Registered: Jan 2011
Location:
Posts: 1962

Doug Bakes, executive director of the OCA had submitted his retirement notice.
Effective end of June 2014 but staying on as a consultant for 6 months.

www.ontcurl.com/news-details.aspx?id=247

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Feb 2005
Location: .
Posts: 1844

I hope this doesn't mean said person is double dipping like the Ontario Power Generation executives.

__________________
Guest

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Not Yet
Location:
Posts: N/A

"retired"? good one! From what I've heard he was shown the door....pushed towards it....and had his toque and mittens put on for him. OCA didn't have the "stones" to call it a termination.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: 24.109.142.212

Registered: Feb 2004
Location: Toronto
Posts: 2668

I heard about this rumour over the summer. He could be a rathe elusive fellow at times. One of the OCA's main sponsors once told me Doug never returned his phone calls so the sponsor ended up going to the OCA offices and waiting for him.

Ontario need to get some development plans going - entries are dropping in almost all of their competitions and I am sure membership is down too. Maybe Lolar will take the job.

__________________
Well Behaved Women Don't Make History.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Not Yet
Location:
Posts: N/A

quote:

---

Originally posted by curlerbroad
I heard about this rumour over the summer. He could be a rathe elusive fellow at times. One of the OCA's main sponsors once told me Doug never returned his phone calls so the sponsor ended up going to the OCA offices and waiting for him.

Ontario need to get some development plans going - entries are dropping in almost all of their competitions and I am sure membership is down too. Maybe Lolar will take the job.

---

Report this post to a moderator | IP: 24.235.244.213

Registered: Not Yet
Location:
Posts: N/A

quote:

---

Originally posted by curlerbroad
I heard about this rumour over the summer. He could be a rathe elusive fellow at times. One of the OCA's main sponsors once told me Doug never returned his phone calls so the sponsor ended up going to the OCA offices and waiting for him.

Ontario need to get some development plans going - entries are dropping in almost all of their competitions and I am sure membership is down too. Maybe Lolar will take the job.

---

Report this post to a moderator | IP: 206.186.37.200

Registered: Jan 2011
Location:
Posts: 1962

The board elections are not even transparent so don't expect the hiring of the new staff to be. Ever notice the recycling of board members. They get to past president, take a year off and return with a new title. Watch for names like Gord Gark to pop up. Makes you very suspicious when the same people are on the Ontario Curling Council b of d and the OCA board.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Not Yet
Location:
Posts: N/A

The OCA needs a good Public Relations / Marketing person.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: 184.146.107.33

Registered: Dec 2008
Location: 1994 Lumina Dr
Posts: 91

pretty sure Gord's name will pop up...as he is second vice president.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Not Yet
Location:
Posts: N/A

He was shown the door now its time to get someone in there
that can answer a phone call and make a difference he won't
be missed I hear.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: 67.68.40.212

Registered: Mar 2009
Location: Burlington
Posts: 638

I agree with all the above....OCA needs new blood and true promotion.....

I'd love to see the younger generation take over! What it doesn't need is old guys like me (going on 69)!

It will take youth and energy as well as ideas to get OCA back to something worth while.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Dec 2008
Location: 1994 Lumina Dr
Posts: 91

kind of curious? who showed him the Door?

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Sep 2002
Location: London, Ontario
Posts: 4002

While he may have his detractors, I personally had a very good relationship with Doug and he was very good at many components of his job. He was a quiet leader, someone who didn't seek out the limelight and did a lot of work behind the scenes that we rarely saw.

Managing an organization the size of the OCA is not an easy feat, with 16 Zones meetings twice a year (and Doug was great at collaborating at those, I attended several), and the management of all the provincial championships that go along with the province. For anyone who's suggested the scoring we do is in-spite of the OCA, they've been very helpful to help facilitate getting it accomplished.

Doug will be missed for the hard work he put into the job, though am looking forward to a positive change going forward that brings together all the important stakeholders of the sport in Ontario.

__________________
CurlingZone
Everything...Curling!

Please click on our sponsors' banners periodically, as visiting their sites helps keep CurlingZone.com Free!

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Nov 2006
Location: Toronto
Posts: 35

I agree Gerry. It's easy to snipe but Ontario has way to many competitions now and finding ice and support is not easy. Doug kept an even keel quietly - be careful what you wish for - the next guy could be a different story. I always found Doug a pleasant easy guy to talk to and I wish him well in retirement.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Not Yet
Location:
Posts: N/A

I'm sure the CCA sanction of the OCA had something to do with it.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: 173.34.19.222

Registered: Dec 2008
Location: 1994 Lumina Dr
Posts: 91

Doug did a great job taking the OCA from a good old boys club to a major force in curling. There were not enough hours in the day for Doug to respond to every e-mail, phone call etc. that he received, I have had questions answered at 1am. The hours Doug put in during the season would make most peoples heads spin. The best part is most of the people commenting here are basing their responses on rumour and innuendo, not facts, which is sad, and hide behind unregistered.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Feb 2004
Location: Toronto
Posts: 2668

quote:

---

Originally posted by Unregistered
I'm sure the CCA sanction of the OCA had something to do with it.

---

__________________
Well Behaved Women Don't Make History.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jan 2005
Location:
Posts: 371

Perhaps the OCA should take this opportunity to more forward, and enhance what they have been doing. Now this is no indictment of Doug, but perhaps some goals for the new ED should be:

- continue to foster relations with sponsors
- I know what you said about the OCT, Gerry, but I think the OCT and OJCT should work more closely with the OCA and try to benefit the tour and OCA events. Let's work together.
- work more closely with local associations like the TCA and OVCA
- foster better relations with the clubs, such as highlighting good practices (like beginner leagues) and lessons learned
- work more closely with the provincial associations, in particular the Quebec and NO associations. I am sure there could be some "joint ventures" that might be mutually beneficial
- try to develop more curling in high schools. And not just the Gore and some leagues, I think curling has to develop intramural curling at the HS level. I believe that is key to the survival of the game. SK and MB seem to be doing that to some extent. Elaboration on this would require a new thread
- develop a marketing strategy to try to sell the game to new Canadians. It is still seen as a WASPy game, but in the major cities, that is not the growth demographic.

__________________
Art M

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged