Curling has a special place in Thunder Bay’s history, and at Jones Insurance, we’re proud to celebrate that tradition through our partnership with the Fort William Curling Club.
This season, our displays at the club recognize two teams that made an incredible mark on Canadian and international curling: Team Hackner and Team Houston.
Led by Al “The Iceman” Hackner, Team Hackner became Canadian and World Champions in 1982. The team included Al Hackner, Rick Lang, Bob Nicol, Bruce Kennedy and Al Fiskar. Their World Championship victory was an important moment for Northwestern Ontario, marking the region’s first world curling title. Hackner returned to the top of the curling world in 1985, (along with Ian Tetley and Pat Perroud) once again winning both the Canadian and World Championships.
Team Houston also made curling history for Northwestern Ontario. Led by Heather Houston, alongside Lorraine Lang, Diane Adams, Tracy Kennedy and alternate Gloria Taylor, the team became Canadian champions in 1988 and earned a silver medal at the World Championships. They returned the following year as Team Canada, captured another Canadian championship and went on to become World Champions in 1989. Team Houston was the first women’s rink from Northwestern Ontario to win a national or world curling title, and their accomplishments earned them recognition as the 1989 Ontario Team of the Year. The team was later inducted into Canada’s Curling Hall of Fame in 1994.
These achievements are more than part of curling history. They are part of Thunder Bay’s story. Generations later, their success continues to represent our community and its strong connection to the sport.
For Jones Insurance, our partnership with the Fort William Curling Club is an opportunity to celebrate that history while supporting the curling community of today. Our displays at the club are a way to recognize the people and teams who represented our region on some of curling’s biggest stages and created moments worth remembering.
We’re proud to celebrate the legends who helped shape Thunder Bay’s curling history and to support the community that continues to carry that tradition forward.
