View source for Colleen Jones

{{short description|Canadian curler and television personality}}
{{Infobox curler
| name = Colleen Jones<br><small>{{post-nominals|country=CAN|CM}}</small>
| image = Colleen Jones on That Curling Show.jpg
| caption = Jones on CBC Sports "That Curling Show" in 2021
| other_names = Colleen P. Jones
| birth_name = 
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|12|16}}
| birth_place = [[Halifax, Nova Scotia|Halifax]], [[Nova Scotia]]
| Curling club = [[Mayflower Curling Club]], [[Halifax, Nova Scotia|Halifax, NS]]
| Skip = [[Jessica Daigle]]
| Third = [[Kirsten Lind]]
| Second = [[Lindsey Burgess]]
| Lead = [[Emma Logan]]
| Alternate = '''Colleen Jones'''
| Member Association = {{NS}}
| Hearts appearances = 21 ({{STOH|1979}}, {{STOH|1980}}, {{STOH|1982}}, {{STOH|1984}}, {{STOH|1986}}, {{STOH|1989}}, {{STOH|1991}}, {{STOH|1992}}, {{STOH|1993}}, {{STOH|1994}}, {{STOH|1996}}, {{STOH|1997}}, {{STOH|1999}}, {{STOH|2000}}, {{STOH|2001}}, {{STOH|2002}}, {{STOH|2003}}, {{STOH|2004}}, {{STOH|2005}}, {{STOH|2006}}, {{STOH|2013}})
| World Championship appearances = 6 ({{WWCC|1982}}, {{WWCC|1999}}, {{WWCC|2001}}, {{WWCC|2002}}, {{WWCC|2003}}, {{WWCC|2004}})
| Top CCA ranking = 2nd (2003–04)
| Grand Slam victories =
| medaltemplates = 
{{MedalSport | Women's [[Curling]] }}
{{MedalCountry | {{CAN}} }}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Scotties Tournament of Hearts]] }}
{{MedalGold | [[2002 Scott Tournament of Hearts|2002 Brandon]] | }}
{{MedalGold | [[2003 Scott Tournament of Hearts|2003 Kitchener]] | }}
{{MedalGold | [[2004 Scott Tournament of Hearts|2004 Red Deer]] | }}
{{MedalCompetition | [[World Curling Championships|World Championships]] }}
{{MedalGold | [[2001 World Women's Curling Championship|2001 Lausanne]] | }}
{{MedalGold | [[2004 World Women's Curling Championship|2004 Gävle]] | }}
{{MedalSilver | [[2003 World Women's Curling Championship|2003 Winnipeg]] | }}
{{MedalCompetition | [[World Senior Curling Championships|World Senior Championships]] }}
{{MedalGold | [[2017 World Senior Curling Championships|2017 Lethbridge]] | }}
{{MedalCountry | {{NS}} }}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Scotties Tournament of Hearts]] }}
{{MedalGold | [[1982 Scott Tournament of Hearts|1982 Regina]] | }}
{{MedalGold | [[1999 Scott Tournament of Hearts|1999 Charlottetown]] | }}
{{MedalGold | [[2001 Scott Tournament of Hearts|2001 Sudbury]] | }}
{{MedalSilver | [[1980 Canadian Ladies Curling Association Championship|1980 Edmonton]] | }}
{{MedalSilver | [[1984 Scott Tournament of Hearts|1984 Charlottetown]] | }}
{{MedalBronze | [[2006 Scott Tournament of Hearts|2006 London]] | }}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Canadian Olympic Curling Trials|Canadian Olympic Trials]] }}
{{MedalBronze | [[2001 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials|2001 Regina]] | }}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Canadian Senior Curling Championships|Canadian Senior Championships]] }}
{{MedalGold | [[2016 Canadian Senior Curling Championships|2016 Digby]] | }}
{{MedalSilver | [[2015 Canadian Senior Curling Championships|2015 Edmonton]] | }}
{{MedalBronze | [[2012 Canadian Senior Curling Championships – Women's tournament|2012 Abbotsford]] | }}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Canadian Mixed Curling Championship|Canadian Mixed Championships]] }}
{{MedalGold | [[1993 Canadian Mixed Curling Championship|1993 Swift Current]] | }}
{{MedalGold | [[1999 Canadian Mixed Curling Championship|1999 Victoria]] | }}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Canada Games]] }}
{{MedalSilver | [[1979 Canada Games|1979 Brandon]] | }}
}}

'''Colleen Patricia Jones''' {{post-nominals|country=CAN|CM}}<ref name = CC>{{cite web | url=https://www.gg.ca/en/order-canada-appointees-december-2022 | title=Order of Canada appointees – December 2022 | website=The Governor General of Canada | date=29 December 2022 | access-date=29 December 2022 }}</ref> (born December 16, 1959) is a [[Canadians|Canadian]] [[curling|curler]] and [[television personality]]. She is best known as the skip of two women's world championship teams and six [[Scotties Tournament of Hearts|Tournament of Hearts Canadian women's championships]], including an unprecedented four titles in a row and held the record for most Tournament of Hearts wins from when she won her 67th game in 1994<ref>{{cite news|title=Spectator rats on Laliberte|date=March 4, 1994|page=F3|newspaper=Regina Leader-Post|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/71871729/the-leader-post/|accessdate=February 23, 2021}}</ref> until her eventual 152 wins were eclipsed by [[Jennifer Jones (curler)|Jennifer Jones]] in 2021.<ref>{{cite news  |title=Jones reaches record in career Tournament of Hearts wins|url=https://www.tsn.ca/jennifer-jones-reaches-record-in-career-tournament-of-hearts-wins-1.1597724 |access-date=February 23, 2021 |publisher=TSN|date=February 23, 2021}}</ref>

Jones also serves as a reporter and weather presenter for the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]], and as a curling commentator for [[NBC]] in the [[United States]], particularly during the 2010 [[Winter Olympics]].

In 2018, Jones finished second to [[Sidney Crosby]] in a listing of the greatest 15 athletes in Nova Scotia's history.<ref name="CBC">{{cite news |last1=Tattrie |first1=Jon |title=Sidney Crosby to headline 'greatest sports dinner' in Nova Scotia |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/sidney-crosby-to-headline-greatest-sports-dinner-in-nova-scotia-1.4641550 |access-date=27 July 2018 |publisher=CBC Sports |date=30 April 2018}}</ref>  In 2019, she was named the third greatest Canadian curler in history in a [[The Sports Network|TSN]] poll of broadcasters, reporters and top curlers.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.tsn.ca/tsn-s-top-10-greatest-women-curlers |title=Canada's All-Time Greatest Women Curlers |publisher=[[The Sports Network|TSN]] |access-date=October 24, 2019}}</ref> In 2016, Jones was awarded the [[Order of Sport]], marking her induction into [[Canada's Sports Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Canada Sports Hall of Fame {{!}} Hall of Famers Search |url=http://www.sportshall.ca/hall-of-famers/hall-of-famers-search.html?proID=615&catID=all&lang=EN |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=www.sportshall.ca}}</ref>

She currently coaches the [[Owen Purcell]] rink.<ref name="MG"/>

==Early career==
Born in [[Halifax, Nova Scotia|Halifax]], [[Nova Scotia]], Canada, from a family of curlers, at age 14, she joined the [[Mayflower Curling Club]]. She found success in competitive curling from an early age, playing skip for the [[St. Patrick's High School (Halifax)|St. Patrick's High School]] curling team. She was only 19 years old when she won the first of her 16 Nova Scotia curling titles. That led to competing in the Canadian championships, where she finished second.

In 1982 she became the youngest skip, at age 22, ever to win the Canadian women's curling championship but career, marriage and a family slowed down her competitive curling. She joined [[CBC Television]] as a reporter in 1986 and went on to cover numerous summer and winter [[Olympic Games]].

==Broadcasting career==
Jones began her broadcasting career in radio sports at [[CHUM (AM)|CHUM]] radio in 1982. She made the switch to television broadcasting in 1984 at CTV, and joined the CBC in 1986.<ref>[http://www.cbc.ca/programguide/personality/colleen_jones CBC Personalities - Colleen Jones]</ref> Beginning in 1993, Jones has been the weather presenter and sports reporter for ''[[CBC Morning News]]'' on [[CBC Newsworld]] (now [[CBC News Network]]). At the [[2006 Winter Olympics|2006 Torino Olympics]], she did CBC segments about curling. Jones provided curling commentary for [[Olympics on NBC|NBC]]'s coverage of the [[2010 Winter Olympics]] in [[Vancouver]].  She served as the sideline reporter for the curling events at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics.

Jones starred in a [[public service announcement]] about the [[Canada 2006 Census]]. Jones appeared in the January 15, 2008 episode of ''[[This Hour Has 22 Minutes]]'' for a skit titled MVC ''Most Valuable Curler''.  She also co-hosts the online series ''That Curling Show'' with CBC journalist Devin Heroux.

On 6 April 2023, it was announced that she would be retiring from CBC after almost 40 years with the broadcaster.<ref name="Retirement">{{cite news |last1=Ramesar |first1=Vernon |title=Celebrated broadcaster and curler Colleen Jones to retire from CBC |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/colleen-jones-retirement-1.6803474 |access-date=6 April 2023 |work=CBC News |date=6 April 2023 |location=Halifax, Nova Scotia}}</ref>

==Curling career==

===1999–2006===
In 1999, with her new team of [[Kim Kelly]], [[Mary-Anne Arsenault|Mary Anne Waye (later Arsenault)]] and [[Nancy Delahunt]], Jones won the Canadian curling title for the second time. The team repeated this in 2001 and they went on to win the [[List of women's World Curling champions|World Curling Championship]] in [[Lausanne]], [[Switzerland]]. They followed this up with another Canadian championship in 2002 and then won it for a record-setting fifth time at the [[2004 Scott Tournament of Hearts]]. This made Jones the first skip to win four straight Canadian titles. From there the team went on to win their second World Curling Championship.

Their return at the [[2005 Scott Tournament of Hearts]] was not as stellar. The team finished the round-robin at 6–5 and lost in a tie-breaker to Sandy Comeau of [[New Brunswick]]. When this happened, the team got a standing ovation, which even halted play in the other game that was occurring two sheets over. The following year, the team was back in form, but bowed out in the semi-finals to [[Jennifer Jones (curler)|Jennifer Jones]]. At the end of the 2006 season, the team broke up. Jones joined the team of fellow Haligonian [[Kay Zinck]], as her third. The rest of the team got a new skip in [[Laine Peters]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/winter/curling/colleen-jones-joins-new-curling-team-1.603101 |title=Colleen Jones joins new curling team |author=CBC Sports |date=27 April 2006 |access-date=8 June 2025}}</ref>

===2006–2008===
After a short run playing third for [[Kay Zinck]] during the 2006/2007 season,  Jones went back to skipping. For the 2007/2008 season she would add Olympic bronze medallist [[Georgina Wheatcroft]] to her team along with [[Kate Hamer]] and [[Darah Provencal]]. At the end of the season Jones would retire from competitive curling.

===2010–2011===
Colleen Jones announced on March 24, 2010, on [[CBC News]] that she would be again returning to competitive curling. Having been present for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, a spark ignited in her, and she once again wanted to make another run for the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.

For the 2010/2011 season, Jones was recruited by [[Heather Smith-Dacey]], [[Blisse Comstock]] and [[Teri Lake]], to take over skipping duties, when former skip [[Jill Mouzar]] moved to Ontario. Just as Jones was due to begin her competitive curling comeback, days before beginning the playdowns for the [[Nova Scotia Scotties Tournament of Hearts]], It was announced on December 10, 2010, that Jones was diagnosed with [[meningitis]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/winter/curling/colleen-jones-in-hospital-with-meningitis-1.866569 |title=Colleen Jones in hospital with meningitis |date=December 10, 2010 |publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC Sports]] |access-date=October 24, 2019}}</ref> Jones turned over skipping duties to [[Heather Smith-Dacey]], and brought in [[Danielle Parsons]] to play at third. Smith-Dacey's team won the Nova Scotia title, and then went on to win the bronze medal at the 2011 Scotties.  Jones was able to return to competition after recovering from her illness, and won the 2011 Nova Scotia Senior Women's Championship on February 27.<ref>Television broadcast of 2011 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, The Sports Network, February 27, 2011</ref>

===2011–present===
For the 2011–2012, Jones recruited a new squad, originally consisting of [[Kristen MacDiarmid]], [[Helen Radford]] and [[Mary Sue Radford]], all of whom previous played with [[Theresa Breen]]. Later in the season, she modified her team adding former teammate [[Nancy Delahunt]] to third, and [[Marsha Sobey]] to second. [[Mary Sue Radford]] remained at lead. Delahunt and Sobey were members of Jones' Senior women's champion team. After failing to qualify for the provincial [[2012 Nova Scotia Scotties Tournament of Hearts]], Jones and her senior team of Delahunt, Sobey and [[Sally Saunders]], participated in the 2012 Nova Scotia Women's Senior Championships. They made it to the final, where they defeated [[Colleen Pinkney]], 6–4, to win back-to-back seniors championships, qualifying for the National senior finals. With Delahunt skipping, and Jones throwing last stones, the team represented Nova Scotia at the [[2012 Canadian Senior Curling Championships]], where they lost in the semi-final to Newfoundland and Labrador's [[Cathy Cunningham]].

For the 2012–2013 season Jones reunited with [[Mary-Anne Arsenault]] and [[Kim Kelly]], with the goal of reaching the [[2014 Winter Olympics]] in [[Sochi]], [[Russia]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/winter/curling/colleen-jones-s-rink-reunites-for-shot-at-sochi-olympics-1.1163749 |title=Colleen Jones's rink reunites for shot at Sochi Olympics |date=February 13, 2012 |publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC Sports]] |access-date=October 24, 2019}}</ref> Jones threw second stones on the team, while acting as the rink's vice skip, or "mate" while Arsenault skips.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldcurlingtour.com/teamslist.php?eventtypeid=51 |title=2011-12 Teams List |publisher=Asham World Curling Tour |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205165718/http://www.worldcurlingtour.com/teamslist.php?eventtypeid=51 |archive-date=2012-02-05}}</ref>

The Arsenault-skipped team won the [[2013 Nova Scotia Scotties Tournament of Hearts]], and qualified for the [[2013 Scotties Tournament of Hearts]]  in [[Kingston, Ontario]]. They finished the event with a 5–6 record.<ref>curling.ca, coverage of 2013 Scotties Tournament of Hearts</ref>

Jones has appeared in 4 [[Canadian Senior Curling Championships]] (2011, 2012, 2015, and 2016). She finished with a bronze medal at the 2012 Championships, and a silver medal at the 2015 Championships. She won her first Canadian Seniors in 2016 and represented Canada at the [[2017 World Senior Curling Championships]] in [[Lethbridge]], Alberta where her rink went through the event undefeated to win the world title.<ref name="cbc2017">{{cite news |last1=Ray |first1=Carolyn |title=Team Canada wins gold at World Senior Curling Championships |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/team-canada-world-senior-curling-championships-gold-medal-1.4092039?cmp=news-digests-sports |access-date=April 29, 2017 |publisher=CBC Sports |date=April 29, 2017}}</ref>

===Career highlights===
Colleen Jones is a member of the [[Canadian Curling Hall of Fame]] and the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame.
* World Curling Champion: 2001, 2004
* Canadian Curling Champion: 1982, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
* Canadian Mixed Curling Champion: 1993, 1999
* World Senior Curling Champion: 2017
* Canadian Senior Curling Champion: 2016

She was appointed to the [[Order of Canada]] in 2022.<ref name=CC/>

==Personal life==
Jones is married to Scott Saunders and has two sons.<ref name="Media Guide">{{Cite web|url=https://www.curling.ca/files/2022/09/2022-PointsBet-Invitational-media-guide-1.pdf|title=2022 Points Bet Invitational Media Guide|website=Curling Canada|access-date=September 17, 2022}}</ref> One of her sons, [[Luke Saunders]] is also a curler who currently plays third on the [[Owen Purcell]] rink.<ref name="MG">{{Cite web|url=https://www.curling.ca/files/2024/09/2024-PointsBet-Invitational-media-guide-ver1.pdf|title=2024 PointsBet Invitational Media Guide|publisher=Curling Canada|access-date=September 22, 2024}}</ref>

==Grand Slam record==
{{Curling GS key}}
{{clear}}

===Former events===
{| class="wikitable" border="1"
|-
! Event
! [[2007–08 curling season|2007–08]]
! [[2008–09 curling season|2008–09]]
! [[2009–10 curling season|2009–10]]
! [[2010–11 curling season|2010–11]]
|-
| [[Autumn Gold Curling Classic|Autumn Gold]]
|style="background:#afeeee;"| [[2007 Trail Appliances Autumn Gold Curling Classic|Q]]
|style="background:#EFEFEF;"| DNP
|style="background:#EFEFEF;"| DNP
|style="background:#EFEFEF;"| DNP
|-
| [[Manitoba Lotteries Women's Curling Classic|Manitoba Lotteries]]
|style="background:#afeeee;"| [[Canad Inns Women's Classic#2007 Casinos of Winnipeg Classic|Q]]
|style="background:#EFEFEF;"| DNP
|style="background:#EFEFEF;"| DNP
|style="background:#afeeee;"| [[2010 Manitoba Lotteries Women's Curling Classic|Q]]
|-
| [[Wayden Transportation Ladies Classic|Wayden Transportation]]
|style="background:#afeeee;"| [[Wayden Transportation Ladies Classic#2007 Wayden Transportation Ladies Classic|Q]]
|style="background:#EFEFEF;"| DNP
|style="background:#EFEFEF;"| N/A
|style="background:#EFEFEF;"| N/A
|-
| [[Sobeys Slam]]
|style="background:#afeeee;"| [[2007 Sobeys Slam|Q]]
|style="background:#EFEFEF;"| DNP
|style="background:#EFEFEF;"| N/A
|style="background:#afeeee;"| [[2010 Sobeys Slam|Q]]
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Sports links}}

{{Footer World Curling Champions (women)}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Colleen}}
[[Category:1959 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Canadian women curlers]]
[[Category:Canadian women's curling champions]]
[[Category:Canadian mixed curling champions]]
[[Category:Canadian people of Welsh descent]]
[[Category:Canadian television weather presenters]]
[[Category:Canadian television sportscasters]]
[[Category:CBC Television people]]
[[Category:Curling broadcasters]]
[[Category:Dalhousie University alumni]]
[[Category:World curling champions]]
[[Category:Women sports commentators]]
[[Category:Continental Cup of Curling participants]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian journalists]]
[[Category:21st-century Canadian journalists]]
[[Category:Canada Cup (curling) participants]]
[[Category:Curlers from Halifax, Nova Scotia]]
[[Category:Canadian women television personalities]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian women journalists]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of Canada]]
[[Category:Canadian curling coaches]]
[[Category:Sportswomen from Nova Scotia]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian sportswomen]]
[[Category:21st-century Canadian women journalists]]
[[Category:21st-century Canadian sportswomen]]