1961 Diamond D Championship

1961 Diamond "D" Championship
Host city	Ottawa, Ontario
Arena	Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club
Dates	February 27– March 3
Winner	Saskatchewan
Curling club	Hub City CC, Saskatoon
Skip	Joyce McKee
Third	Sylvia Fedoruk
Second	Barbara MacNevin
Lead	Rose McFee
«  1960 (invitational) 1962  »

The 1961 Diamond "D" Championship was the first official Canadian women's curling championship. It was held from February 27 to March 3, 1961, at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club in Ottawa, Ontario. The format was a round robin, which was the same format used for the Macdonald Brier. All games in the round robin were 10 ends in length with any tiebreaker playoff games being 12 ends in length.

Team Saskatchewan, who was skipped by Joyce McKee won the inaugural event by finishing round robin play unbeaten with a 9–0 record. This would be the first of five national championships won by McKee.

Alberta, British Columbia, and New Brunswick finished round robin play tied for second with 6-3 records, necessitating a tiebreaker playoff between the three teams to determine the runner-up. Alberta beat British Columbia 10-9 in the first tiebreaker game. New Brunswick would capture the runner-up spot by defeating Alberta in the second tiebreaker playoff game 13–6.

Teams

The teams are listed as follows: ^[1]

Alberta	British Columbia	Manitoba	New Brunswick	Newfoundland
Edmonton CC, Edmonton [2] Skip: Dorothy Thompson Third: Ila Watson Second: Vivian Kortgaard Lead: Ruth Hayes	Nanaimo CC, Nanaimo Skip: Margaret Fuller Third: Sylvia Koster Second: Edna Quinney Lead: Fernande Smith	Strathclair CC, Strathclair Skip: Irene Parker Third: Shirley Winstone Second: Lola Grills Lead: Olive Gamey	Beaver CC, Moncton Skip: Mona Comeau Third: Kay Cormack Second: Vera Shutt Lead: Evelyn Brooks	Grand Falls CC, Grand Falls Skip: Violet Pike Third: Margaret Ryan Second: Joan Baker Lead: Ruby Tittemore
Nova Scotia	Ontario	Prince Edward Island	Quebec	Saskatchewan
Lunenburg CC, Lunenburg Skip: Mona Rhodenizer Third: Grace Walters Second: Margaret Jensen Lead: Catherine Creighton	Toronto Granite Club, Toronto Skip: Emily Woolley Third: Dadie Smith Second: Barbara Gibson Lead: Jane Clark	Charlottetown CC, Charlottetown Skip: Elizabeth MacDonald Third: Sally Rodd Second: Evelyn Goss Lead: Nora MacDonald	Mount Royal CC, Mount Royal Skip: Helena Ellyett Third: Annabelle MacDonald Second: Frances Aboud Lead: Margaret Lavery	Hub City CC, Saskatoon Skip: Joyce McKee Third: Sylvia Fedoruk Second: Barbara MacNevin Lead: Rosa McFee

Map of teams

Thompson

Fuller

Parker

Comeau

Pike

Rhodenizer

Woolley

MacDonald

Ellyett

McKee

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Provincial Winners

Round robin standings

Final Round Robin standings ^[1]

Key
	Diamond D champion
	Teams to Tiebreaker

Province	Skip	W	L	PF	PA
Saskatchewan	Joyce McKee	9	0	88	48
Alberta	Dorothy Thompson	6	3	84	61
British Columbia	Margaret Fuller	6	3	85	64
New Brunswick	Mona Comeau	6	3	82	73
Ontario	Emily Woolley	5	4	85	65
Manitoba	Irene Parker	4	5	73	79
Quebec	Helena Ellyett	3	6	62	80
Prince Edward Island	Elizabeth MacDonald	2	7	48	88
Newfoundland	Violet Pike	2	7	68	89
Nova Scotia	Mona Rhodenizer	2	7	63	91

Round robin results

All draw times are listed in Eastern Time (UTC-05:00) ^{[1] [3]}

Draw 1

Monday, February 27 9:00 AM ^[4]

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Newfoundland (Pike)	1	0	0	3	0	0	1	2	0	2	9
British Columbia (Fuller)	0	2	4	0	2	3	0	0	2	0	13

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Nova Scotia (Rhodenizer)	1	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	2	5
Ontario (Woolley)	0	4	1	3	0	1	0	2	1	0	12

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Prince Edward Island (MacDonald)	1	2	1	1	1	1	3	2	0	X	12
Quebec (Ellyett)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	X	2

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Manitoba (Parker)	0	1	0	1	0	1	0	1	0	1	5
New Brunswick (Comeau)	1	0	3	0	2	0	5	0	1	0	12

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Final
Saskatchewan (McKee)	1	0	1	0	2	0	1	0	1	0	1	7
Alberta (Thompson)	0	0	0	1	0	2	0	1	0	2	0	6

Draw 2

Monday, February 27 8:00 PM ^[4]

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Ontario (Woolley)	1	2	3	0	1	0	2	0	1	0	10
Quebec (Ellyett)	0	0	0	2	0	2	0	2	0	2	8

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
British Columbia (Fuller)	4	0	0	0	4	2	0	2	3	X	15
Prince Edward Island (MacDonald)	0	1	1	1	0	0	1	0	0	X	4

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Saskatchewan (McKee)	1	0	0	0	2	0	4	0	3	1	11
Manitoba (Parker)	0	1	1	1	0	1	0	1	0	0	5

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Final
Newfoundland (Pike)	0	1	2	0	3	1	0	3	0	0	1	11
Nova Scotia (Rhodenizer)	3	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	3	2	0	10

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Alberta (Thompson)	3	2	0	3	1	0	0	0	3	0	12
New Brunswick (Comeau)	0	0	3	0	0	1	2	1	0	2	9

Draw 3

Tuesday, February 28 9:00 AM ^[5]

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Saskatchewan (McKee)	1	2	5	0	0	0	1	1	0	X	10
Ontario (Woolley)	0	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	1	X	4

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Alberta (Thompson)	2	0	0	0	1	1	2	2	0	2	10
Quebec (Ellyett)	0	1	1	2	0	0	0	0	2	0	6

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
British Columbia (Fuller)	3	0	0	2	0	0	1	1	1	1	9
New Brunswick (Comeau)	0	1	1	0	1	2	0	0	0	0	5

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Nova Scotia (Rhodenizer)	1	0	0	0	1	2	0	0	0	1	5
Manitoba (Parker)	0	3	2	1	0	0	1	3	2	0	12

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Newfoundland (Pike)	0	1	0	0	1	0	1	1	1	0	5
Prince Edward Island (MacDonald)	2	0	1	1	0	1	0	0	0	1	6

Draw 4

Tuesday, February 28 2:00 PM ^[5]

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Ontario (Woolley)	0	0	3	0	0	1	0	1	2	X	7
New Brunswick (Comeau)	1	2	0	2	3	0	2	0	0	X	10

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Nova Scotia (Rhodenizer)	0	1	0	0	4	0	1	0	0	2	8
Saskatchewan (McKee)	1	0	2	0	0	2	0	3	2	0	10

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Newfoundland (Pike)	1	0	0	2	0	1	0	1	2	0	7
Quebec (Ellyett)	0	1	1	0	2	0	3	0	0	1	8

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Prince Edward Island (MacDonald)	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	X	2
Manitoba (Parker)	1	2	0	2	1	2	0	3	1	X	12

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
British Columbia (Fuller)	0	1	0	2	0	0	1	0	0	X	4
Alberta (Thompson)	1	0	2	0	1	1	0	5	1	X	11

Draw 5

Wednesday, March 1 12:30 PM ^[6]

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
British Columbia (Fuller)	2	3	0	0	1	1	0	0	1	0	8
Nova Scotia (Rhodenizer)	0	0	4	1	0	0	2	1	0	2	10

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Alberta (Thompson)	0	0	0	3	1	0	3	0	4	2	13
Prince Edward Island (MacDonald)	1	1	1	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	5

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Saskatchewan (McKee)	1	0	1	0	3	3	0	2	1	X	11
New Brunswick (Comeau)	0	1	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	X	3

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Quebec (Ellyett)	0	2	0	1	2	0	0	2	0	2	9
Manitoba (Parker)	2	0	1	0	0	1	2	0	2	0	8

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Newfoundland (Pike)	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	1	0	3
Ontario (Woolley)	2	1	1	0	0	0	1	3	0	2	10

Draw 6

Wednesday, March 1 8:00 PM ^[6]

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Ontario (Woolley)	0	0	0	1	2	0	1	0	0	3	7
British Columbia (Fuller)	1	1	3	0	0	1	0	2	2	0	10

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Newfoundland (Pike)	0	0	2	1	0	5	3	0	1	0	12
Manitoba (Parker)	1	2	0	0	1	0	0	2	0	2	8

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
New Brunswick (Comeau)	1	1	2	2	0	0	1	1	0	1	9
Prince Edward Island (MacDonald)	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	1	0	3

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Quebec (Ellyett)	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	X	2
Saskatchewan (McKee)	1	1	0	3	1	0	0	4	1	X	11

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Nova Scotia (Rhodenizer)	1	0	1	0	0	0	2	0	1	1	6
Alberta (Thompson)	0	1	0	1	2	3	0	3	0	0	10

Draw 7

Thursday, March 2 9:00 AM ^[7]

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Ontario (Woolley)	1	0	0	3	1	0	0	1	0	3	9
Manitoba (Parker)	0	3	1	0	0	1	3	0	3	0	11

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Nova Scotia (Rhodenizer)	0	1	0	0	2	1	2	1	0	0	7
New Brunswick (Comeau)	6	0	1	2	0	0	0	0	1	1	11

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Newfoundland (Pike)	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	3
Alberta (Thompson)	1	0	3	1	2	1	0	2	0	1	11

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Final
Quebec (Ellyett)	1	1	0	1	3	0	0	1	0	0	0	7
British Columbia (Fuller)	0	0	1	0	0	1	1	0	3	1	1	8

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Prince Edward Island (MacDonald)	0	0	1	0	3	0	1	1	0	1	7
Saskatchewan (McKee)	1	1	0	3	0	5	0	0	1	0	11

Draw 8

Thursday, March 2 2:00 PM ^[8]

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Ontario (Woolley)	4	2	2	0	1	0	2	0	2	X	13
Prince Edward Island (MacDonald)	0	0	0	1	0	2	0	1	0	X	4

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Nova Scotia (Rhodenizer)	1	1	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	4
Quebec (Ellyett)	0	0	2	1	0	1	3	1	2	2	12

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Newfoundland (Pike)	2	0	0	1	0	0	4	0	4	0	11
New Brunswick (Comeau)	0	2	3	0	3	2	0	1	0	2	13

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
British Columbia (Fuller)	1	1	0	0	0	1	1	0	2	0	6
Saskatchewan (McKee)	0	0	1	1	2	0	0	2	0	1	7

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Alberta (Thompson)	0	1	0	3	0	1	0	0	1	1	7
Manitoba (Parker)	2	0	1	0	2	0	1	2	0	0	8

Draw 9

Thursday, March 2 8:00 PM ^[8]

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
British Columbia (Fuller)	0	1	0	3	2	3	2	1	0	X	12
Manitoba (Parker)	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	X	4

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Newfoundland (Pike)	3	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	2	7
Saskatchewan (McKee)	0	1	2	1	0	0	0	3	3	0	10

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Nova Scotia (Rhodenizer)	0	1	0	1	3	1	0	1	0	1	8
Prince Edward Island (MacDonald)	1	0	1	0	0	0	2	0	1	0	5

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final
Ontario (Woolley)	4	1	1	1	0	3	0	2	1	X	13
Alberta (Thompson)	0	0	0	0	2	0	2	0	0	X	4

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Final
Quebec (Ellyett)	0	0	0	2	1	1	0	2	1	1	0	8
New Brunswick (Comeau)	2	3	2	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	10

Tiebreakers

					2nd Place
					New Brunswick	13
	Alberta	10			Alberta	6
	British Columbia	9

Round 1

Friday, March 3 10:30 AM ^[9]

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Final
Alberta (Thompson)	0	1	0	0	0	2	0	2	0	0	4	1	10
British Columbia (Fuller)	1	0	1	1	1	0	2	0	1	2	0	0	9

Round 2

Friday, March 3 1:00 PM ^[9]

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Final
Alberta (Thompson)	1	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	1	0	1	X	6
New Brunswick (Comeau)	0	1	4	2	0	2	1	2	0	1	0	X	13

References

1. "1961 Diamond D Curling Championship". Curling Canada Stats Archive. Curling Canada. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
2. 2017 Scotties Tournament of Hearts Media Guide, 1961-2016 Player Appearances
3. "Ladies' Championship Curling Draw". The Ottawa Citizen. newspapers.com. February 27, 1961. p. 16. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
4. "Monday's Results". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix. newspapers.com. February 28, 1961. p. 14. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
5. "McKee Only Undefeated Rink". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix. newspapers.com. March 1, 1961. p. 27. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
6. "McKee Records Sixth Straight Victory". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix. newspapers.com. March 2, 1961. p. 16. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
7. "Ladies' Curling Scores". The Ottawa Citizen. newspapers.com. March 3, 1961. p. 15. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
8. "McKee Completes Sweep". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix. newspapers.com. March 3, 1961. p. 19. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
9. "The Playoffs". The Ottawa Citizen. newspapers.com. March 4, 1961. p. 11. Retrieved 18 May 2022.