Dear Tam Heather Members,

Team Sone, Tam Heather’s U18 Men’s Competitive Curling Team, is looking for sponsors— your support could make a big difference on our journey!

This season, we will be representing Tam Heather at competitive U18 bonspiels with the goal of making it to provincials and we are stepping up our game in more ways than one. We wrapped up a strong season in C Flight and earned a move up to B Flight in the Men’s Thursday Night Division next season.

To help us get to that next level, we have launched a brand-new sponsorship and social media plan. It’s a great opportunity for businesses to support youth curling and gain visibility across multiple platforms.

Here’s how we plan to highlight your business this season:

• Regular shout-outs across our Instagram and Facebook channels
• A custom sponsor video/reel featured on our YouTube channel and highlights shared on Instagram
• Your logo featured on livestreamed games via YouTube
• Invitations to watch our games in person at bonspiels across Ontario or through our livestreams

We already have some amazing sponsorships from the Tam community. Check out this post from Cy Crocker, one of our first sponsors:

This is a preview of how we will showcase and celebrate our sponsors throughout the season.

If you are interested—or just want to learn more—click here to view our Sponsorship Letter, which outlines all the ways this partnership can benefit your business while supporting our team :  Team Sone Sponsorship Letter
And if you don’t own a business and want to support our team—we’d be very grateful! 

Your contribution would help us get to more bonspiels, cover travel and equipment costs, and make the most of every opportunity during the 2025/2026 season. 

You can find our contact details in the sponsorship letter if you would like to contribute in any way.

We are proud to train at Tam Heather and represent the club across the province. We couldn’t do it without the Tam Heather community supporting us. 

Thank you  for supporting Team Sone and helping us achieve our goals this upcoming season.

Good curling,

Jayson, Liam, Dante and Ylan

Team Sone
Tam Heather Curling Club
#TeamSoneCurling #U18MensCurling

Hello Tam Heather Members,

We want to extend a huge congratulations to Team Canada on winning the LGT World Women's Curling Championship 2025 in Uijeongbu, Korea!

Team Canada Roster:
 Skip – Rachel Homan
 Vice – Tracy Fleury
 Second – Emma Miskew
 Lead – Sarah Wilkes (Lifetime Tam Heather Member!)
 Alternate – Rachel Brown

Team Canada looks unstoppable, and we can’t wait to cheer them on at the Olympic Trials!

Go Canada Go!!

Hack Toe, Turf Toe, Hallux Rigidus or Arthritis. Call it what you want, it’s the pain felt when pushing out of the hack and overbending your big toe.

This is what has gradually happened to me over time to the point where it was quite bothersome to not just push out of the hack but also to walk in soft running shoes. My solution to this was to make my shoe more rigid to minimize my big toe flex. After experimenting with shoe insoles, I found a carbon fibre insole on Amazon that claimed to do the job. For $48 I thought why not give it a try. I ordered them and found them to be exactly what I was looking for. They fit the entire inside of the shoe and are only 1mm thick. Perfect! They do not make my feet feel tight in my shoe but since they are completely flat, the manufacturer’s instructions suggest the insole that came with the shoe be put on top of the carbon fibre insole. I use a “Sole” insole on top because of its molded shape to maintain arch support.

Back to the curling rink. I’ve used this configuration for two games and the difference is like night and day. I can kick out of the hack at any speed and I would never know my toe was injured. This allows me to concentrate on my shot instead of grimacing from the pain when I push out of the hack. I have heard through talking with a few other players that they have the same problem. This worked for me and I hope that this works for you as well should you decide to try it.

John Rydzkowski

From Amazon:

• Vejesime carbon fiber insoles. $48.35 Make sure you get the proper measurement (approximately ¼ to ½ an inch shorter than the insole in your shoe). They do not flex when you try to insert them in your shoe so they can’t be too big.
• “Sole insoles”. They have a variety of thicknesses so depending on how your curling shoe fits you should select accordingly. (I use the medium ones which are about ½ cm thick) $65.

Dear Tam Heather Members,

The club has been approached by NBC to rent a portion of our facility for the production of the television series Copenhagen, starring Simu Liu.

On Thursday, March 6, and Friday, March 7, filming will take place at the Miller Lash House on Old Kingston Rd. As part of their setup, production crews will be using half of the lower east side parking lot at Tam Heather for their vehicles.

Setup will begin early Thursday morning, and the crew will remain onsite until early Saturday morning. Their team will have dedicated staff and security monitoring the parking lot, with signs and pylons in place to assist with navigation.

To help ease parking constraints, we kindly encourage members to carpool if possible on these two days.

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

Tam Heather Office

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copenhagen_(TV_series)

As the women’s Curling Development Program continues to evolve and grow we are looking for input and suggestions to meet your needs. In previous years your survey responses have driven the clinics that were hosted for the women’s section and now the club clinics.

We would like to thank the dedicated Tam Heather Instructors for continued support and meaningful instruction. These skills have enabled members to continue to enjoy the game we all enjoy so much.

The committee looks forward to your survey responses and participation in Curling Development programs next season. Thank you for taking the time to complete this short survey. 

Your response would be greatly appreciated by March 14.

Curling Development Committee

Take Survey

Hello Tam Heather Curlers,

As part of the Tam Heather Curling community, you know how exciting it is to watch young athletes grow in the sport. Team Sone, our U18 competitive men’s team, has had an incredible season, competing against top teams and continuing to develop under expert coaching.

Our competitive season may be over, but we still have a few bonspiels lined up, and we want to start livestreaming our games so more of our supporters can follow along. To make this happen, we need 50 subscribers on our YouTube channel.

With live streaming, our games will be accessible to family, friends, and curling enthusiasts who want to cheer us on. Plus, this will help us showcase the talent at Tam Heather and grow awareness for competitive junior curling.

Subscribing is completely free and takes just a few seconds. We know many of you love supporting junior curlers, and this small action will have a huge impact on our ability to share our journey with you.

We’re so close—every single subscriber counts! Click the link below to subscribe now and help us bring live curling action to YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/@teamsonecurling

Let’s make this happen together! 

Thank you for supporting Team Sone!

Hello Tam Curlers,

Our young Tam Heather curlers—Ylan, Dante, and Jayson—teamed up with a new friend, Liam from Fergus, and took on the competition at the Leaside Curling Club with hope in their hearts and a game plan in mind.

Facing 13 other teams in a tough cash spiel, they showcased sharp strategy, strong sweeping, and precise shot-making. Their dominant performance earned them an impressive 38 out of 45 possible skins and a perfect 3-0 record.

Their reward? Cookies—because we all know cookies are for closers! 

Congratulations to the team on an outstanding performance!

Hello Tam Curlers, 

Another fantastic VTEC season has come to a close! Congratulations to our division winners, and thank you all for making this season a great success.

We look forward to seeing you back on the ice next season. Until then, good curling!

VTEC Division Winners:

Division A – Brian Macfarlane, Alan Burns, Stephen Hawkshaw, Keith Fick

Division B – Fern Pilon, Geoff Fairbank, Larry Deeprose, Andrew Stamler, Mike Atkin

Division C – Ralph Vanderwel, Craig Castle, Frank Mee, Glenn Bull

Division D – Scott Duncan, Ron DenHoudyker, Chris Morgan, John Hannon

Hello Tam Curlers,

The Sonly Cup Grudge Match did not disappoint! Once again, it was a hard-fought battle between father and son, with the game going back and forth right to the very last rock.

Team Sone Senior had a golden opportunity to secure the win with a final draw to the button for 2 — but under the weight of the moment, the shot came up just short, ending the game in a tie.

And so, the rivalry continues! We’ll have to wait until next season to see if Team Sone Junior can finally steal a victory from Team Sone Senior. Until then… let the smack talking begin!

Thank you and be safe
Tam Heather Staff

Latest Pictures

Dear Curling Friends.

On Thursday February 6th, 2025, between 5:30 and 6:00 pm, moments after delivering a takeout with my stick, I lost my balance and fell backwards on the ice. The sound of my helmet cracking under the back of my head was deafening. My first thought was “what the heck just happened?!”

Fortunately, I felt okay. No pain, just dazed, and I could feel a headache developing. Lots of caring fellow curlers and Tam staff descended to help get me up and get to the lounge. Karen called 911 and helped gather my belongings.

The competent Paramedics arrived within a reasonable 15-20 minutes. Their assessment was thorough. “Rate your pain from 1 to 10” they asked. Luckily, I could answer “one” due to the headache coming on. I didn’t even have any tender spots on the back of my head. A neck brace was placed around my neck. After answering the question “how old are you?” I was told that I was going to the hospital for testing. It’s protocol for anyone over 65, falling from an upright position, to go to the ER for testing.

The Paramedics were directed to Centenary, a very short drive from Tam. The first words spoken by the triage nurse were “congratulations for wearing a helmet”.

The ER doctor arrived in about an hour. He was one busy dude. He ordered a CT scan of my head and neck to see if there was any bleeding or fractured vertebrae.

In about 25 minutes he handed me a written report and offered to remove the uncomfortable neck brace (yes please!). No damage from the fall. Whew.

The round trip from Tam by ambulance to home by a family member was under 4 hours. I felt that I was well cared for by everyone at Tam, fellow curlers and staff, Paramedics and all the very busy hospital staff who were efficient, thorough and professional. Thank you all!

And one final very big “thank you” to my helmet for saving me.

Anne Jackson

Shirley Matsunaga Celebration of Life

Date: June 21, 2025

Location: Japanese Gospel Church Of Toronto

301 Silver Star Blvd, Scarborough ON M1V 0B6

Visitation: 1:00 pm.

Service: 2:00 pm.

Shirley's daughter Nadine has asked that guests dress in colour not black as it is a celebration. 

The service for Shirley Matsunaga will be at the Japanese Gospel Church of Toronto, 301 Silver Star Boulevard, Scarborough, On M1V 0B6  on June 21, 2025. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (416) 335-5428

No time has been set yet. We will update you when we have more information

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Shirley Matsunaga, who passed away peacefully, surrounded by her loving family, on January 11, 2025, in her 81st year, after a long and brave journey with cancer.

We will miss our beloved friend and gentle curler.

The Women's Curling Section

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