Taking his spot
Peter MacDonald has extensive curling resumé
An outstanding career by one of P.E.I.’s most successful curlers will be recognized next week.
Peter MacDonald will be inducted into the P.E.I. Sports Hall of Fame alongside his sister and fellow curler Kathy O’Rourke, fencing builder Lothar Zimmermann and multi-sport athlete, official and coach Gerard Smith.
MacDonald is one of P.E.I.’s most successful curlers, playing on five P.E.I. Tankard winners that represented the province in the Brier in 1976, 1978, 1981, 1996 and 2001. He was also the fifth player selected by five more P.E.I. champions.
MacDonald was born in Summerside, began curling at 14 and by age 16 skipped the 1973 P.E.I. junior men’s champions. Two years later, he was a member of Bill Merklinger’s P.E.I. rink at the Canada Games in Lethbridge, Alta.
MacDonald’s five Brier appearances were spread across four decades and included four times as skip. His teams combined for a respectable 22-33 record over 25 years of competition in the Brier.
MacDonald’s best record came in 1996 as his team, also including Grant Somers, John Postma and brother Rod MacDonald, recovered from an 0-3 start to finish 6-5, won a tiebreaker over Newfoundland and lost a close 7-4 decision to Quebec in the playoffs.
In addition to his men’s titles, MacDonald and his teams won three provincial mixed titles, representing the Island at the nationals in 1990, 1995 and 1999. Twice he finished as runner-up in 1995 and 1999.
In 1995, he teamed with his sister Joanne, Rod and wife Karen, and he played with Karen, brother-in-law Mark O’Rourke and sister Kathy in 1999.
He won the P.E.I. senior men’s title twice – 2010 and 2013 – with the 2013 team of Rod, John Likely and Mark O’Rourke finishing third at the national event in Summerside. MacDonald was chosen first-team all-star lead.
MacDonald has also held numerous roles not just for the P.E.I. Curling Association, but with the Summerside and Charlottetown curling clubs. He was also a director on the Charlottetown 1999 and 2011 Scotties Tournament of Hearts committees, and he was a sports director for the Canada Winter Games in 1991, responsible for junior men’s curling.
As a coach, he has also enjoyed great success, including guiding the Peter Gallant rink that won the 1987 Canadian mixed title.
An outstanding businessman, most notably in the automobile industry, MacDonald is an individual much admired and respected whether in the rink or in the community and is very deserving of his induction into the P.E.I. Sports Hall of Fame.
Contributed by the P.E.I. Sports Hall Of Fame.