CANSO — A story rooted in family and decades of curling tradition has propelled a Canso team into the national spotlight, as members of the MacDonald family await the outcome of a Curling Day in Canada storytelling contest this weekend.
The story, written by Yvonne MacDonald and submitted on behalf of her family team, The Socialites, was selected as one of the top 20 entries nationwide – the only submission from Nova Scotia to reach that stage. Online voting wrapped up late Friday night, with winners expected to be announced shortly.
As of Jan. 30, MacDonald said the response had far exceeded anything the team anticipated.
“Right now, we are in the lead by about a thousand votes,” she said, noting that the level of support had been overwhelming. “We’re just sitting in disbelief at this point.”
The Curling Day in Canada Curling Story Contest is part of Curling Canada’s annual nationwide celebration of the sport each January and invites Canadians to submit stories about what curling means to them, with this year’s winning entry earning a trip for four to the 2027 Montana’s Brier in Saskatchewan. For MacDonald and her teammates, all granddaughters of the bonspiel’s founder, the recognition alone has already been meaningful.
“When I wrote it, I said I would be honoured if we could even just get to the top 20,” she said.
The MacDonald Bonspiel, an annual family-led event held at the Canso Curling Club since 1975, celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. MacDonald said the contest gave her a chance to reflect on what the event represents.
Last year’s tournament carried added significance for the family, coming after pandemic disruptions and the loss of one of MacDonald’s aunts, who had long been a driving force behind the event.
“She was always the spearhead,” MacDonald said. “She organized it all. She did it all.”
The family recommitted to keeping the tradition going, with an unexpected win for The Socialites, who became the first all-female team to win the MacDonald Bonspiel – a result MacDonald said the family still talks about.
“It was just such a big part of our family,” she said. “It was the perfect year to share the story.”
Submitting the entry, however, was almost an afterthought. MacDonald said she came across the Curling Day in Canada contest through email updates and encouragement from her teammates.
Since then, the response has grown rapidly. The story has been shared widely on social media, boosted by local residents, family members living away from home and community organizations. The story sits at nearly 4,000 votes and 1,000 votes in the lead over other stories.
“The municipality has shared it, our friends and family at home have been sharing it, the people that used to live at home that are away now, we see it on their Facebook pages,” MacDonald said.
At the heart of the story is the MacDonald Bonspiel’s role as both a family reunion and a major fundraiser for the Canso Curling Club. Over the years, the event has helped support club operations, renovations and long-term sustainability, particularly important in a small community where winter activities are limited.
“For us, it’s the one time I always get to see my cousins,” MacDonald said. “It’s really become like a family reunion.”
She said giving back to the club that shaped generations of her family remains a core motivation. The club, in turn, has supported the family’s efforts year after year.
“They’ve been so supportive of us over the years,” she said. “We’re a big family, and we go in there and we take over their club, and they just let it happen.”
As voting closed, MacDonald said the family was trying to manage expectations while appreciating what the experience has already brought.
“Either way, we’re happy,” she said. “Very excited and honoured to be chosen as one of the top 20, and to be the only story in Nova Scotia.”
If the team wins, the prize would send four members to the 2027 Brier, a fitting continuation for a family whose curling story spans half a century. Regardless of the outcome, preparations are already underway for the next chapter.
The 51st MacDonald Bonspiel is scheduled for March 20, with registration already open.
