“When I came to North Bay, the city blew me away with their hospitality,” Jones told reporters before the ceremony.
“It was a highlight of my very long curling career and I always say it’s on par with the Olympics and that’s because of North Bay.”
The university presented her with an honorary doctorate in education. Jones calls the moment “humbling.”
“I’m very excited to be back and just to receive this honour from the university,” she said.
“To be a part of this community and their legacy is very humbling.”
In 2019, TSN named Jones as the greatest Canadian curler in history, following a poll of broadcasters, reporters and top curlers.
Earned law degree
In addition to her curling success, Jones has had a dynamic and multifaceted career beyond sport.
She earned her law degree and practised law before shifting her focus to motivational speaking and television broadcasting.
In a brief speech to the graduates, Jones told them to never give up and to enjoy the moment, reminding them they can achieve anything if they set their minds to it.
She recalled her dream of wanting to win one Canadian championship and that it would have “been the most miraculous thing” in her life.
Jones told the graduates about sitting down with sports psychologist Cal Botterill, who listened to her explain that she was shy and lacked the confidence to reach her dreams.
“He looked at me straight in the eyes — and it’s a message that I want you to remember on this day — he said, ‘Why not you?’”
Jones, who retired from curling last year, said it’s important to leave a lasting legacy for the “future generation.”
“To believe that we had even the smallest of impact to help curling grow in a city that did so much for us in like North Bay,” she said.
“Hopefully, we’ll see some future stars come out of the curling program here.”
The university is also presenting two others with honorary degrees this week: Juno award-winning singer-songwriter William Prince from Peguis First Nation and Janine Lafrenière, who has dedicated her career to supporting survivors of gender-based violence.
