Lloyd Stansell
| Lloyd Stansell | |
|---|---|
| Schneider | |
| Born | 1936 |
| Years in Thunder Bay | 1991; 1996–2000; by 2004 |
Lloyd Stansell (born 1936) was a highly respected ice technician and innovator who served as the head ice-maker for national and international curling championships. Lloyd Stansell was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2019 as a builder.[1]
Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame
Lloyd Stansell was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame on 28 September 2019 in the builder category for curling.[1]
Career and service
During the 1940s, he began learning the craft of ice production as a teenager in Red Lake while helping his uncle at the Madsen Curling Club. He relocated to Red Rock in the late 1950s and spent more than three decades as the maintenance supervisor for the local recreation centre. During this period, he refined his technical skills by managing the ice surfaces at that facility and the Nipigon Curladrome. He eventually became a consultant for curling clubs across Northern Ontario and managed ice conditions for various provincial play-downs in men's, women's, and mixed divisions.[1]
His work at the national level began as a volunteer technician at the 1985 Brier in Moncton. He returned to the national men's championship for five consecutive years from 1986 to 1990. In 1991, the Canadian Curling Association hired him as an assistant ice-maker, a role he maintained through 1995. During this time, he contributed to the ice preparations for the 1996 World Curling Championships held in Hamilton.[1]
When the Scott Tournament of Hearts came to Thunder Bay in 1996, he was appointed as the Head Ice Technician. He continued to lead the ice-making teams for the national women's championship from 1996 until 2000 and assisted with three additional tournaments in the early 2000s. His expertise in converting hockey arenas into professional curling venues supported Thunder Bay in hosting the 1991 Canadian Mixed Curling Championship, the TSN Women's Skins Game, and the 1998 World Junior Curling Championships.[1]
Known for his technical innovations, he pioneered the method of using wool to run the lines on a curling sheet. First introduced at the 2004 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, this technique has since become a standard practice globally. He has received several life memberships from curling clubs and was the inaugural winner of the Joan Mead Award in 2001 for his impact on women's curling. In 2019, he was recognized by the Northern Ontario Curling Association for his career contributions.[1]
Residence in the Thunder Bay area (1991; 1996–2000; by 2004) rests on the following dated evidence. He prepared ice for the 1991 Canadian Mixed, served as Head Ice Technician for the Scott Tournament of Hearts from 1996-2000, and introduced new techniques at the 2004 Scotties, all hosted in Thunder Bay.[1]
Honours and achievements
- Served as Head Ice Technician for the Scott Tournament of Hearts from 1996 to 2000
- Developed the innovative technique of using wool for curling sheet lines in 2004
- Worked as a technician for the 1996 World Curling Championships
- Assisted with ice preparations for six consecutive Briers between 1985 and 1990
- Managed ice for the 1998 World Junior Curling Championship in Thunder Bay
- Received the inaugural Joan Mead Award in 2001 for contributions to women's curling
- Served as maintenance supervisor at the Red Rock recreation centre for over 30 years[1]
Family
- Possibly the same as Lloyd Thomas Stansell; the name matches, but too little is shared to merge the pages.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 "Lloyd Stansell", builder profile, Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, https://www.nwosportshalloffame.com/builder-profile/ea67956e-953d-4bc7-b7cc-ffca5b978e6d (accessed 31 October 2026). Archived copy on datum.locker.