Colleen Jones after being formally inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame during a 2016 event in Toronto.Chris Young/The Canadian Press
Canadian curling legend and veteran CBC reporter Colleen Jones has died following a battle with cancer, at the age of 65.
Jones’s son, Luke Saunders, announced his mother’s passing on her X feed.
“Mom had been fighting and trying to beat back cancer over the last 3 years or so,” Saunders wrote. “Late this morning, while looking out on the ocean from her favourite spot in Maders Cove, with my Dad, brother and myself beside her, mom passed away.
“Please think of your favourite Colleen Jones moment, cherish it. Hurry and love hard.”
Curling Canada shared the news in a statement on Tuesday. It sent ripples through the nation’s curling community, which is gathered in Halifax for its Olympic trials, the competition which will decide who will represent Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
“Curling has lost a legend. It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of one of the most exceptional figures in Canadian curling, Colleen Jones,” read the statement.
“During her curling career, Colleen captured six national women’s championships and two world championships. She also served as a curling coach, broadcaster and ambassador helping grow the sport across the country and the world. Thank you, Colleen, for your enduring contribution to our sport. Every shot played. Every rink inspired. Every life you touched. You will be deeply missed and your legacy will forever endure on the ice and in our hearts.”
Team Canada skip Colleen Jones sports a big smile after winning gold at the world curling championships in Gavle, Sweden, in April, 2004. Canada defeated Norway 8-4.ANDREW VAUGHAN/CP
Jones, a Halifax native, was especially beloved within Nova Scotia’s sporting community. In 2018, Jones finished second to NHL star Sidney Crosby in a listing of the greatest 15 athletes in Nova Scotia’s history.
In 1979, just 19 years old, Jones won her first of 16 provincial women’s titles, and a silver medal at that year’s Canada Games.
Jones was inducted into Canada’s Sport Hall of Fame in 2016 and later appointed to the Order of Canada.
She was also a mainstay on CBC News for nearly 40 years as a reporter and host.
She served as a curling reporter at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics and was a co-host the online series That Curling Show with CBC journalist Devin Heroux.
She retired from broadcasting in 2023. When she joined CBC in 1986, she was the first female sports anchor in Halifax.
A moment to honour Jones is expected later Tuesday at the Olympic trials at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax.
Colleen Jones near the Northwest Arm in Halifax in June, 2007.Sandor Fizli/The Globe and Mail