Declaring it “Tracy Fleury Day,” the local world-champion curler was celebrated at city hall on Tuesday night.
In naming the day after Fleury, Mayor Paul Lefebvre told a crowd of supporters, “She has always carried the values of hard work, humility and perseverance which define our city,” and “has inspired countless young athletes to dream big.”
Joining Lefebvre in praising Fleury, Ward 4 Coun. Pauline Fortin cited the athlete's nickname, “The Smiling Assassin" as reflective of both her accuracy in curling and personal character.
“Thank you for representing us with such grace and grit,” Fortin said.
The ceremony honouring Fleury took place at Tom Davies Square, where a plaque was unveiled commemorating Fleury’s recent back-to-back titles at the 2024 and 2025 Women’s World Curling Championships as part of Team Homan, an Ottawa-based women’s curling team.
Their 2025 victory took place in March, when the team beat Switzerland 7-3 during the gold-medal game in South Korea. Fleury served as vice-skip alongside skip Rachel Homan, second Emma Miskew and lead Sarah Wilkes.
During the championships, Fleury was deemed the best vice-skip among the 13 best teams in the world that assembled for the competition.
Following the brief ceremony, Fleury’s father, Jerry Horgan, told Sudbury.com that he joined the balance of his family, including Fleury herself, in being surprised by Oct. 7 being named Tracy Fleury Day. They were prepared for a plaque, but not the name.
The main piece of advice he has for parents is to do whatever they can to get their kids involved in sports.
“This doesn’t happen overnight ― like the old saying, it takes a village,” he said. “We had them out there when they were four years old. At that point, they just play, they run all over the ice and slide, but it gets them started and they get used to their footing.
“The main thing the parent needs to do is get them on the rink. They can’t get themselves to the venue on their own.”
In conversation with Sudbury.com, Fleury echoed this sentiment, clarifying that it was her family’s shared interest in curling that drew her to the sport.
“My dad loved the sport, and my siblings all curled as well,” she said, also crediting the “amazing, supportive” local curling community with helping foster her career.
Fleury still plays league games with Curl Sudbury on Wednesday nights alongside her sister, Jennifer Wylie, and friends.
“I’m just grateful for everyone coming out and this honour, and I certainly feel the community’s support,” she said.
Fleury has represented her country since the 2018 Curling World Cup.
She began her curling career at Lockerby Composite School, winning three consecutive Northern Ontario junior provincial championships from 2005. Fleury has won six grand slam titles and the gold medal at the 2024 World Women's Curling Championship, and now the 2025 World Women’s Curling Championships.
It’s unclear where the plaque commemorating Fleury’s role in two world championships will be placed, though she said it’ll likely end up at the Curl Sudbury rinks in Minnow Lake.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.