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BACKGROUNDER (Excerpt from the CCA's STOH homepage):
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The 2009 Scotties Tournament of Hearts
in Lethbridge
marks the twenty-eighth anniversary of Kruger Products (formerly Scott Paper
Ltd.) sponsorship of the Canadian Women's Curling Championship.
Kruger Products is the longest national sponsor of amateur sport in Canada.
It was at the Lassie in St.
John’s in the spring of 1981 that Scott
Paper Limited officially made the commitment to the Canadian Curling
Association to sponsor the Canadian Women's Curling Championship. A
great deal of preparation culminates in "The Scotties Tournament of
Hearts" which has been held in:
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Regina, SK - 1982
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Ottawa, ON - 1990
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Regina, SK - 1998
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London, ON - 2006
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Prince George, BC - 1983
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Saskatoon, SK - 1991
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Charlottetown, PEI - 1999
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Lethbridge, AB - 2007
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Charlottetown, PEI - 1984
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Halifax, NS - 1992
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Prince George, BC - 2000
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Regina, SK - 2008
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Winnipeg, MB - 1985
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Brandon, MB - 1993
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Sudbury, ON - 2001
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Victoria, BC - 2009
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London, ON - 1986
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Kitchener, ON - 1994
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Brandon, MB - 2002
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Lethbridge, AB - 1987
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Calgary, AB - 1995
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Kitchener, ON - 2003
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Fredericton, NB - 1988
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Thunder Bay, ON - 1996
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Red Deer, AB - 2004
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Kelowna, BC - 1989
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Vancouver, BC - 1997
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St.
John’s, NL - 2005
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Curling is one of the largest amateur
sports in Canada
with over one million active curlers. The total television reach for
The Scott Tournament of Hearts final game is over three million
Canadians. Over eleven million adult Canadians will watch curling on
television this winter. That is better than one in three of all
Canadians.
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Curling is a major winter pastime in Canada.
It dominates the leisure hours of residents of most rural communities and
is an important recreational and competitive sport in most
larger metropolitan centres.
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Canada long ago
distinguished itself as the number one curling nation in the world.
It is acknowledged throughout the world that nowhere is competition as keen
and the path to the top so strewn with obstacles as in Canada. At the 1988
Winter Olympics held in Calgary,
curling was a demonstration sport. The Canadian Women's team, skipped
by Vancouver's
Linda Moore, the 1985 World Champions, captured the gold medal. Julie
Sutton's team from Victoria, the winner of The 1991 Scotties Tournament of
Hearts, represented Canada
at the 1992 Winter Olympics in France. They captured a
bronze medal in the demonstration sport of curling. Curling has now
been accepted by the International Olympic Association as a medal
sport. In the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano,
Japan, Regina’s Sandra Schmirler,
the winner of the 1997 Scott Tournament of Hearts and the reigning world
champion captured gold! In 2002, Kelley Law’s team from BC,
2000 Canadian and World Champions represented Canada
at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt
Lake City, Utah,
capturing a bronze medal.
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The first women's international
championship was held in 1979. Canadian women have an enviable record
in international competition. World champions from Canada include:
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Marj Mitchell, 1980
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Pat Sanders, 1987
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Colleen Jones, 2001, 2004
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Connie Laliberte, 1984
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Heather Houston, 1989
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Kelly Scott, 2007
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Linda Moore, 1985
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Sandra Peterson/Schmirler ,
1993, 1994, 1997
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Jennifer Jones, 2008
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Marilyn Bodogh (nee Darte), 1986, 1996
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Kelley Law, 2000
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Curlers are highly competitive and yet
extremely sportsmanlike. Many of the sport's rules are etiquette
rulings where appropriate behavior is suggested, but penalties for
infractions are curiously absent. Curlers shake hands before and
after each game and it is rare when smiles do not grace the faces of both
winners and losers. They are a fiercely loyal group
that are very proud of their sport.
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It was this curious mix of camaraderie
and competitiveness which first attracted the interest of Scott
Paper. In assuming sponsorship of women's curling, Scott hoped to build
awareness for both the company and the sport and to effectively merchandise
curling across Canada.
The logo for The Scotties Tournament of Hearts is a cluster of four hearts,
which represents the four curlers who comprise a team and recognizes the
importance curlers place on teamwork. The hearts also symbolize the
"spirit" of curling - the friendship that characterizes the
sport. The logo has been fully integrated into all aspects of the
event.
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The Provincial/Territorial champions
each receive a gold chain and pendant in the shape of the four hearts while
the runners-up receive sterling silver chains and pendants. In
addition, the winning teams are presented with a red heart crest to be worn
on their Provincial jackets.
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All repeat Provincial/Territorial
champions have a diamond added to their gold pendants and repeat runners-up
have a ruby added to their silver pendants. Since Scott Paper assumed
sponsorship of the Canadian Women's Curling Championship, Nova Scotia's
Colleen Jones has distinguished herself as the "winningest
curler" with four diamonds now adorning the pendant which she won in
1982, a pair of diamond earrings to celebrate her sixth Scotties Tournament
of Hearts win and a gold bracelet with seven diamonds to commemorate her
seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth Scotties Tournament of
Hearts provincial championship titles. Also prior to her Scotties
Tournament of Hearts wins, Colleen won two Lassie Provincial titles.
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At the national level, the trophy has been
specially designed in silver with four heart-shaped columns of varying
heights rising from a teak base. Each member of the winning team
receives smaller replicas of the trophy in addition to gold rings, in the
four-heart design, set with a .33-carat diamond. The runners-up
receive gold rings with rubies and the third place team receives gold rings
set with emeralds.
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Other awards presented at The Scotties
Tournament of Hearts include First and Second Team All Star Awards which
recognize the best leads, seconds, thirds and skips and, a Shot of the Week
Award to the player who made the most outstanding shot during the
championship.
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Two special Awards have been created in
the memory of two very special individuals who passed away in 2000.
The Sandra Schmirler MVP Award is presented to
the top curler in the playoffs of The Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
Sandra died of cancer at age 36 after an incredible three Canadian and
World titles and an Olympic Gold Medal. The Joan Mead Builders Award
will recognize the contributions of someone other than a curler to the
sport of curling. Joan Mead was the producer of curling at CBC until
her sudden death.
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The Sportsmanship Award is presented to
the curler who best embodies the spirit of curling. The Award is
named The Marj Mitchell Award in perpetuity in
remembrance of the World Champion curler and in recognition of her
contribution to the sport of curling. Marj
died of cancer at the age of 35. In past years, a different curler or
builder from the region where The Scotties Tournament of Hearts was being
held was honoured and the award named after him or her. Individuals
previously honoured include: Diana Doe, Joyce McKee, Ina Hansen,
Elizabeth MacDonald, Lura McLuckie, Jo Wallace, Myrna McQuarrie,
Caroline Ball, the lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan, Sylvia
Fedoruk, Lee Tobin, Dr. Vera Pezer,
Joyce Myers, Mabel Mitchell, Effie Hesselwood,
Bob Stewart and Arline Wilson.
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Every participant at The Scotties
Tournament of Hearts receives a pin, which is a tiny replica of a curling
broom, cast in 14K gold and accented with a small diamond.
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