1990 Ontario junior mixed championship team of skip Matt Hames, third Jayne Flinn and second Chris Harris, MacDougall gained great competitive experience, preparing her for a career in women’s and mixed curling on Prince Edward Island.
She won her first of three P.E.I. mixed championships in 1990, playing first stone with skip Peter Gallant, third Kathie Gallant, and second Phillip Gorveatt.
MacDougall’s second mixed win was in 1997 at third position with skip Mike Gaudet, second Brian Scales and lead Lori Robinson.
Her third provincial mixed win came in 2006, again playing lead for skip Mike Gaudet, third Suzanne Gaudet and second Craig Arsenault.
In 1993, MacDougall was the fifth player for the Angela Roberts-skipped rink and it was her first appearance at the Canadian women’s championship.
In 1996, she won her first P.E.I. women’s title, playing lead with skip Susan McInnis, third Kathy O’Rourke and second Tricia MacGregor.
Playing second with a new team in 2000, with Shelly Bradley skipping, along with third Janice MacCallum and lead Tricia Affleck, MacDougall won her second P.E.I. women’s title. This same team defended its provincial title in 2001.
Ten years later, in 2011, MacDougall won her fourth provincial women’s curling championship, playing lead for skip Suzanne Birt, third Shelly Bradley and second Robyn MacPhee.
In 2013, again as lead, she won provincial women’s title No. 5 with skip Birt, third Bradley and second Sarah Fullerton.
MacDougall organized the Ultramar bonspiel in Charlottetown for many years and holds a Level 2 curling coach certification.
Wayne Matheson
Matheson started curling in Summerside as a 13-year-old, curling in the men’s draws at night whenever he could as he lived a few blocks from the old curling club on Notre Dame Street. He would sit outside for the 7 and 9 p.m. draws and someone would come out to get him if they were short. He wasn’t allowed to wait inside because of liquor laws.
He played with men’s teams at that time and won a Maritime mixed title with skip Eric Johnston in 1961 at age 17.
In 1962, Matheson skipped his Summerside High School rink to the P.E.I. schoolboy curling championship.
In 1963, skipping his team, Matheson again won the P.E.I. schoolboy championship, defeating his brother David Matheson from Summerside High School in the final.
After completing Prince of Wales College, Matheson went to Acadia University and from 1964 to 1966 he skipped teams to three consecutive Maritime intercollegiate championships.
In 1967, Matheson skipped an Island-loaded Acadia team with his brother, Dave, Al Ledgerwood and Jim Fogarty to a silver medal at the very first Canadian university championship in Calgary. Matheson was the all-star skip at this inaugural Canadian Intercollegiate event.
From 1968 to 1975, Matheson was in Alberta at university and returned to P.E.I. in 1976 after the loss of his brother, David.
In 1979, Matheson skipped his team of third Kenneth MacDonald, second Ledgerwood and lead John Scales to his first P.E.I. men’s championship. At the Brier in Ottawa, Matheson had a winning record, defeating Canadian champions Rick Folk, Jim Ursel and Paul Devlin.
Also at the 1979 Brier, Matheson shared the first prestigious “Ross Hartstone Award” for the most gentlemanly player and was selected second all-star skip behind champion Barry Fry.
Matheson again skipped the P.E.I.’s men’s winning teams in 1984 and 1985. His 1985 team of third Doug Weeks, second John Likely and lead Roy Rodd played incredibly well at the Brier and ended up losing to Eugene Hritzuk for fourth in a tiebreaker.
Matheson coached Kent Scales’s junior team to the 1985 provincial title. The team led the round-robin portion of the Canadian junior men's championship, finishing 10-1 and losing the final to Kevin Martin of Alberta. All four members of P.E.I.'s team were selected as all-stars.
Matheson left P.E.I. in 1987 to resume his professional career and he continued to curl.
In 1989, he won the Northern Ontario mixed with a team from Timmins. This was the first team to win a mixed title from that community.
Interestingly, the mixed title was won by Robert Campbell, who Matheson had coached in junior.
RELATED: Click here for profile on inductee Mike Dillon
- Sports Editor’s Note: Profiles of P.E.I. Curling Hall of Fame and Museum inductees Mike Dillon, John Likely and Shelley Muzika will appear in an upcoming edition.
