In just the last few weeks, Norfolk County has gained national attention thanks to television.
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Mike Jiggens • For the News Record
Mar 12, 2026 • Last updated 2 days ago •
Mike Jiggens File
In just the last few weeks, Norfolk County has gained national attention thanks to television.
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First up was the Azzopardi family from Port Dover who made an appearance on Family Feud Canada and walked away with $10,000. This spotlighted the town in a fresh way compared to its usual Friday the 13th headlines. The matching outfits they wore on the show, featuring suspenders and bright gold bowties on the men, gave them a unique and memorable style.
If being on Family Feud Canada wasn’t enough to highlight Norfolk County, it certainly got more recognition during last week’s Montana’s Brier national men’s curling championship held in St. John’s, NL.
A team from the Tillsonburg Curling Club represented Ontario. While Tillsonburg isn’t actually part of Norfolk, their skip Jayden King is from Courtland which is within the county.
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Both Tillsonburg and Courtland received multiple mentions during TSN’s coverage of this event. The broadcast team repeatedly pointed out that King’s rink was the youngest in competition while also highlighting their maturity that surpassed their age.
Taking on seasoned competitors like Olympic gold medalist Brad Jacobs’ rink and multi-time Brier champion Brad Gushue can be daunting for first-time participants. However, King and his teammates displayed poise like experienced players.
The team faced tough losses against both rinks but this experience will surely benefit them as they aim to return to the Brier and improve upon their performance in 2026.
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Jacobs was viewed as a strong contender going into the tournament while Gushue – a local favorite from St. John’s who announced his retirement this season – had home crowd support. Kings’ move to the playoff round was impressive by itself. On a personal note, he made history as the first ever Black skip at this long-standing national championship which dates back 97 years. Lives won’t be quite normal for King and his teammates anymore now that they’ve garnered some fame in Tillsonburg. They can expect requests for autographs or selfies with locals as they navigate their new-found popularity – that comes with sudden fame after all. The success of King and his team at Brier is sure to boost interest in local curling; registrations are likely to rise not only at Tillsonburg club but across clubs in nearby areas too. I’m excited to follow King and his team’s journey through the upcoming 2026-2027 season. With their newfound status as an Ontario powerhouse, we can anticipate more appearances at major events soon! Congratulations go out to King, his teammates along with the Azzopardi family for shining a light on this corner of our world!
