Lionel Stokes

Hall of Fame

It was in high school in Alberta when Lionel Stokes picked up his first stone and sent it down a pebbled sheet of ice.

When he moved to the Yukon in 1959, Lionel continued curling. His determination in getting to the Canadian Curling Championships meant he had to qualify at the BC Interior Playdowns. He competed in these playdowns ten times as lead skip between 1960 and 1974. 

Lionel became a renowned team player, great sport and dedicated curling organizer. In 1975, Yukon and Northwest Territories were granted entry to the Canadian Championships. He curled there in 1975 as lead and again in 1977 as second. In 1977 Lionel was voted All-Star Second at the Canadian Brier. In 1973 and ‘74 Lionel and his team toured Europe on a goodwill curling marathon, garnering Yukon and Canadian recognition worldwide. Another memorable highlight of his curling career was his team’s win at the 1981 Peace Country Curling Classic.

In addition to his sustained athleticism, Lionel spent many years serving countless curling committees, organizing curling events. Lionel initiated the Bert Boyd Memorial Trophy, paying tribute to curlers before and after him.