Helen Joyce McKee (October 29, 1933 – December 28 or 29, 1999) was a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

curler from

Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...

. She was a five-time Canadian champion. Born in

Asquith, Saskatchewan Asquith is a town in south-central Saskatchewan, Canada, approximately west of Saskatoon. It became a village in December 1907. According to the 2021 Canadian census, its population is 624. Asquith has a 543-hectare conservation area. The site ...

, McKee won her very first provincial title as a skip in 1954, before the creation of a Canadian women's championship. She won again in 1960, earning the right to play at the

Western Canada Women's Curling Championship The Eaton's Western Canada Women's Curling Championship was the championship for women's curling in Western Canada from 1953 to 1960. The event was the forerunner of Canada's national women's curling championship (now called the Scotties Tournamen ...

Victoria, British Columbia Victoria is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific Ocean, Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Gre ...

. Her Saskatchewan rink defeated Alberta 14–11 in the Western final, and was invited to play the Eastern Canadian champion Ruth Smith rink from Quebec in an unofficial championship in

Oshawa Oshawa is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario, approximately east of downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of the Greater Toronto Area and of the Golden Horseshoe. It ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

. McKee's team defeated the Quebec team in two matches, 11–3 and 8–5. The following season, the McKee rink once again won the provincial title. This time, the Canadian Ladies' Curling Association organized a national championship with a similar format to

the Brier The Brier ('), known since 2024 as the Montana's Brier for sponsorship reasons, is the annual Canadian men's curling championship, sanctioned by Curling Canada. The Brier has been held since 1927, traditionally during the month of March. The w ...

, the Canadian men's championship. This first event would be called the 1961 Diamond D Championship, and it was held at the

Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club The Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club, often referred to as Ottawa Hunt or the Hunt Club, is a private golf and curling club in Canada, located in Ottawa, Ontario. Founded in 1908 as a hunting club, it has hosted many world-class professional and amateur ...

in Ottawa. McKee and her rink of

Sylvia Fedoruk Sylvia Olga Fedoruk ( e-doruk Ukrainian: Федорук) (May 5, 1927 – September 26, 2012) was a Canadian physicist, medical physicist, curler and the 17th lieutenant governor of Saskatchewan, from 1988 to 1994. Life Born in Canora, Saskat ...

, Barbara MacNevin, Rosa McFee won the new event, finishing with an undefeated 9-0 record. In , McKee returned to national championship, skipping the team of

Vera Pezer Vera Rose Pezer (born 13 January 1939) is a Canadian athlete and administrator. Pezer was the Chancellor of the University of Saskatchewan from 2007 to 2013. A sports enthusiast, Pezer is a Canadian softball champion, golfing contender, and curlin ...

, Lenore Morrison and Jennifer Falk to another Saskatchewan and Canadian championship. The team was tied with Ontario in their final round robin game with a 7–1 record. They happened to play Ontario in their final game which they won, 6–5, earning them the championship. The team then changed its lineup to have Pezer skip and McKee throw second stones, and brought in Sheila Rowan to throw third stones. This team won three more Saskatchewan and Canadian national championships (, , ). Later in life, McKee won the 1992 Canadian Senior Curling Championships playing lead for the Sheila Rowan rink. Outside of curling, McKee was employed in the parts department by Merlin Motors.

References

Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame 1960 McKee rinkSaskatoon Sports Hall of Fame 1961 McKee rinkSaskatoon Sports Hall of Fame 1969 McKee rink
Curlers from Saskatoon Canadian women curlers Canadian women's curling champions 1933 births 1999 deaths People from Asquith, Saskatchewan 20th-century Canadian sportswomen {{Canada-curling-bio-stub