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Moncton Fairlanes Gems

Category

Team

Sport

Candlepin Bowling

Hometown

Moncton

Year Inducted

1990

Sport Ambassador

team

Moncton Fairlanes Gems

HONOURED MEMBER

Biography

Webster’s dictionary defines the word gem in a number of ways including:“Someone who ought to be treasured,” “exquisite,” and “brilliant.” These same definitions can be applied to captain Julia Hanusiak, Jeane Wood, Lil Steeves, Betty Peppard, Ella Mae Greene, Iris Powell and Lorraine LaFrance - the seven ladies who, between 1953 and 1981, won 22 Provincial and 6 Maritime titles in candlepin bowling, including a string of 8 in a row in the decade of the ‘70’s and 10 of 11 between 1959 and ’69!They topped that off with 78 consecutive defences of the Schooner Trophy. In early July of 1989 they were honoured by the International Candlepin Bowling Hall of Fame.Historian Earl McAuley called them “. . . the best bowling team . . . ever,” and added:“. . . I haven’t seen any teams, even down in the States, who would come even closed to a record like that.”Brilliant! Exquisite! A Provincial treasure! 


Enrolled in the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame, June 2, 1990.

Quick Facts

  • Won Provincial titles in 1953, ’55 and ’56 

  • Won 10 NB titles in 11 attempts from 1959-1969 

  • Won eight consecutive Provincial titles from 1972-79 

  • Won five Maritime titles 

  • Posted the first 1700 team triple in 1972 

  • Recognized by the International Candlepin Bowling Hall of Fame 

  • Team members: Ella Mae Greene; Julia Hanusiak (D); Lorraine LaFrance; Betty Peppard (D); Iris Powell(D); Lil Steeves; Jeane Wood

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