Curling world remembers Colleen Jones: ‘a true Canadian treasure’

HALIFAX — Kim Kelly had already pointed out that her longtime teammate Colleen Jones wouldn’t have suggested crying during an interview when Kelly’s eyes welled up again as she tried to capture her friend’s incredible life in words.

“I think she would want people to remember her as a warm, kind, caring person,” Kelly said of Jones, her voice cracking with tears, just before Canada’s top eight women’s curling teams began playing for a chance to represent the country at the 2026 Olympics at the Scotiabank Centre.

“And I think what I’ll miss the most is all of that,” Kelly added. “Just him.”

On Tuesday, the curling world mourned the loss of an icon as news broke that earlier, Jones had lost a nearly three-year battle with cancer at the age of 65, with her husband Scott Saunders and sons Luke and Zach in her hometown of Halifax.

Right now, Canada’s Olympic curling trials are underway in Jones’ hometown, where Canada’s top men’s and women’s teams are competing for berths in Milano Cortina, and as Kelly said: “She would love to be here right now.”

Jones’ presence was definitely felt.

The first words over the Arena speakers before the women’s draw on Tuesday evening were: “The curling world has lost a legend,” followed by clips of Jones celebrating some of her incredible six Scottish Tournament of Hearts championship wins on the big screen, always the big smile she always wore. Fans in the building rose to their feet and applauded in his memory, and there was a moment of silence before the game began.

Taking to the ice for the pregame memorial service were three of Jones’ former teammates in Kelly, Mary Ann Arsenault and Nancy Delahunt, along with Jones’ son, Luke, who released a statement on his social media accounts earlier Tuesday announcing that she had passed while surrounded by her family, looking out over the ocean from Mother’s Cove in Navajo, her favorite spot.

Jones coached Luke and Team Nova Scotia to a playoff appearance earlier this year at the Briar. She cried tears of joy when she made her debut on that stage in 2023.

Jones, a two-time world champion, played in more Scottish games than anyone else, and 21 national championships in all. She was the youngest player to win the title. She was the first skip to win four straight national championships.

Jones not only lit the rocks on the ice in raising the profile of the women’s game, but as the first female sports anchor in Halifax in 1986, the beginning of a nearly three-decade-long career as a reporter. She was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2022 for her work paving the way for women in both sports and broadcasting.

“I think she was someone who left a big footprint in the world, but in curling, I don’t know anyone who left a bigger one,” Kelly said, as the impact of her friendship was felt as a person, a curler and a media personality.

Jones was so passionate, with an infectious enthusiasm and love of life, and Kelly said one of Jones’ sisters, Monica, told her that Jones “fought tooth and nail to stay in this world.” A statement released by Curling Canada CEO Nolan Theisen included: “She is the best in our sport and can be.”

It seems fitting that Jones’ final day was a celebration of the best curler in the country. Jones never earned the right to represent Canada on the Olympic stage, but Nova Scotia has a contender in the women’s competition led by Christina Black. She and third Jill Brothers, second Marlee Powers — the fiancee of Jones’ son, Luke Sanders — and lead Carly Everest nearly pulled out a win, but moved to 3-3 after a loss to Selena Sturmay on Tuesday night.

After his victory, Stormy called Jones “a true Canadian treasure.”

“She’s paved the way for women’s curling in so many ways,” Stormi said. “I am truly, truly, proud and fortunate to follow the path that he has created for us.”

Carrie Enerson, whose Manitoba rink is undefeated and will play Rachel Homan in Wednesday’s round-robin final for an outright berth in the finals, said with teary eyes at Jones’ legacy, saying, “Her smile — I’ll never forget it.”

Caro, a Halifax native, reflected on what Jones did for curling in his home province, and especially for himself.

“I wouldn’t be here without him. There’s no doubt in my mind. I idolized him growing up,” Blake said. So much so that Blake attended the Scotties in Charlottetown in 1999, where he watched Jones win and fell on the ice with joy.

“It’s a moment that I’ve always had and I was like, ‘I want to have that moment, I just want to have that moment as Colleen.’ After that I followed them a lot. I loved them and everything about him, and just wanted to be like him,” Blake said. “And it made me believe that, as a kid from Nova Scotia, we can be champions. We can do it. You know, we’re small, but we’re great. And it’s because of him.”

Kelly thought of a friend who always told her, “Life is beautiful,” which taught her many lessons.

“I always say I learned how to win, but it sounds really cliche, but to say, I learned how to live life big and full,” Kelly said. He wished it was Jones who stood in front of reporters on Tuesday.

“She knows what to say, how to act, how to make everybody feel better about it,” Kelly said. “She’ll say you know what just makes me happy, I’ve outlived most people in my 65 years.”

Back in February of 2024, Jones was on the ice at the Marcin McPhail Center in Calgary, the site of that year’s Scots, and she was focusing on the sport that was still one of the great passions of her life.

“I think the whole winning thing becomes so electrifying for you, because you hear the crowd roar so many times, it makes you love the game more,” Jones said, a big smile on his face. “Winning makes you Love, love, love, love Everything about him. There is so much to love. “

And a lot to remember, too, about playing a great game.