1961 Diamond D Championship

The 1961 Dominion Diamond "D" Championship was the very first Canadian women's curling championship. It was held at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club February 27 to March 3. The format was a round robin, and a playoff was held to determine 2nd place due to a three-way tie. Joyce McKee and her rink from Saskatoon, who were the unofficial national ladies' champion from 1960, won her first of five national championships, by posting an undefeated 9-0 record.

Games were 10 ends in length, except for the playoff (tie breaker) games, which were 12 ends.

Teams

Alberta British Columbia
Edmonton

Skip: Dorothy Thompson
Third: Ila Watson
Second: Vivian Kortgaard
Lead: Ruth Hayes

Nanaimo

Skip: Margaret Fuller
Third: Sylvia Koster
Second: Edna Quinney
Lead: Fernande Smith

Manitoba New Brunswick
Strathclair

Skip: Irene Parker
Third: Shirley Winstone
Second: Lola Grills
Lead: Olive Gamey

Moncton

Skip: Mona Comeau
Third: Kay Cormack
Second: Vera Shutt
Lead: Evelyn Brooks

Newfoundland Nova Scotia
Grand Falls

Skip: Violet Pike
Third: Margaret Ryan
Second: Joan Baker
Lead: Ruby Tittemore

Lunenburg

Skip: Mona Rhodenizer
Third: Grace Walters
Second: Margaret Jensen
Lead: Catherine Creighton

Ontario Prince Edward Island
Toronto

Skip: Emily Wooley
Third: Dadie Smith
Second: Barbara Gibson
Lead: Jane Clark

Charlottetown

Skip: Elizabeth MacDonald
Third: Sally Rodd
Second: Evelyn Goss
Lead: Nora MacDonald

Quebec Saskatchewan
Mount Royal

Skip: Helena Ellyet
Third: Annabelle MacDonald
Second: Frances Aboud
Lead: Margaret Lavery

Saskatoon

Skip: Joyce McKee
Third: Sylvia Fedoruk
Second: Barbara MacNevin
Lead: Rosa McFee

Final round robin standings

Province W L
Saskatchewan 9 0
 New Brunswick 6 3
Alberta 6 3
 British Columbia 6 3
Canada Ontario 5 4
 Manitoba 4 5
 Quebec 3 6
Prince Edward Island 2 7
Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland 2 7
 Nova Scotia 2 7

Scores

Draw 1

Draw 2

Draw 3

Draw 4

Draw 5

Draw 6

Draw 7

Draw 8

Draw 9

Playoff tie breakers

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Final
Alberta 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 4 1 10

 British Columbia 1 0 1 1 1 0 2 0 1 2 0 0 9

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Final
Alberta 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 X 6

 New Brunswick 0 1 4 2 0 2 1 2 0 1 0 X 13

Sources