Jim Ursel

Image Credit: FACEBOOK/Kelowna Curling Club

A Canadian curling legend and head of the Kelowna Curling Club has died.

The club announced today, Oct. 2, Jim Ursel died due to cancer at the age of 84.

“Jim was the head of three generations that curl here at the Kelowna Curling Club. Jim Ursel found his game early in life. He was 11 years old when a small two-sheet curling club was built in his hometown of Glenella, Manitoba. At 15 his family moved into Winnipeg where he joined the Strathcona Curling Club," according to the club’s Facebook post.

“It was like attending a curling college, “ he recalled years later, “so many greats curled at Strathcona. You learned the skills, and how to behave on the ice and show respect for your opponents.”

Ursel may be the only Canadian curler to win Provincial Championships at four different levels: Juniors, Mens, Seniors and Masters. In 1962, Ursel was Norm Houck’s third in winning the Manitoba Men’s Championship, advancing to the Brier in Kitchener. The team finished in a three-way tie for first place with Hec Gervias and Ernie Richardson but lost in a playoff, according to the club.

Ursel’s employment with Air Canada took him to Montreal. From1974 to 1980, he compiled a record of skipping his team to Quebec Championships six times. He won the Brier in 1977 in front of a hometown crowd and finished second in the World Championships that year, according to the curling club.

Ursel was selected as the Brier All-Star skip in 1974 and 1977 and received the Ross Harstone award for sportsmanship in 1977.

After returning to Winnipeg, Ursel captured two provincial senior titles in 1990 and 1991 and carried on to win the Canadian Championship both years.

Ursel moved to Kelowna after retiring where he captured another provincial title in the Masters division (60 plus).

Curling also gave Ursel the chance to put something back into the sport as a coach. In 1985 he coached his sons, Bobby and Mike to a World Junior championship in Perth, Scotland, and his daughter Jill to a Junior Canadian final.

Ursel followed up his success with his children by coaching three other Canadian Junior teams and two men’s teams in the World Championships while continuing to perform at the elite level himself, according to the curling club.

He has been inducted into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame, the Quebec Curling Hall of Fame, the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame.

“Ursel’s achievements are many but you couldn’t find a more humble competitor. Ursel was a true gentleman on and off the ice and was highly respected and admired by his peers,” according to the club.

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