Ontario Scotties Tournament of Hearts | |
---|---|
Established | 1956 |
2025 host city | Cobourg, Ontario |
2025 arena | Cobourg Community Centre |
2024 champion | Danielle Inglis |
Current edition | |
The Ontario Scotties Tournament of Hearts is the Ontario provincial curling championship for women's curling. The tournament is run by CurlON, the curling association for Southern Ontario. The winning team represents Team Ontario at the national Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
History
[edit]The first women's provincial championship occurred in 1956 in North Bay, and was known as the "all-Ontario ladies' curling championship". It pitted the winners of three regional women's curling associations (the Ontario Ladies' Curling Association, covering Southern Ontario, the Northern Ontario Curling Association, covering Northeastern Ontario and the Western Ontario Ladies' Curling Association, covering Northwestern Ontario) against each other in a two-day, double round-robin series.[1]
In 1960, the tournament expanded to four teams, with the winner from Eastern Ontario added to the event, and was reduced to a single round robin. The winner represented Ontario at the Eastern Canadian Championship that year.[2] Each provincial tournament in Eastern Canada would be referred to as "Dominion Silver 'D' competitions, after the Dominion supermarket chain became a sponsor.[3] The tournament went back to a double round robin the following year[4] (with four teams), with the winner going on to represent Ontario at the first official national championships, the 1961 Diamond D Championship. After a Quebec team from Noranda qualified as the Northern Ontario representative in the 1963 championship, the Ontario Ladies Curling Association voted to limit the event to just Ontario teams going forward.[5] In 1964, the field was expanded to six teams, with the addition of two more Southern Ontario qualifiers.[6] Due to a governing body dispute, Southern Ontario teams were barred from the 1968 tournament, leaving just three entries (Eastern Ontario, Northern Ontario and North-Western Ontario) to play a double round robin.[7] The event remained a three-team event until 1972 after the dispute with the Southern Ontario Ladies Curling Association was resolved in 1971.[8] The three Southern Ontario teams were added back, making the event a six team, single round robin event once again.[9] This six team round robin format lasted until 1987,[10] when the field was expanded to a ten team round robin. During this time, the event was known as the Ontario Lassies from c. 1975 to 1982 following the sponsorship of Macdonald Tobacco, and then as the Ontario Scott Tournament of Hearts in 1982, following the sponsorship of Scott Paper.
Until 1991, the team with the best round robin record won the provincial championship. In 1991, a three-team playoff was introduced, with the top team earning a bye to the final.[11] A page playoff was added in 2003, which involved adding a fourth playoff team. The event was re-named the Ontario Scotties Tournament of Hearts in 2007 when Scott Paper was sold to Kruger Inc.
In 2015, Northern Ontario earned its own direct entry to the national Scotties Tournament of Hearts, and so the Ontario Hearts would thus be a championship for teams from Southern Ontario only. The event remained a ten team event with a four team page playoff until 2017, when it was reduced to eight teams with a three team playoff. In 2018, the event adopted a 12 team triple knockout format for the first time, followed by a page playoff. In 2019, it returned to eight teams with a three team playoff. A last minute decision by CurlON added a ninth team for the 2020 event. The 2021 event was cancelled for the first time, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario. CurlON appointed a team to represent the province at that year's Hearts. The 2022 event was suspended due to the new provincial regulations caused by the Omicron variant of COVID-19, and CurlON appointed a team again for the second straight year. An eight-team provincial championship was still held in 2022, but in April that year, well after the national championship, with the winner earning a bye to the 2023 provincial championship. In 2023, the event was expanded to twelve teams.
Champions
[edit]National champions are indicated in bold. Teams from Northern Ontario are indicated in italics, as prior to 2015, Northern Ontario did not have their own provincial championship. National champions get an automatic bye into the following years' national championships, so they cannot defend their provincial championship. A national championship has been held since 1961, although the provincial women's championship has been held since 1956.
1956–1990
[edit]1991–present
[edit]A playoff was added in 1991. Runners up from Northern Ontario in italics.
Other Ontario teams at the Hearts
[edit]Beginning in 1986, the national Tournament of Hearts champion automatically earned a berth for the following years' national championship as "Team Canada". The first Ontario team to play as "Team Canada" at the Hearts was Marilyn Darte in 1987. Northern Ontario was granted their own team in 2015 (see Northern Ontario Scotties Tournament of Hearts). A Wildcard entry was added in 2018, which was expanded to three entries in 2021. Two of these entries became prequalifying entries in 2024.
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Mrs. Woolley Wins Curling Championship". Brantford Expositor. February 20, 1956. p. 8. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Port Arthur Rink Wins Women's Ontario Title". Owen Sound Sun Times. February 25, 1960. p. 14. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
- ^ "National Curling Final For Women". Edmonton Journal. November 3, 1959. p. 7. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
- ^ a b "Ontario Title To Woolley Rink". North Bay Nugget. February 17, 1961. p. 12. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
- ^ a b "City View rink was tops in 2nd half of bonspiel". Ottawa Citizen. February 15, 1963. p. 21. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
- ^ a b "Ottawa Ladies Advance Into Canadian Finals". Ottawa Journal. February 13, 1964. p. 15. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
- ^ "Behind the Glass". Kingston Whig-Standard. February 1, 1968. p. 11. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
- ^ "Ontario Curling Gals Make Peace". Ottawa Journal. July 28, 1971. p. 43. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
- ^ a b "Sillman winner, Bassett second". Ottawa Citizen. February 9, 1972. p. 24. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ a b "St. Catharines' rink steals Hearts". Ottawa Citizen. January 29, 1986. p. 26. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "World Champs Await London's Rizzo". Ottawa Citizen. February 3, 1991. p. 27. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
- ^ "Mrs. Woolley's Toronto rink Captures All-Ontario Laurels". North Bay Nugget. February 20, 1956. p. 16. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
- ^ "K-W Granite Club Wins All-Ontario Curling Title". Owen Sound Sun Times. February 20, 1957. p. 15. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
- ^ "Curling Roundup". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix. February 19, 1958. p. 16. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
- ^ "Heritage Museums".
- ^ "Sudbury Rink Wins Title". Brantford Expositor. February 19, 1958. p. 8. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
- ^ "Lady Curlers Force Extra Playoff Game". Sault Star. February 27, 1959. p. 13. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
- ^ "Ladies' Bonspiel On At Oshawa". Owen Sound Sun Times. March 22, 1960. p. 10. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
- ^ "Quebec Rink Rallies On Last End To Capture Ladies' Curling Title". Montreal Gazette. March 25, 1960. p. 24. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
- ^ "Toronto Rink Wins Ladies Bonspiel". Ottawa Citizen. February 16, 1962. p. 16. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
- ^ "Fern Irwin's Dixie Rink Wins Ontario Silver 'D'". Ottawa Journal. February 11, 1965. p. 10. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
- ^ "Kenora Wins". Ottawa Journal. February 10, 1966. p. 18. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
- ^ "June Shaw Again Represents Ontario". Ottawa Journal. February 8, 1967. p. 19. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
- ^ "Peggy Wherrett Ontario Champ". Ottawa Journal. February 7, 1968. p. 15. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
- ^ "City View curlers bow in last game". Ottawa Citizen. February 12, 1969. p. 30. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
- ^ "Kingston Ladies Win Curling Title". Brantford Expositor. February 12, 1970. p. 9. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "Honors (sic) to Lakehead four". Ottawa Citizen. February 3, 1971. p. 21. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "Arnprior's Munro cops women's curling title". North Bay Nugget. February 7, 1973. p. 16. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "Ventura rink heading west". Ottawa Citizen. February 6, 1974. p. 26. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "Phyllis Nielsen Crystal Pebble aggregate champion". Ottawa Citizen. February 8, 1975. p. 24. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "Ventura curling champ;". North Bay Nugget. February 6, 1976. p. 15. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "Mutch quartet unbeaten". Ottawa Citizen. February 10, 1977. p. 37. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
- ^ "Mutch quartet unbeaten". Ottawa Citizen. February 10, 1977. p. 37. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "North not entirely out". Sault Star. February 2, 1978. p. 8. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "Reid rink in finals". North Bay Nugget. January 31, 1979. p. 22. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "Ottawans lose curling finals". Ottawa Citizen. February 7, 1980. p. 22. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "Seltzer's rink wins". Owen Sound Sun Times. February 5, 1981. p. 11. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "O'Neill misses forcing playoff as Toronto wins women's title". Kingston Whig-Standard. February 3, 1982. p. 20. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "Thunder Bay Wins Curling Title". Brantford Expositor. February 9, 1983. p. 9. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "Cambridge rink second". Brantford Expositor. February 1, 1984. p. 16. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "Leavitt brings home Ontario crown". Windsor Star. February 5, 1985. p. 13. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "Thompson foursome wins ladies' title". North Bay Nugget. February 3, 1987. p. 15. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "Rookie skip wins". Ottawa Citizen. February 1, 1988. p. 26. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "Greenwood rink new Ontario champions". Ottawa Citizen. February 6, 1989. p. 25. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "Goring rink wins". Owen Sound Sun Times. February 5, 1990. p. 12. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "Hearts stopper". Ottawa Citizen. February 4, 1991. p. 10. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "Clark steals Hearts". Owen Sound Sun Times. February 3, 1992. p. 25. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "Merklinger in seventh heaven". Ottawa Citizen. February 8, 1993. p. 22. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "Merklinger repeats provincial win". Ottawa Citizen. January 31, 1994. p. 42. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "Some good show! Goring foursome wins it all". The Sault Star. January 30, 1995. p. 11. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "Merklinger rink bows to Bodogh in Ontario final". Ottawa Citizen. January 29, 1996. p. 14. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "Toronto rink wins Ontario championship". Ottawa Citizen. January 27, 1997. p. 15. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "Merklinger rink rules Ontario". Ottawa Citizen. February 1, 1998. p. 24. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "Reign is over for Merklinger". Ottawa Citizen. January 31, 1999. p. 23. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "Merklinger wins another Ontario title". Ottawa Citizen. January 30, 2000. p. 20. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "Merklinger rink beaten in final". Ottawa Citizen. January 28, 2001. p. 17. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "Middaugh rink takes Ontario Hearts title". Owen Sound Sun Times. January 28, 2002. p. 10. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "Ontario, Manitoba cancel playdowns for Scotties, Brier". CBC. December 21, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
- ^ @Devin_Heroux (January 7, 2022). "JUST IN... Curl ON selects Team Homan as Scotties reps... HOWEVER. If Rachel Homan is selected to go to Olympics for mixed doubles... Team Duncan will be the Ontario rep for Scotties... Discuss. #cbccurl" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Scotties Tournament of Hearts: Past Champions". CurlON. Archived from the original on December 9, 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2020.