Team Sato beat Ontario 7-2 to win the Men’s Curling championship at the 2019 Canada Games in Red Deer, AB, in March. Here they are after the win (L-R: Hayato Sato, Skip; Joshua Miki, Third; Dawson Ballard, Second; Troy Chong, Lead; and their coach, Bryan Miki, far left). They curl out of the Royal City Curling Club in New Westminster, BC. Congratulations to all!
“In the spring of 1968, Nisei curlers from the Lower Mainland and the Interior gathered in Greenwood for the first BC Nisei Bonspiel. One of the curlers in the spiel was a young university student by the name of Tony Imai. That fall, the Vancouver Nisei Curling Club formally launched its first season. Tony was one of its inaugural members. And he has curled in every season since then.”
Congratulations, Tony!
President Kaimori-san of the Japanese Curling Association presented the Long Service Award to Fuji Miki in Richmond following the 50th BC Nisei Bonspiel in April, 2017.
Some of the inaugural Wall of Honour recipients honoured at the 50th BC Nisei Bonspiel in Richmond, April 2017.
Tom Miyahara passed away peacefully in Royal Inland Hospital on February 22, 2016 with his wife and family at his side. He will be fondly remembered by the many people he has touched through his dedication to service – at work, through sports and the community.
Tom was born in Cumberland, B.C. on February 5, 1937 and left us at age 79 in Kamloops. He is survived by his devoted wife of 51 years Mary, brothers Frank, Gordie (Edna) and Larry (Laura), sister Marie (Grant) and extended family in Vancouver, Kamloops, Lethbridge and Toronto. Tom was predeceased by his mother Hatsumi and father Walter.
Tom led a life of challenge and grace. As a young child in 1942, at the start of World War II, his family was interned – first in Vancouver Hastings Park and subsequently in Tashme (Sunshine Valley). Following the war, his family moved to New Denver and after four years, they made the final move to Kamloops in 1950. Soon after the move, Tom met Mary and they married in 1964.
Tom graduated from Kamloops Senior Secondary School in 1955. During his school days, he was active with basketball, hockey, baseball teams and played saxophone in high school band. After graduation, he furthered his studies in Alberta in the field of mechanics specializing in diesel technology. With new credentials, he returned to Kamloops and started working at Kamloops Lumber where he was employed there for 12 years. Then he worked at Kamloops Pulp and Paper (Domtar) from 1967 to 1995. He retired in 1995 after 40 years of collective service.
Tom’s greatest passions were sports and community. Through the years, Tom enjoyed curling, golfing, baseball, slo-pitch, hockey, bowling and salt-water fishing. His most notable sporting accomplishment was playing for the championship baseball team Kamloops Mohawks, the team was inducted into the Kamloops Sports Hall of Fame in 2013.
Tom was an active member of the Kamloops Japanese Canadian Association. He volunteered at almost every event we held at the cultural centre and became the centre’s handy man.
A Celebration of Tom’s life was held at the Kamloops Funeral Home Chapel on Saturday, March 12, 2016.
Team Tardi won decisively (8-3) against Team McCrady on Jan. 3, 2016, in Kamloops to clinch the BC Junior Provincial spot. At the 2016 Canadian Junior Curling Championship in Stratford, ON, at the end of January, Team Tardi came in third, after losing their semifinal game in an extra end against Team Manitoba, who went on to win the championship. Daniel Wenzek (second from left), son of Peter and Cindy Wenzek of the Vancouver Nisei League, plays Third for Team Tardi. He won the Balance Plus Fair Play Award for his position at the nationals. Visit www.teamtardicurling.ca for more information about the team. Congratulations Daniel!!