Canadian curling icon Colleen Jones has passed away at the age of 65.
Her son, Luke Saunders, announced the news on Jones’ X account Tuesday morning, saying his mother had been battling cancer for about three years.
“Mom had been fighting and trying to beat back cancer over the last three years or so,” Saunders wrote. “Late this morning, while looking out on the ocean from her favourite spot in Maders Cove, with my Dad, brother and myself beside her, Mom passed away.
“Please think of your favourite Colleen Jones moment, cherish it. Hurry and love hard.”
A pioneering career on the ice
Born in Halifax in 1959, Jones made history early when, at the age of 22, she became the youngest skip ever to win the Canadian women’s curling championship in 1982.
She went on to win six Canadian women’s championships at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, and two world championships as skip, cementing her status as one of the greatest in the sport.
er record‑setting run included four Canadian titles in a row, and for many years she held the mark for most tournament wins as a skip.
Jones also had a long and distinguished career in broadcasting. She began in radio in 1982, moved to television with CTV Television Network in 1984 and then joined the CBC in 1986.
Over the decades she covered multiple Olympic Games and curling events, becoming a familiar presence to viewers and fans across the country.
She retired from broadcasting in 2023 after nearly four decades in the media.
Jones is survived by her husband and two sons.
