Elaine Jones is being honoured for her accomplishments in softball, lawn bowling and curling. The farm girl from the Carmen area began her organized sports career in grade 9 when she joined the Elm Creek senior women’s softball team. After moving to Winnipeg, Jones played many seasons for CPAC Falconettes and won the Winnipeg Senior A League most valuable player award in 1964 and 1966. CUAC Blues picked her up to play in the 1968 Canadian Senior Women’s Championship and she pitched for Manitoba in the first Canada Summer Games in 1969.

Lawn bowling became her summer sport in 1979 and incredible success followed. That first season Jones played lead on the provincial triples championship team. Since then she has won a provincial title every year in singles, pairs, triples or fours except for three years in the 1980’s. At the Canadian championships, she skipped Manitoba teams to two national titles and won seven silver and two bronze medals. In 1992 her pairs team finished fourth at the World Bowls in Scotland. Jones also represented Canada at the 1986 and 1990 Commonwealth Games, the 1988 World Bowls, the World Indoor Championship and the Atlantic and Pacific Games.

Jones first curled with the Heather Mixed League in 1968, but soon moved to the competitive ranks with the Heather Ladies. In 1973, she skipped her team to the first of three Winnipeg City championships. In 1980, she won the Canadian Mixed Championship with the Jim Dunstone team and was chosen all-star lead. Jones skipped the Manitoba team in the Canadian Senior Women’s Championship in 1997 and 1999. Along with many trips to the women’s mixed and senior provincials, her achievements include an MLCA grand aggregate and two recreational division championships.