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
Ontario	5	4
Manitoba	4	5
Quebec	3	6
Prince Edward Island	2	7
Newfoundland	2	7
Nova Scotia	2	7

Scores

Draw 1

• British Columbia 13-9 Newfoundland
• Ontario 12-5 Nova Scotia
• Prince Edward Island 12-2 Quebec
• Saskatchewan 7-6 Alberta (11)
• New Brunswick 12-5 Manitoba

Draw 2

• Saskatchewan 11-5 Manitoba
• Newfoundland 11-10 Nova Scotia (11)
• Ontario 10-8 Quebec
• British Columbia 11-5 Prince Edward Island
• Alberta 12-9 New Brunswick

Draw 3

• Saskatchewan 10-4 Ontario
• British Columbia 9-5 New Brunswick
• Manitoba 12-5 Nova Scotia
• Prince Edward Island 6-5 Newfoundland
• Alberta 10-6 Quebec

Draw 4

• New Brunswick 10-7 Ontario
• Saskatchewan 10-8 Nova Scotia
• Quebec 8-7 Newfoundland
• Manitoba 12-2 Prince Edward Island
• Alberta 11-4 British Columbia

Draw 5

• Nova Scotia 10-8 British Columbia
• Alberta 13-5 Prince Edward Island
• Saskatchewan 11-3 New Brunswick
• Quebec 9-8 Manitoba
• Ontario 10-3 Newfoundland

Draw 6

• British Columbia 10-7 Ontario
• Newfoundland 12-8 Manitoba
• Alberta 10-6 Nova Scotia
• New Brunswick 9-3 Prince Edward Island
• Saskatchewan 11-2 Quebec

Draw 7

• Manitoba 11-9 Ontario
• New Brunswick 11-7 Nova Scotia
• Alberta 11-3 Newfoundland
• British Columbia 8-7 Quebec (11)
• Saskatchewan 11-7 Prince Edward Island

Draw 8

• Ontario 13-4 Prince Edward Island
• Quebec 12-4 Nova Scotia
• New Brunswick 13-11 Newfoundland
• Saskatchewan 7-6 British Columbia
• Manitoba 8-7 Alberta

Draw 9

• British Columbia 12-4 Manitoba
• Saskatchewan 10-7 Newfoundland
• Nova Scotia 8-5 Prince Edward Island
• Ontario 13-4 Alberta
• New Brunswick 10-8 Quebec (11)

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

• Ottawa Citizen. March 3, 1961. pg 15
• Ottawa Citizen. March 4, 1961. pg 11