Baldwin ‘taken aback’ by latest honour

Edmonton’s Matt Baldwin, for the better part of three decades, has been the oldest living Brier champion. But he never expected to live to see this.

The three-time Brier winner has been named a Member of the Order of Canada.

“It was obviously a bit of a surprise. It’s definitely kind of neat. And I have to admit I’m very proud to have been selected,” said the 93-yearold.

“I’m quite taken aback with the whole thing. I guess it’s an accumulation of what I’ve done and my philanthropy. I guess they all added up to somebody nominating me. Somebody must have put my name up. But I have no idea.”

Baldwin said he thought he was done with stuff like this.

“I’m in all the Halls of Fame I think I can get in,” he said of the Edmonton, Alberta and Canadian Sports Hofs as well as the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame.

“I’m even in the Saskatchewan Petroleum Hall of Fame despite the fact it was the act of moving away from the province where I was born to go to the University of Alberta and to get set up in the oilpatch out of Edmonton.

“It won’t change my life or anything at this point, but as they say ‘You’ve come a long way, baby.’

“I’m at the stage now where I’m very lucky to be alive.

“I have no idea how this honour came to me, but it did.

“They phoned me in early December and told me it was going to happen and that it would be announced between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. And then they said that sometime in the summer there was going to be a ceremony in Ottawa. So I’ll make my way down there with probably one or two of my daughters.”