For Immediate Release:

The final round of the East Coast Junior Championship was met with sunny conditions and a high of 26 degrees, similar to what greeted players on Tuesday. With a field comprising of 47 players from both New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, the battle for the titles of East Coast Junior Boys Under-19 Champion, East Coast Junior Girls Under-19 Champion, and East Coast Junior Boys Under-15 Champion would lead to a shootout on Wednesday’s final round.

Julien Babineau captured the East Coast Under-19 Boys crown; Callie Taylor secured the East Coast Under-19 Girls titles and Caleb LeBlanc took home the Under-15 Boys honours.

Julien Babineau who represents the Fox Creek Golf Club entered the day with a one-shot lead over Cameron Friars of the Riverside Country Club and was able to keep it consistent during his second round carding only one bogey, and submitting a score of 2-under par, 70, both days. Babineau ended his tournament with a commanding 5-shot lead over runner-up Simon Mullen of the Truro Golf Club. Julien took home the crown for the Dormie Par-3 Challenge as well, firing a combined score of 2-under par.

On the Under-19 Girls’ side, it was a shootout between Callie Taylor, and Addison McClune both representing the Riverside Country Club. Both ladies had a very close and consistent 2-day event as Callie carded a total score of twelve-over par, 156 (81-75), and Addison, who scored an identical total of twelve-over par, 156 (82-74). The pair went on to play a 3-hole playoff where Callie outlasted Addison to take the U19 crown. Callie was also crowned in the Dormie Par-3 challenge with a total score of 4-over par on the par-3 holes. Both Callie and Julien were gifted a beautiful Dormie yardage book for their accomplishments.

Finally, it was Caleb LeBlanc of the Fox Creek Golf Club who took home the Under-15 Boys Championship. Caleb finished his event with a combined score of 7-over par, 151 (75-76), giving him a 3-shot victory over Elliott Mullen of the Truro Golf Club.

After two years of anticipation, the Covered Bridge Golf & Country Club served as gracious hosts once again for the East Coast Junior Championship as players were greeted with a world-class venue in pristine condition.

For more information on the 2022 Covered Bridge East Coast Junior Championship CLICK HERE.

For more information on the Covered Bridge Golf & Country Club CLICK HERE.

Golf New Brunswick (Golf NB), a not-for-profit organization founded in 1934, is the official governing body for amateur golf in New Brunswick.  In January of 2006, the New Brunswick Golf Association (NBGA) officially merged with the New Brunswick Ladies Golf Association (NBLGA), resulting in one united governing body for amateur golf in the province.  Programs offered by Golf NB to its 50 partner facilities and 7,700 individual members include provincial championships, rules of golf education, course rating and handicap services, and junior golf development programs.

HEMMINGFORD, Que. – Cameron Pero wasn’t driving four hours from his hometown of Bloomfield, Ont., to Hemmingford, Que., for any other reason but to win the NextGen Quebec Championship. And that he did.

The Team Ontario member had already secured his spot at the Canadian Junior Boys Championships later this summer with a T2 finish at the NextGen Ontario Championship and took his game one step further this week in Quebec, finishing atop the leaderboard.  

Pero joined Yasmine Qureshi – champion of the Junior Girls division – in the winner’s circle at Club de Golf Hemmingford on Thursday afternoon after each mounting comebacks of their own in the final round of the regional junior event south of Montreal.

Matthew Javier took a 36-hole two-stroke lead into day three of the 54-hole tournament, but the advantage was short lived when the final pairing set sail on Thursday. Momentum swung in Pero’s favour in the early stages of the round and after just four holes, he held the outright lead.

Javier, who earned a runner-up finish at the NextGen Prairie Championship earlier in June, got back on level terms with his counterpart with a birdie on no. 5 but that was as close as the Toronto, Ont. native would get. Pero regained full control of the lead with a birdie on no. 6 and after bogeys on no. 9 and no. 11, the Miami University commit steadied the ship en route to a final round one-under par 71.

The Picton Golf & Country Club member’s win in Quebec is his second career NextGen title after taking home the honours at the NextGen Fall Series East Championship in 2021.

Qureshi fired the low round of the week, a four-under 68 in the second round of the competition but still needed every one of her seven birdies on Wednesday to earn victory. The Ville de Québec native dug herself a deep hole with an opening round 10-over par 82, but climbed her way back to the surface in round two, and then leaped onto the podium with a final round 76 to win by one stroke over Shauna Liu (Maple, Ont.)

Qureshi, out of Club de golf de Lorette, trailed Keira Hou (Richmond Hill, Ont.) by three strokes when making the turn on Thursday but finished strong with an even-par 36 coming in, to capture the title. Hou, who lead or co-lead throughout the entire tournament, dropped four strokes on her final three holes and fell into third place.

Hou’s younger sister Katherine was also in the field in Hemmingford and posted a T7 finish to book her ticket to the Canadian Junior Girls Championship later this summer, alongside her sister Keira.

Click here for full results of the 2022 NextGen Quebec Championship.

Including Qureshi, the top eight players (including ties) in the Junior Girls division have earned exemptions into the 2022 Canadian Junior Girls Championship taking place July 25-29 at The Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa, Ont.

POS	NAME
1	Yasmine Qureshi (Québec, Que.)
2	Shauna Liu (Maple, Ont.)
3	Keira Hou (Richmond Hill, Ont.)
T4	Aryn Matthews (Little Britain, Ont.)
T4	Genevieve Jobin-Colgan (Québec, Que.)
6	Anne-Léa Lavoie (Québec, Que.)
T7	Morgan Best (Pointe-Claire, Que.)
T7	Katherine Hou (Richmond Hill, Ont.)
T7	Mackenzie Cloutier (Mirabel, Que.)

From the Junior Boys division, the top eight players have earned exemptions into the 2022 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, August 6-10, at Rivershore Estates & Golf Links in Kamloops, British Columbia.

POS	NAME
1	Cameron Pero (Bloomfield, Ont.)
2	Matthew Javier (Toronto, Ont.)
3	Gavin Ives (Halifax, N.S.)
4	Justin Grimard (Deux-Montagnes, Que.)
T5	Anthony Jomphe (Chicoutimi, Que.)
T5	Guillaume Paquette (La Minerve, Que.)
T7	Antoine Jasmin (Blainville, Que.)
T7	Isaiah Ibit (Orleans, Ont.)

About the NextGen Championships series, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards

The NextGen Championships, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards is a high-performance junior golf series which totals eight competitions. From May to July, six championships will take place across Canada where the region’s best junior golfers will compete to earn exemptions into their respective 2022 national championships. NextGen Championships provide junior players an opportunity to develop and showcase their skills at the highest level of tournament golf. 

Dwayne Tingley

Leanne Richardson has won six New Brunswick women’s amateur championships and she’s as competitive as ever, but she has other thoughts about this year’s tournament.

The 58-year-old Moncton native, who plays out of the Country Meadows Golf Club, where she has served as general manager for 22 years, is eager to see her opponents.

“There is a lot of anticipation for this one because it’s like one big family getting together again,” Richardson explained.

“It will be great to see everyone and get back on the golf course with them again,” she said.

“We don’t take anything for granted anymore so we’ll make the most of this opportunity to be together.”

Richardson will headline a field of 99 competitors at the New Brunswick women’s provincials, driven by Audi Moncton, July 3-5 at the Algonquin Resort Golf Course in scenic St. Andrews.

“The golf tournament is obviously important, but this year’s tournament will be more of a social event that we’ve had in the past,” Richardson said.

Women’s amateur, mid-amateur, senior, super-senior, and platinum titles will be contested on the course that is rated in the top 100 in Canada by ScoreGolf’s biennial golf course rankings list.

The 2022 Women's Provincials, Driven by Audi Moncton tees off on July 3rd!

This year's event is hosted by the stunning Algonquin Golf Course in beautiful St. Andrews, NB. pic.twitter.com/pR9Jpb2dG2

— Golf New Brunswick (@thegolfnb) June 21, 2022

Richardson, who was inducted into the Moncton Sports Wall of Fame nine years ago, is the defending champion in the amateur division.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the tournament two years ago.

She’s also captured about 20 New Brunswick player of the year titles and has represented the province at 30 Canadian championship tournaments.

“It’s a privilege each time I compete and I think I appreciate it more than I did when I was younger,” Richardson said.

“I really appreciate the good rounds and I’ve learned to not get too frustrated when things don’t go so well.”

Cathy Donald, from the Ashburn Golf Club in Fall River, N.S., placed second at last year’s amateur at Royal Oaks in Moncton, and Morgan Matchett of Miramichi Golf and Country Club was third.

Matchett, who won the provincial title on her home course in 2018, hasn’t played much golf this year and she’s never played at Algonquin, a par-71 layout.

“I hope to have a practice round to see what it’s all about then play well enough to get a spot on the team,” said Matchett, a 2015 graduate of Jacksonville University in Florida.

“I know there are a lot of good players so I’ll have to put together some good rounds.”

The top three finishers in the overall competition will represent New Brunswick at the Canadian women’s amateur championship, presented by BDO, July 19-22 at the Westmount Golf Club in Kitchener, Ont.

“Algonquin is going to be a good test, especially if there is some wind,” Richardson said.

“There are a few blind shots and they can be tricky.”

Matchett, a 28-year-old teacher at Miramichi Valley High School, expects the field to be “very competitive.”

“There are a lot of very good golfers around the province so the challenge should bring out the best in everyone,” she said.

Richardson, Donald, and Matchett were also the top three finishers in the mid-amateur championship last year.

Richardson, Donald, and Shelley Thomas, of Country Meadows, were the top three in the senior championship.

“I haven’t played much, but I will ramp up before the tournament,” said Thomas, a 53-year-old self-employed entrepreneur.

“Doug Sullivan (Club Owner and PGA of Canada Member) always tells us about the importance of practicing so I better listen to his advice,” she said.

“Getting a spot on the New Brunswick team was an honour for the first time and I would like to do that again.”

The Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior championships. Presented by BDO, will be played Aug. 30-Sept. 1 at the Breezy Bend Country Club in Headingly, Manitoba.

The top three finishers in last year’s super-senior division were: Pam Cossey of Rockwood, Kathy Grebenc of Gowan Brae, and Mary Walton Rossignol of Fredericton.

Raymonde Boudreau of Pine Needles, Penny Dickeson of Fredericton, and Shelagh Eddy of Gowan Brae were the top three in the platinum division.

Golf New Brunswick Executive Director, Luke Lacey said the seaside course “provides no shortage of risk and reward, which should make for an exciting 54 holes of golf” for players in all five championships.

For more information on the 2022 NB Women’s Provincials please CLICK HERE.

For more information on the Algonquin Golf Course please CLICK HERE.

About Audi Moncton

Audi Moncton is a perennial award-winning dealership, located in Dieppe NB, servicing all of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. We offer a large selection of traditional gas-powered vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and all-new fully electric vehicles. Visit us in person or online for more details.

Golf Canada, in partnership with title sponsor Canadian Pacific (CP), has announced that many of the world’s top players have committed to compete in the celebrated return of the 2022 CP Women’s Open from August 22-28 at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club in Ottawa.
 
Leading the charge is defending champion Jin Young Ko, currently ranked no. 1 in the world and no. 9 on the current LPGA Tour Money List, who won in 2019—more than 1,000 days ago—prior to the past two of cancellation due the global pandemic.
 
Local favourite and 11-time LPGA Tour winner Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., an honorary member of Ottawa Hunt currently ranked no. 10 on the LPGA Tour money list, will join Ko in leading a field of early commitments that include 16 of the top 20 players on the current LPGA Tour money list (10 of the top-10 & 41 of the top-50), seven past CP Women’s Open championships, and 11 in year winners including all 2022 Major winners.
 
The early player commitments to challenge for the $2.35 million USD purse—one of the largest prizes on the LPGA Tour—will include golf’s brightest stars along with rising talents in Canadian golf.
 
Henderson, a CP Ambassador who made history at the Wascana Country Club in Regina in 2018 becoming the first Canadian since the late Jocelyne Bourassa 45 years earlier to win Canada’s National Women’s Open, will be joined in Ottawa by fellow Canadians Maude-Aimee Leblanc, Maddie Szeryk, Alena Sharp, Jaclyn Lee, Rebecca Lee-Bentham and Selena Costabile, as well as a collection of talented Canadian athletes who are expected to receive tournament exemptions in the coming weeks to compete in Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship.
 
Reigning Canadian Women’s Amateur champion Lauren Zaretsky of Thornhill, Ont. has also earned an exemption along with US amateur standout Anna Davis who won the 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
 
Canadian golf legend Lorie Kane of Charlottetown, PEI, a member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, Order of Canada, and recent inductee into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, will compete in her record 30^th CP Women’s Open. A four-time winner on the LPGA Tour, Kane has confirmed that the 2022 event will be her final playing appearance in Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship.

The 156-player field will be returning to the national capital for a fifth time with Ottawa Hunt ready to host their fourth CP Women’s Open and first since 2017. The club is working its way back to premium form following a major storm back in mid-May which caused extensive damage to the golf course including the removal of 1,100 trees on the property.
 
The 2022 edition of the CP Women’s Open will be a be celebrated return to the LPGA schedule and the community is excited with a full roster of 1,300 volunteers confirmed for the event. Ottawa golf fans turned out in record fashion in 2017 to cheer on Henderson, the local sensation along with the stars of the LPGA Tour. Ticket sales are moving with great pace and one of the largest corporate build footprints in event history will see fan and hospitality structures located on holes 15 through 18.
 
“Together with our friends at CP we are very proud after two years of cancellation to be back in our nation’s capital in a big way for the celebrated return of the CP Women’s Open,” said Tournament Director Ryan Paul. “Golf fans in this community have gotten behind our National Women’s Open Championship in a major way and with the additional of fabulous new fan and partner activations as well as digital enhancements to the tournament experience, we can’t wait to get back to Ottawa Hunt and put on an can’t miss summer celebration.”
 
EARLY PLAYER COMMITMENTS:
Ko and Henderson are two of seven past CP Women’s Open champions confirmed for Ottawa Hunt including, Ariya Jutanugarn (2016), So Yeon Ryu (2014), Katherine Kirk (2008), Cristie Kerr (2006) and three-time winner Lydia Ko (2015, 2013, 2012) who will be chasing a record fourth CP Women’s Open title.
 
Ko and Henderson, currently ranked no. 9 and 10 respectively on the LPGA Tour Money List, will be among 16 of the current top-20 players (10 of top-10 / 41 of top-50) on the 2022 LPGA Money List confirmed for Ottawa Hunt including Minjee Lee (1), In Gee Chun (2), Lexi Thompson (3), Jennifer Kupcho (4), Hye-Jin Choi (5), Lydia Ko (6), Atthya Thitikul (7), Mina Harigae (8), Nasa Hataoka (11), Jessica Korda (13), Hyo Joo Kim (14), Celine Boutier (16), Xiyo Lin (17), Eun-Hee Ji (19), and Madelene Sagstrom (20).  
 
CP HAS HEART CHARITY CAMPAIGN TO BENEFIT THE CHEO FOUNDATION:
Canadian Pacific and Golf Canada are proud to support the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) Foundation as the primary charitable beneficiary for the 2022 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open. Among the charitable engagements tournament week will be the Birdies for Heart hole on no. 15 at Ottawa Hunt with $5,000 donation made for every birdie made on the hole during the four rounds of the competition. In addition, CP is also proud to support a community beneficiary in the Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital Foundation in support paediatric cardiac care. In the nine years of CP’s title sponsorship of the CP Women’s Open, more than $13 million has been raised to support children’s heart health in Canada.
 
CP WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP SUMMIT RETURNS TO KICK OF TOURNAMENT WEEK:
Golf Canada and Canadian Pacific will host the fifth annual CP Women’s Leadership Summit on Tuesday, August 23 at the Infinity Convention Centre as part of the weeklong excitement of the 2022 CP Women’s Open. The CP Women’s Leadership Summit will bring together like-minded businesspeople from across the country for a day of networking, empowerment, and philanthropy. The Summit will also raise awareness for the CP Women’s Open, with attendees receiving access to the tournament during the week. For more information about the CP Women’s Leadership Summit, including tickets and sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.cpwomensopen.com/wls.  
 
2022 CP WOMEN’S OPEN WELCOME “THE RINK” FAN EXPERIENCE:
Golf Canada is pleased to introduce the fan-favourite Rink hole spectator experience to the CP Women’s Open for the first time. The energetic hockey-themed hole, complete with fan-pounding rink boards, volunteers dressed as referees and a surrounding hospitality experience will be situated on par-3 17^th hole at Ottawa Hunt.
 
CP WOMEN’S OPEN BROADCAST:
The 2022 CP Women’s Open will feature four days of domestic and international television broadcast coverage including Canadian broadcast partner TSN as well as international coverage on GOLF channel. For the first time ever, the CP Women’s Open will also be broadcast on US network television with Sunday’s final round coverage on CBS.
 
KIDS 12-AND-UNDER GET IN FREE…
Golf Canada and CP are committed to offering a fan friendly, family event with the CP Women’s Open. To introduce more juniors to the sport, children aged 12-and-under get FREE admission to the CP Women’s Open for the entire week.

(Aurora – ON) – On Friday afternoon at Beacon Hall Golf Club, Wes Heffernan put a bow on a dominant performance at the BetRegal PGA Championship of Canada, going wire-to-wire to cement himself as the winner of the 100^th anniversary of the event by a margin of five strokes, shooting scores of 68-69-69-72 to do so. 

Full Results and Purse Breakdown can be Seen Here 

“I’m not sure it has sunk in yet. Today was a challenging mental day with the lead and trying to keep that lead, but I played really well, which was very fulfilling,” said Heffernan, who came into the week as the top player on the PGA Player Rankings and takes home $12,000 with the victory. “I didn’t make any mistakes until the end, and I had a nice cushion by that point.” 

It didn’t take long for those bearing witness to realize that there would be no coming back to the field for Heffernan on Friday. 

Off the tee this week, Heffernan was impeccable. The only thing perhaps more impressive was his ball striking, as he gave himself good birdie look after good birdie look on the firm and fast Beacon Hall greens. 

After knocking in a 12-foot birdie putt on the second hole, Heffernan cruised through the front nine with eight consecutive pars, with none of the par putts being further than three feet. 

As Heffernan noted, a bogey followed by a double on 16 and 17 put a dent in his lead, but by that point, there was nothing between the 45-year-old and the first P.D. Ross trophy of his career. 

“I know the tournament has had quite the history and there’s been some fantastic players at this event. I got to play with Jim Rutledge the past two days, who is a Canadian legend, and he is on the trophy as well,” said Heffernan – who’s five-stroke winning margin came over the runner-up Rutledge. “I was fortunate enough to share these past two rounds with him and I was fortune to come out on top.”

With the victory, Heffernan becomes the third-consecutive Albertan to win the event after Dustin Risdon’s victory in 2019 and Riley Fleming’s win last summer.  

“I have a lot of great family and friends to thank back home for their support,” said Heffernan, who teaches out of the Dynamic Motion Golf Performance Center. “Some people thought it was only three rounds, so I actually got some congratulations texts yesterday, so I was happy to be able to get it done today.” 

The 2022 tournament marked the second with BetRegal as title sponsor, and their support is certainly appreciated from the players in the field. 

“Without their sponsorship we couldn’t play an event like this,” said Heffernan. “I was fortunate to play with Mike (Mirtle, CEO of BetRegal) and Aly (Lelani, Head of Marketing) during the pro-am and it was a great time. Without sponsors that support golf in Canada we can’t have these great championships.” 

In addition to BetRegal, it was incredible to have support from BioSteel, CaddyTime and adidas Golf Canada at the event. 

Beacon Hall Golf Club served as an exceptional test of golf as players raved about the conditions all week long, mentioning that the layout had a ‘major feel’ to it. 

While Heffernan turned in a score of 10-under par, only three other players were able to break par for the tournament – Rutledge, Gordon Burns, and Fleming. And while Heffernan broke 70 in three of the four rounds, no other player was able to do it more than twice – and the only player to do that was Fleming.

The PGA of Canada is quickly back on the road next week as the ORORO PGA Women’s Championship of Canada kicks off on July 28 at Chateau Bromont in Quebec, where some of the top amateur and professional players from both Canada and the world will vie for a victory and exemption into the CP Women’s Open. 

TSU, Japan – Canada Day is still a week away but there was reason to celebrate early for Team Canada’s National Junior Squad in Japan on Friday.

The Canadian Junior Boys team – made up of Félix Bouchard (Otterburn Park, Que.), Ethan Wilson (St. Albert, Alta.), Cooper Humphreys (Vernon, B.C.) and Eric Zhao (North York, Ont.) – captured the 2022 Toyota Junior Golf World Cup with a two-stroke victory over Japan in the seven-team competition.

Canada’s team victory at the World Cup is its first in the 28-year history of the event. Rob McMillan (1994) and Corey Conners (2009) have previously been crowned individual champions of the tournament representing the Maple Leaf.

Consistency was the key to success for the Boys team, who each recorded top-10 results or better in the individual competition. Bouchard and Humphreys spearheaded the Canadians, the pair finishing at eight-under par for T5, while Wilson closed the tournament at seven-under par for T8 and Zhao wrapped up his World Cup in T10 at six-under par.

None of the members of four-man squad carded a score higher than 73 over the course of the three-day event at the Hakusan Village Golf Club in Tsu City, Mie Prefecture, Japan. Bouchard earned the low score of the week amongst the Canucks, firing a six-under par 66 in the second round of the international competition.

Team Canada’s Junior Girls – made up of Nicole Gal (Oakville, Ont.), Michelle Liu (Vancouver, B.C.), and Yeji Kwon (Port Coquitlam, B.C.) – secured a well-deserved top-3 finish of their own. Gal’s T4 result in the individual competition charged the Canadians to a podium finish, totalling an eight-under par score as a team, just one stroke shy of the Japanese in second place.

Kwon’s opening round three-under par 69 was matched by her teammate Gal the following day, and stood as the low scores of the week for the Canadian girls.

Canada’s third place finish matches their best result (T3 in 2018) since the Girls division was added to the global golf tournament in 2014.

Spain ran away with the Junior Girls division, winning by seven strokes over Japan. The Spaniards were lead by Andrea Revuelta, Cayetana Goicoechea and Fernández Garcia-Poggio, who finished tied atop the individual female leaderboard at seven-under par.

Conners, Adam Hadwin, Adam Svensson and Nick Taylor are other names to have previously represented the red and white at the marquee international event. Master’s champions Scottie Scheffler (USA) and Hideki Matsuyama (Japan), along with John Rahm (Spain) and Cam Smith (Australia), have also sported their countries colours at the World Cup since it began 1992.

2022 marked the 28^th playing of the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup and the first since 2019. The event was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Top-5 Junior Boys – Team

POS	NAME	SCORES	TOTAL
1	Team Canada	207-204-209-620	-28
2	Team Japan	206-208-208-622	-26
3	Team Sweden	208-206-210-624	-24
4	Team South Africa	214-208-212-634	-14
5	Team Italy	206-215-214-635	-13

Top-5 Junior Girls – Team

POS	NAME	SCORES	TOTAL
1	Team Spain	143-136-138-417	-15
2	Team Japan	144-139-141-424	-8
3	Team Canada	141-140-144-425	-7
4	Team Columbia	144-144-142-430	-2
5	Team South Africa	150-140-143-433	+1

For full results click here.

For photos of the 2022 Toyota Junior Golf World Cup click here.

Jackie Roberts-Amos remembers sharply the details of the day she learned about her daughter Aurora’s broken heart. She had been sent to CHEO for a fetal ultrasound 24 weeks into her pregnancy. Ultrasounds were nothing new to Jackie; she already had two young boys at home, a three-and-a-half-year-old and a two-year-old. But this one would be different. 

She and her husband, Rob, were seated in a stark room, waiting and wondering. And waiting.  

“Dr. Jane Lougheed came into the room, along with a nurse and a social worker,” Jackie recalls. “Nobody brings in a team to give you good news. I just remember looking around for something to brace myself physically. There weren’t any arms on the chair, so I remember grabbing the bottom of my chair to steady myself.” 

What followed was a blur. The cardiologist had two diagrams and began with, “This is a normal heart… and this, is your daughter’s heart.”  

“Until that moment, I didn’t know that something could be so fundamentally wrong with someone’s heart and that they could survive! We felt helpless. I did everything right during my pregnancy and could not protect my baby from this.”  

Aurora was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect called truncus arteriosus type 1. The baby has one large artery, instead of the usual two arteries, for blood flowing in and out of the heart. These babies also have a single truncal valve instead of two valves to control this blood flow. For Aurora, the wall separating the two ventricles never completely closed, leaving a large hole between the two chambers.  

The only option: open heart surgery.  

“But Aurora has always been feisty,” Jackie says with a smile, recalling when Aurora was in her belly. “After months of hearing the rumbling noises of Aurora moving around, her brothers Liam and Connor were disappointed to learn they were going to have a human sister, and not the baby dragon they had been hoping for,” she says with a laugh.  

So, the CHEO team got to work. “It was incredible,” Jackie recalls. “Dr. Lougheed laid out the path.” Aurora would be born at the Ottawa Hospital General Campus and be transported to CHEO, where Dr. Gyandeeo Maharajh would fix her tiny heart.  

“Having a plan gave me something to hold on to, to feel a little less lost in the overwhelm,” Jackie says. “Having CHEO meant we didn’t have to move to Toronto, and I could still protect my boys and spend time with them.” 

At two weeks of age, Aurora had her first surgery. She would spend most of her first five months at CHEO, except for a short ten days at home, before being readmitted to CHEO for a life-threatening blood infection that required specialized IV antibiotics.  

Aurora bounced back and grew into an active kid who loves sports. Limitations weren’t in her playbook. Aurora has had a lot of cardiac catheterizations, a procedure in which a thin, flexible tube is guided through a blood vessel to the heart to diagnose or treat the heart. These tweaks allow more time for her between surgeries. The very nature of her heart condition is not something that is ever truly fixed. She outgrows her previous repairs and new ones need to happen.  

She would need another open-heart surgery in 2017. Jackie saw it coming as she noticed Aurora slowing down on the ice while playing hockey, becoming winded and short of breath. They would once again entrust their daughter to Dr. Maharajh, who is beloved by the family.  

“We love how he is a man of precision and science, but a spiritual person as well,” Jackie says. “We know there is someone protective in there. It is like he has his own special superpowers. You can tell he is not your average person, but he is so humble and unassuming. He cares and you can feel it.” 

Jackie remembers sitting in the cardiology family room while Aurora underwent an 11-hour surgery. “The thing about that room is,” Jackie begins, “The walls are covered with photos of families who have been through it. Those pictures are so reassuring when you’re waiting for that update, waiting for it to be over; they give you hope that it’s going to be OK for you, too.” 

Aurora will need at least one more surgery. Jackie and Rob will sit in that room again. 

But for now, at age 12 Aurora is thriving. She is a self-described ‘sporty’ kid. Raven haired, with clear blue eyes, she knows what she wants. She stretches herself between school, sports, drawing and being whisked away through the magic of her Harry Potter books. She is a natural athlete and is excited to be the ambassador for the CP Has Heart campaign. She figures it is the perfect segue into learning how to play golf from the absolute best! “I’ve only ever played mini golf,” she says, laughing. “But I want to learn!” 

“She’s got this quiet strength and determination,” her mother says. “She focuses on what she needs to do and just goes for it!” All of this happens under the watchful eyes of big brothers Liam and Konnor, now 16 and 14. “Most of the time they treat her like one of the guys,” Jackie laughs. “But then suddenly they become protective of her. They are being cautious with masks and things like that to keep her safe from COVID-19.” 

That protection extends to the CHEO family, too. “Dr. Lougheed, the technicians, nurses, the people who book the appointments. Everyone,” Jackie says. “Aurora was never ‘just a patient’ or ‘some procedure’ that you do and move on. We are eternally grateful for that.” 

What does CHEO mean to Aurora? “For me, my team takes such good care of me, and I appreciate them all so much. But for our community, CHEO means help for kids. No matter what, we get the specialized care we need, in a place that’s meant just for us.” 

For Immediate Release:

After a two-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the East Coast Junior Championship is set to return to Covered Bridge Golf & Country Club in Hartland, NB. Play is set to take place on June 28th & 29th, with a talent-filled field of 40 Junior Boys and 7 Junior Girls.

Given the two-year absence, there are no returning champions in the draw this year. The field is not short of talent, however. Fresh off his win at this year’s Under-15 championships, Elliott Mullen of Truro Golf Club will look to continue his run of success in the Under-15 division. Older brother Simon Mullen is also in the field in the Under-19 division, as the reigning NB Under-17 Champion. The 2020 Under-17 champion Julien Babineau is also set to take on Covered Bridge.

In the female division, reigning NB Under-17 & 19 champion Addison McClune of The Riverside Country Club will look to take the vacant crown against the likes of 2020 Under-17 champion and Golf NB Public Player Stéphanie Roy. Neve Miller of Fox Creek is also in the field, following her win at this year’s Under-15 championship.

After two years of cancellation, the Covered Bridge Golf & Country Club is set to host its first championship since the 2019 Canadian Junior Boys Championship.

For more information on the 2022 Covered Bridge East Coast Junior Championship CLICK HERE.

For more information on the Covered Bridge Golf & Country Club CLICK HERE.

For Immediate Release:

Moncton, NB – The New Brunswick Team captured the Maritime Senior Challenge (MSC) for the Sparrow Cup on June 20/21st at the Moncton Golf Club.

On Monday, in windy, rainy conditions, the NB Squad amassed a perfect 6-0 record in best ball play, while NS finished with 2 1/2 points and PEI with 1/2 point.  

In Tuesday singles, The NB Team finished with 18 1/2 points for a total of 24 1/2.  NS was second with 15 1/2 points in Singles play for 18 points total, while PEI was third with 2 1/2 points in total.

The NB Squad pictured above consisted of:

Denis Beaulieu, Mike Breen, Darren Ritchie, Shawn Branch, Mike Shannon, Mike Hosford, Bob Brown, John Brown (non playing captain), Dan Coulombe, Sonny Phillips, Tom Cameron, Eric Hildebrand and Mark Armstrong.

The NB team is chosen from GolfNB Senior Player of the Year points (10 players) with two captains picks.

The Sparrow Cup is named after George Spare, a long time high level competitive golfer and golf administrator who founded the event 18 years ago.  Each year an Honorary Captain is named for the event to recognize someone who has contributed significantly to the Golf fraternity.  This year’s honorary Captain was Doug Sullivan, owners of Country Meadows Golf Club, who was recognized for his entrepreneurship, support for golfers of all levels, including his fellow APGA professionals, as well as his competitive skills.

The 2023 event will be played in PEI.

By: John Chidley-Hill/ Canadian Press

Myles Creighton has always wanted to wear the Maple Leaf on his golf gear. Now that he can as a member of Golf Canada’s young pro squad, he’s having a career season.

The product of Digby, N.S., was named to the national sports organization’s roster in mid-March and has proudly represented Canada on the PGA Tour _ Latinoamerica since. He’s the highest ranked Canadian heading into the third-tier tour’s championship tour this week and the highest ranked golfer from the Maritimes on any tour.

“I take huge pride in representing that part of the country and Canada in general,” said the 26-year-old Creighton. “I’ve always wanted to be on Team Canada’s growing up and I was just shy in junior golf and just left off the team in amateur golf.

“That’s something that’s been really cool for me this year just to have the Golf Canada logo on all my shirts and all my golf bag and stuff.”

MYLES CREIGHTON

Creighton is 32nd in the TotalPlay Cup rankings, dropping two spots after taking two weeks off Latinoamerica for the RBC Canadian Open in Toronto and a week of vacation. That ranking makes him the only Canadian in the field this week at the Bupa Tour Championship at PGA Riviera Maya in Tulum, Mexico.

“I love this golf course. I’ve been looking forward to playing it all year,” said Creighton, who noted that the fairway. “I’m just going to try and play my best but I feel like this is a great course for me.”

He’s had two top-10 finishes on tour this season, tying for ninth at the JHSF Aberto do Brasil on May 24 and then tying for third at the Jalisco Open on May 29. He also tied for 19th twice this season.

“I know that I can win on this tour,” said Creighton, who is targeting a card on the Korn Ferry Tour. “I would love to win this event it would do a lot for me because it’s an increased amount of points and 600 points. It could get me in the top 10.”

Creighton’s season won’t end at the Bupa Tour Championship, as he intends to return to the Maritimes and compete in the Prince Edward Island Open on the PGA Tour Canada. That event begins on June 30 at Dundarave Golf Club in Cardigan, P.E.I.

“I was really looking forward to it because my family is going to come up and I was going to get the chance to see them,” said Creighton. “I was able to see them at the Canadian Open, which was great, but they’re still going to come out so it’ll be a great week.’