Curling for Change Podcast

Welcome to the final episode of the Curling for Change Podcast! In this limited series, our host, 2023 All Heart Curling Award recipient Wil Robertson, will chat with folks from all corners of the curling community to hear their stories, their perspectives, and how we can change the face of curling and promote inclusion within our sport.

Welcome to episode 8 of the Curling for Change Podcast! In this limited series, our host, 2023 All Heart Curling Award recipient Wil Robertson, will chat with folks from all corners of the curling community to hear their stories, their perspectives, and how we can change the face of curling and promote inclusion within our sport.

In this series, we have discussed all kinds of critical subjects relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We have heard the challenges the sport faces, and what it ought to do to be more inclusive and welcoming for all from athletes, coaches, experts, and others from all walks of life and backgrounds. Today, we hear from those who work on DEI in curling regularly, to hear what they believe the challenges facing the sport are, and what we can all do about them.

Our guests: 

Dr. Roselle M. Gonsalves (She/Her) – Edmonton, Alberta: Dr. Gonsalves is a strategic inclusion practitioner, public speaker, and governance professional, having worked in the areas of systemic equity and strategic inclusion within diverse sectors including social services, consulting, and post-secondary. She currently serves on the Board of Governors at Curling Canada, and serves as an Inclusion expert for the World Curling Federation. She is also Managing Director of Inclusion & Reconciliation at ATB Financial, where she heads up the strategic initiatives to weave equity, inclusion, and socio-economic reconciliation with Indigenous communities into all aspects of the organization’s endeavours. In 2022, Roselle was named one of Edmonton's Top 40 Under 40 for the broad impact of her work in the field of equity and inclusion. Roselle is a racialized, immigrant settler woman, who makes her home in Amiskwaciwâskahikan, the city of Edmonton, in Treaty 6 territory.

Richard Norman (He/Him) – Toronto, Ontario: Richard is a researcher + lecturer + futurist dedicated to transforming our world to be more equitable and socially just for racialized and marginalized persons. His work disrupts traditional narratives and reimagines our sport institutions using creative, responsive, and innovative techniques suited for our rapidly changing world, notably with his role at Curling Canada as Director of Community Futures and Innovation. His research draws upon transdisciplinary approaches that intersect notions of race, whiteness, hegemony, and colonialism, and privilege storytelling as ways-of-knowing and -being honoured in the traditions of First Peoples around the globe. Richard believes research is a tool for social change and collaborates avidly with others on projects funded through a variety of sources, such as SSHRC, SafeSport, and corporate partners (JumpStart Charities, Carnegie Initiative, and the NHL). His passion for service is epitomized by his work with UnitedWeCurl, a not-for-profit organization working to open spaces for racialized and marginalized persons in curling. 

Andrew Paris (he/him) – Truro, Nova Scotia: Andrew is a settler currently residing in Truro, Nova Scotia but is originally from Summerside, Prince Edward Island. In addition to being a Collaborator at INclusion INcorporated, he is also the Coaching Lead for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Mentorship at the Canadian Sport Institute Atlantic. During his downtime, Andrew is the Founder of the Black Rock Initiative. Their mission is to create opportunities for BIPOC youth to experience the sport of Curling while also providing Curling clubs with the tools and resources necessary to be a welcoming and inclusive facility to their entire community.

Katherine Henderson (She/Her) – Ottawa, Ontario: Katherine joined Curling Canada in 2016 as its Chief Executive Officer after her successful stint as senior vice-president of marketing and revenue for the Toronto Organizing Committee for the 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games. At Curling Canada, Henderson was a leader in bringing pay equity for all athletes while pushing for increased diversity in the sport.

Welcome to episode seven of the Curling for Change Podcast! In this limited series, our host, 2023 All Heart Curling Award recipient Wil Robertson, will chat with folks from all corners of the curling community to hear their stories, their perspectives, and how we can change the face of curling and promote inclusion within our sport.

This episode focuses on Curling Stories Untold. Our guests are high-performance athletes, who have represented their provinces, or indeed their country, with pride. Yet, you may not know their stories, and you may not have seen them curl. In this episode, they share their stories and their lessons for how we can make the sport of Curling more accessible and inclusive for all.

If you enjoyed this discussion, and look forward to the episodes to come, please like or share this video. Anyone can tune in on Curling Canada +, YouTube, or wherever you find your podcasts!

Our guests:

Emma Logan (She/Her) – Halifax, Nova Scotia: Emma Logan is from Halifax, Nova Scotia and curls out of the Halifax Curling Club. Her first national appearance was at the USports Championship in 2017 after she led StFX University to their first AUS championship title. She has two Scotties appearances representing Nova Scotia in 2020 and 2021. She also represented Canada at the 2022 World Deaf Curling Championship where they earned the silver medal. She lost her hearing at 13 months old and now wears a hearing aid and cochlear implant. In recent years, she started learning ASL to better compete in deaf curling and connect with her DHH community. Up next, she will be representing Canada at the Deaflympics in March 2024.

Carly Smith (She/Her) – Fredericton, New Brunswick: Carly Smith was born missing her left arm and has been curling for 13 years. She has represented New Brunswick at 5 national events and was the first amputee in Canadian history to play at the national stage in able bodied curling.

Holly Maschmeyer (She/Her) – Bruderheim, Alberta: Holly (formerly Jamieson) Maschmeyer is from Bruderheim, Alberta and her home base is the Lamont Curling Club. She is the 2015 World Junior Curling Champion Gold Medalist, 2-time U21 Alberta Junior Curling Champion, U18 Optimist International Silver Medalist and 2-time U18 Alberta Juvenile Curling Champion. She is hard of hearing and wears two hearing aids. At 20 years old she learned American Sign Language and immersed herself within the Deaf community. She is now representing Canada at her second Deaflympics in March 2024 with a previous 2 World Deaf Curling Championships also under her belt.

Jon Thurston (He/Him) – Dunsford, Ontario: Jon Thurston is a Paralympic Bronze Medallist and a two-time World Silver Medalist in Wheelchair Curling. Jon first made Team Canada in 2019 and has represented Canada at 4 consecutive World Championships along with his first Paralympics in 2022. Born and raised in Dunsford, Ontario, Jon has been curling for 11 years training out of the Peterborough and Bobcaygeon Curling Clubs.

Welcome to episode six of the Curling for Change Podcast! In this limited series, our host, 2023 All Heart Curling Award recipient Wil Robertson, will chat with folks from all corners of the curling community to hear their stories, their perspectives, and how we can change the face of curling and promote inclusion within our sport.

This bonus episode’s focus is on sexism and misogyny in curling. Wil has a conversation with Chelsea Carey about her experiences in curling, and to share their lessons for how we can address sexism and misogyny in the sport, and what they think the curling community ought to do to be more welcoming and inclusive for all.

If you enjoyed this discussion, and look forward to the episodes to come, please like or share this video. Anyone can tune in on Curling Canada +, YouTube, or wherever you find your podcasts!

Our guest:

Chelsea Carey (She/Her) – Calgary, Alberta: Chelsea Carey is a long-time competitive curler, 2x Scotties Champion, 2x Olympic Trials Silver Medalist, and a multi-time provincial champion across multiple provinces. She is an outspoken advocate for marginalized communities in curling, and is a board member for the Black Rock Initiative.

Welcome to episode five of the Curling for Change Podcast! In this limited series, our host, 2023 All Heart Curling Award recipient Wil Robertson, will chat with folks from all corners of the curling community to hear their stories, their perspectives, and how we can change the face of curling and promote inclusion within our sport.

This discussion’s focus is on sexism and misogyny in curling. Wil has a chat with Al Cameron, Amy Nixon, and Laurie St-Georges about their experiences in curling, and to share their lessons for how we can address sexism and misogyny in the sport, and what they think the curling community ought to do to be more welcoming and inclusive for all.

If you enjoyed this discussion, and look forward to the episodes to come, please like or share this video. Anyone can tune in on Curling Canada +, YouTube, or wherever you find your podcasts!

Our guests: 

Amy Nixon (She/Her) – Calgary, Alberta: Amy Nixon is an Olympic Bronze Medalist, 2x Scotties Champion, World Women’s Bronze Medalist, a Canadian Mixed Nationals Silver Medalist, a member of Curling Canada’s Board of Governors, a mom, an accomplished lawyer, and an outspoken advocate for the sport of curling.

Laurie St-Georges (She/Her) – Laval, Québec: Laurie is 25, and skips her competitive women’s curling team out of Québec. Laurie has represented her province at the Scotties, Mixed Nationals, Mixed Doubles Nationals, and Junior Nationals over the course of her almost 20 years in the sport. Laurie was part of the 2022 Mixed Nationals championship team, and is set to represent Canada at the World Mixed Curling Championships in Aberdeen, Scotland, this October.

Al Cameron (He/Him) – Kamloops, British Columbia: Al is the Director of Communications and Media Relations for Curling Canada. He had been a sports journalist for more than 26 years, covering various provincial, national and world curling championships in addition to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Welcome to episode four of the Curling for Change Podcast! In this limited series, our host, 2023 All Heart Curling Award recipient Wil Robertson, will chat with folks from all corners of the curling community to hear their stories, their perspectives, and how we can change the face of curling and promote inclusion within our sport.

This discussion’s focus is: “BIPOC Curlers Changing the Face of Curling". Wil has a chat with Deb Martin, Kibo Mulima, Jaxon Hiebert, and Johnson Tao about their experiences in curling, and to share their lessons for how curling can be more inclusive and welcoming to the BIPOC community, and what they think the curling community ought to do to be more welcoming and inclusive for all.

If you enjoyed this discussion, and look forward to the episodes to come, please like or share this video. Anyone can tune in on Curling Canada +, YouTube, or wherever you find your podcasts!

Our guests: 

Deb Martin (She/Her) - Deb Martin curls out of the Plainfield Curling Club in New Jersey and the Bucks Country Curling Club in Pennsylvania, and has been an instrumental part of Goldline’s UnitedWeCurl initiative. Her message at the launch of the UnitedWeCurl program rings true today: “I’m not a Black Curler, or a Female Curler, or a Queer Curler. I am a Curler – who just happens to be all of those things are more. Personally, I look forward to a day when it’s not a unique and notable thing to see a face like mine and my wife’s out there throwing rocks, calling shots and brushing our guts out. A day when we are known for our gameface – not our face in the game.”

Kibo Mulima (He/Him) – Inverary, Ontario: Kibo is a junior competitive curler based in Ontario. Kibo is a 2022 For the Love of Curling Scholar, a 2022/23 Men's Curling U SPORTS Champion with Wilfrid Laurier University, a 2023 Canada Winter Games silver medalist, and an outspoken advocate for improving diversity, equity, and inclusion in the sport of curling.

Johnson Tao (He/Him) – Richmond, British Columbia: Johnson is a member of the University of Alberta’s Men’s Curling team, the skip of the 2023 Canadian Junior Curling Champions, a silver medalist at the 2022 Canadian Junior Curling Championships, and was a 2021 recipient of the For the Love of Curling Scholarship, selected by Curling Canada.

Jaxon Hiebert (He/Him) – Sherwood Park, Alberta: Jaxon represented Alberta at this year’s U18 Canadian Junior Curling Championships, and is a member of one of two mixed doubles teams selected to playdown in a best of seven series to represent Canada at the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games. Jaxon is also a member of Curling Alberta’s  Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Task Force.

Welcome to a special bonus episode of the Curling for Change Podcast! In this limited series, our host, 2023 All Heart Curling Award recipient Wil Robertson, will chat with folks from all corners of the curling community to hear their stories, their perspectives, and how we can change the face of curling and promote inclusion within our sport.

This discussion’s focus is: “Curling with Pride". Wil has a 1:1 chat with his long-time coach, mentor, friend and bronze medalist at both the Brier and Scotties – Daryell Nowlan -  to hear their story, their experiences as a member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ curling community, share their lessons for how curling can be more inclusive and welcoming to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and what they think the curling community ought to do to be more welcoming and inclusive for all.

Trigger Warning: Daryell and Wil have an open and in depth discussion on this episode which references some sensitive subjects. Please be mindful when listening.

If you enjoyed this discussion, and look forward to the episodes to come, please like or share this video. Anyone can tune in on Curling Canada +, YouTube, or wherever you find your podcasts!

Our guest: 

Daryell Nowlan (He/Him) – Moncton, NB – Originally from PEI, Daryell is a 20 time provincial curling champion coach, player, and a passionate advocate for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Daryell shares his story and experience of coming out at age 40 and the inclusive and welcoming response he received from the curling world.

Welcome to the second episode of the Curling for Change Podcast! In this limited series, our host, 2023 All Heart Curling Award recipient Wil Robertson, will chat with folks from all corners of the curling community to hear their stories, their perspectives, and how we can change the face of curling and promote inclusion within our sport.

This discussion’s focus is: “Curling with Pride". Wil chats with Greg Smith, Helen Radford, and Karen Trines to hear their experiences as members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ curling community, share their lessons for how curling can be more inclusive and welcoming to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and what they think the curling community ought to do to be more welcoming and inclusive for all.

If you enjoyed this discussion, and look forward to the episodes to come, please like or share this video. Anyone can tune in on Curling Canada +, YouTube, or wherever you find your podcasts!

Our guests: 

Karen Trines(She/Her)  – Ottawa, Ont. Karen is a 2-time Ontario Junior champion, an Ontario Mixed champion and a 2 time Ontario Women's champion, having most recently represented Ontario at the 2018 Scotties Tournament of Hearts. Karen and her former teammate/partner were considered to be the first openly LGBTQIA2S+ couple to compete at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. Karen is a member of the Canadian Olympic Committee’s #OneTeam Initiative as well as the You Can Play Regional Board, which both aim to promote inclusivity for LGBTQ2S+ athletes in sport. 

Helen Radford (She/Her)  – Halifax, Nova Scotia. Manager, NextGen for Curling Canada - Level 4 Certified High Performance Coach - Head Coach, Canadian Youth Olympic Teams - Curler, mom of a teenager.

Greg Smith (He/Him)  – St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. Greg is a competitive curler who has worked as a curling coordinator, instructor & coach for 9 years at the Bally Haly Golf & Curling Club. He is also 2 time St. John’s municipal council candidate and an openly Pansexual queer person has advocated for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community by sharing his experiences and speaking out on injustices locally and abroad on various media platforms.

Welcome to the first episode of the Curling for Change Podcast! In this limited series, our host, 2023 All Heart Curling Award recipient Wil Robertson, will chat with folks from all corners of the curling community to hear their stories, their perspectives, and how we can change the face of curling and promote inclusion within our sport.

Our first discussion is: “Curling with Heart: A Discussion with Youth Curlers Changing the Face of Curling”. Wil chats with his fellow All Heart award recipients, Sitaye Penney, Kamraan Islam, and Luke Robins to hear what their experiences were in enacting their All Heart action plans to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in their curling clubs, and what they think the curling community ought to do to be more welcoming and inclusive for all.

If you enjoyed this discussion, and look forward to the episodes to come, please like or share this video. Anyone can tune in on Curling Canada +, YouTube, or wherever you find your podcasts!

Our guests:

Kaamraan Islam – Kingston, Ont. (Cataraqui Golf and Country Club) – Implemented an adult Learn-to-Curl program for racialized community members, building off the success of the club’s similarly targeted youth programming last season.

Sitaye Penney – Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s, N.L. (REMAX Centre St. John’s Curling Club) – Introduced a program for International students and the Association of New Canadians for a Try Curling group session, followed by the opportunity to join an eight-week Learn-to-Curl program.

Luke Robins – West St. Paul, Man. (West St. Paul Curling Club) – Ran on- and off-ice sessions of an introduction to curling program for Ukrainian refugees, including language interpretation as well as Ukranian music and refreshments.