February 15...Sudbury's Mike Jakubo will make his second appearance at the Canadian men's curling championship when the 2009 Tim Hortons Brier gets underway March 7 in Calgary.

Jakubo won The Dominion Northern Ontario men's championship Saturday, February 14, defeating defending champion Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, 9-4 in the final at the Fort Frances Curling Club.  It was the third time he'd beaten Jacobs during the week.

Jakubo thus went through the 16-team competition undefeated.   His Copper Cliff Curling Club team of third Matt Seabrook, second Luc Ouimet and lead Lee Toner had won the A side, 7-6, in an extra end over Al Belec of the Soo, after defeating Jacobs, 10-7 in the A side semi-final.

Jacobs won the B final, 9-4 over Art Lappalainen of Thunder Bay, while the C side qualifiers were Thunder Bay's Mike Pozihun and Mike Assad.

Jakubo beat Jacobs, 8-5 in the Page 1 vs 2 game to advance to the final, while Jacobs then beat Assad (who had eliminated Pozihun, 7-5), 8-6 in an extra end semi-final, to set up another rematch with Jakubo.

Jakubo, Ouimet and Toner teamed at the 2005 Tim Hortons Brier in Edmonton, finishing with a 3-8 mark.  Toner will be making his third Brier appearance, though, after also playing lead/coach for skip Al Harnden at the 2007 Brier in Hamilton.  Seabrook is making his Brier debut.

Northern Ontario has won four Briers since 1927, the last two by Al Hackner, in 1982 in Brandon and in 1985 in Moncton.

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