CPL BRIAN LEVESQUE
Curling organizer honoured for commitment to sport
By Nathan Stone,
Trident Staff
The head of the Base Intersection Curling League, Master Sailor (MS) Mark Morton, was presented with the Rob Sneath Memorial Award from the Personnel Support Programs (PSP) Halifax on September 10 in recognition of his work organizing and promoting the sport of curling within the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).
MS Morton is being recognized for running the Intersectional Curling League out of the CFB Halifax Curling Club for the past four years, as well as being an active player who skipped the Stadacona Band team to a league championship, a base Mega Tournament Championship and a tie for first place at the Atlantic Region Curling Championship in 2023.
The award is presented annually to an individual who displays exceptional commitment to the PSP sports program at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Halifax. It’s named in honour of the late Sergeant (ret’d) Rob Sneath, recognizing his years of dedication to CAF hockey programs.
MS Morton said he began curling when he was 12 after being inspired by the Canadian curlers at the 1998 Nagano Olympics. He rediscovered a passion for the sport more than a decade later, shortly after joining the Navy and deploying to Halifax, when a colleague invited him to play in the Base League.
He said the friendly attitude of his fellow curlers helped him reconnect with curling and grow his skills. That welcoming spirit also extends to the ice, where MS Morton says players on opposing teams will often give each other advice and tips.
CPL SARINA KUZMA
“Everybody’s so positive and open, and occasionally I see skips turning to the opposing skip and saying, ‘What would you play here?’ It’s not a cutthroat sport, which is really nice for camaraderie.”
While most of his duties involve organizing games and tournaments, MS Morton says growing the league is a priority, and he encourages local CAF members to come out and try curling at the club.
“I would definitely encourage anybody who is even remotely interested in curling from watching it on TV to give it a try… I’d love for us to have more teams on our roster than we can actually fit on the ice any given day.”
He described winning the Robert Sneath Memorial Award as an “incredible” honour, adding he’s happy to be able to play while contributing to the growth of CAF curling.
“I’m doing this because I like to curl, and I like that old adage of ‘be the change you want to see.’”
