Bernie Sparkes

Curling Athlete- Special Legends Class of 2025 

Born in Claresholm, Alberta, Bernie Sparkes demonstrated his athletic talent early, capturing the Alberta Schoolboys Baseball Championship in 1957. He also played on the Lethbridge All-Star Tigers Baseball Team, which won the Canadian Pony League title in 1955.

Sparkes’ curling career began in earnest with Ron Northcott’s rink, where he played from 1966 to 1969. During that period, the team won four consecutive men’s provincial championships and went on to capture three Canadian and World Men’s Curling Championships. In 1971, Sparkes moved to British Columbia, where he continued his dominance on the ice, winning eight more men’s provincial titles, six as skip, as well as a mixed provincial title. Across his career, his twelve appearances at the Brier remain unmatched, marking him as one of Canada’s most accomplished curlers.

His achievements have been recognized with numerous honours: induction into the Curling Canada Hall of Fame (1974), the Southern Alberta Curling Association Hall of Fame (1978), the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame (1995), and the World Curling Federation Hall of Fame (2021).

Bernie Sparkes’ career stands as a testament to skill, dedication, and longevity in Canadian curling, earning him a place among the sport’s elite.