Three's a crowd at top of standings - ISSUE 7 - FRIDAY, MARCH 9, 2018 - Curling Canada
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
2 Friday, March 9, 2018 Tankard Times curling.ca/2018brier BRIER REGINA 2018 Jacobs eyes return to top Race to the finish heats up By GRANT GRANGER Tankard Times Writer T hey are the 2013 Brier champions and the difference is we’ve been through it as a the 2014 Olympic gold medallists. But team. Every which way you can possibly to that was then and this is now, the 2018 win a Brier and lose Briers. It comes with a Tim Hortons Brier, presented by Mosaic, and sense of calming and you just basically go Brad Jacobs’ Northern Ontario team wants to out and try your best … and let chips fall return to the top of the podium. where they may,” said Fry. They took another step to reaching that Just like against Team Wild Card, goal with a surprisingly easy 8-1 victory Epping got another steal of two in the 10th over 2017 Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings end to finally subdue Jamie Murphy of trials finalist Mike McEwen’s Team Wild Nova Scotia 9-6, which dropped the Halifax Card. The score also mirrors their record, squad to 4-5. 8-1, at top of the Championship Pool “That was two grinding wins out there standings alongside John Epping of Ontario today, and we were lucky we battled back (Toronto) and Team Canada skipped by in both games and hung in there,” said Brad Gushue (St. John’s). Epping, who curls with third Mat Camm, All three have clinched a spot in the second Pat Janssen, lead Tim March and weekend’s final four Page playoffs heading coach Jim Wilson. “That’s what we do best, into Friday’s final two draws of the Cham- we never do anything easy. pionship Pool. The top two will play in the “We’ll be very happy to be in the final 1-2 Page Playoff game while the next two four, but (the 1-2 game) is obviously a huge will qualify for the 3-4 game. bonus. We just need to go out and play Northern Ontario (Sault Ste. Marie) well (Friday). We weren’t at our best today. stayed in the top three by taking out Team Good enough, obviously, we got two Ws, Wild Card (5-4) in just six ends. It was ba- but we need to be better tomorrow.” sically over after the first end when Jacobs Team Canada stayed with the two had an easy takeout to score six. Ontarios by edging Steve Laycock (5-4) of A steal in the second end was the 11th Saskatchewan (Saskatoon) 5-4 in an extra point in four ends McEwen gave up Thurs- end. It sets up a showdown Friday after- day. In the afternoon, Epping scored two noon for Team Canada against Northern in the ninth and then got a steal of two in Ontario. the 10th, when McEwen’s final draw to the “You’ve got to get in the playoffs, four-foot went deep, for an 8-7 win. that’s the first step, but now you’ve got “We knew coming into today we needed to worry about positioning. Hopefully we a good performance to put ourselves in a get in the 1-2 game, that’s the big goal,” position for the playoffs and we did that,” said Gushue. said Fry. “This is a marathon, not a sprint, It was Black Thursday for both teams this event. We’re just trying to take it one from Manitoba. Reid Carruthers (West St. game at a time and hopefully find ourselves Paul) also lost both games. Alberta, skipped in the (Page playoff) 1-2 game.” by Edmonton’s Brendan Bottcher defeated Although this is their fourth consecutive Manitoba (5-4) 8-2 in the evening draw. trip to the Brier, they only have a silver and Bottcher bounced back from an 8-6 loss to bronze to show for the previous three. Saskatchewan in the afternoon to improve Team Saskatchewan’s Matt Dunstone had a leg up on Team Canada in a key “We have a massive desire to win to 7-2. Alberta needs just one win Friday to Thursday night game, but eventually suffered an extra-end loss. another Brier. That’s our sole goal. Now be the fourth team in the Page playoffs.
@CurlingCanada | #BRIER2018 Tankard Times Friday, March 9, 2018 3 Fandemonium We figure the Tim Horto ns Brier is where the chickens come ho me to roost. A Northern Ontario supporter, you think? Open your heart to heritage Regina’s Warehouse District Regina is bursting with ideas and life. A place that can stimulate the senses and imagination. Let us welcome you with sincere and helpful hearts! #SeeYQR | tourismregina.com
Sam’s book 4 Friday, March 9, 2018 Tankard Times curling.ca/2018brier Youth curling benefits from the Richardson curling dynasty, is available for $30, tax By DAVE KOMOSKY deductable, with the proceeds going to the foundation. “It’s a really good book. It’s got a lot of good stories T Tankard Times Editor about Sam,” said Jim Richardson, Sam’s nephew and the son he Richardson Family is curling royalty in of Ernie Richardson, who skipped the family team to four Saskatchewan and there was no more beloved member Canadian and Scotch Cup titles. than Sam Richardson, whose heart was bigger than any The unsold books have been in storage for a number of curling rock he ever threw. years and several of the original investors wanted to abide by Sam, a member of the famous Richardson clan that Sam’s wishes to help youth curling and decided to bring them dominated curling in Canada in the late Fifties and early out for this occasion. Sixties, passed away two years ago, but one of his last gifts to “Sam was a very generous man,” said Richardson. “He the sport was to see youth curling supported. had so many friends. I think everybody was his friend. He’d Sam’s wish has come alive this week at the Tim Hortons take the shirt off his back for anybody. The book details a lot Brier where unsold copies of Sam’s popular 1999 curling of the sport dinner banquets that he would attend. The story book, Say It Again Sam!, written by Regina author Arnie goes he went to 1,300 banquets. Tiefenbach, is available to curling fans, with proceeds going “Sam had a stroke and the thing that went first was his to the Curling Canada Foundation For The Love Of Curling, voice. He was a storyteller. He would have probably wished which supports youth curling programs across Canada. he was in a wheelchair and he couldn’t walk so he could have Jim Richardson with Curling fans can pick up one of the books in Evraz his voice.” a copy of Say Place, just opposite the doors leading into the Brier Patch. Richardson said it would have pleased his uncle so much It Again Sam! The beautiful book, which details life in and beyond to see the book going to a cause close to his heart. BrierBrun
@CurlingCanada | #BRIER2018 Tankard Times Friday, March 9, 2018 5 Scoreboards shed new light on the Brier By DAVE KOMOSKY Tankard Times Editor One of the lasting traditions “We thought we wanted to of Canadian curling has moved spruce up the ice area a little Curling Canada went here and there to provide into the electronic era at the bit . . . make it more modern,” through Supervision in Calgary more information, Season of Champions events. said Gord McNabb, general to develop the boards. It’s the and the numbers were The scoreboards, once manager, event operations. “There same company that provides bumped up to make them manually handled by officials were some comments that our the LED side boards at major easier to read from afar. who would diligently hang up scoreboards didn’t look that good curling events. The switch to electronic a number on the scoreboard, on TV now that we have the LED “We worked with them scoreboards will be cost have gone all LED. The new boards on the side boards.” on their ideas, worked with effective for Curling Canada scoreboards, which were The system of scoring still TSN, our national sponsoring in the coming years. Many introduced at the Home works the same. Players tell group, and then we decided of the scoreboards used Hardware Road to the Roar the officials on the ice who the look we wanted for the in the past ended up in Pre-Trials, have been used at counted and that’s relayed scoreboards,” said McNabb. the landfill and had to be all Curling Canada Season of on to scoreboard operators The scoreboards have replaced. On that count, it’s Champions events, including situated in the penalty box been a work in progress. good for the environment, the Tim Hortons Brier, who then electronically mark They have been tweaked too. McNABB presented by Mosaic. up the score. PROUD Sport is more than a game ... SPONSOR sport skills are life skills. - truesport.ca OF THE 2018 TIM HORTONS BRIER • respect teammates, competitors and of cials both on and off the ice 770 Broad Street, Regina • win with dignity and lose with grace 306.522.6612 bennettdunlopford.com SaskEnergy is proud to support all of the volunteers who help make community events happen. Thanks to all of the volunteers TM who champion community spirit and make Saskatchewan a great place to call home. sasksport.sk.ca
Let’s turn down the volume 6 Friday, March 9, 2018 Tankard Times curling.ca/2018brier “Canadian Grief: Curling and Hockey Losses what’s going on in the rest of the curling world. By PATTI DAWN SWANSSON are ‘Terrible, Terrible, Terrible.’ ” I think the wakeup call is the world is catching C Tankard Times Contributor Quick! Someone get a match! Let’s burn up to us.” down the White House! Again! Correction: The Rest of the World has been anada. Curling colossus turned church “Canada’s Curling Is Crumbling! Or But wait. Even our own national news sheet, there and done that. mouse. Who saw that coming? Something Like That,” screamed a headline in the Globe and Mail, piled on with this headline Canadian women have finished out of the Well, based on the fallout from the the august New York Times. on a Cathal Kelly column: “Inevitably, Canada medals in two of the past three significant global double donut delivered by our Pebble People at In the accompanying article, author will treat our Olympic curlers’ failure as a events—the world tournament in 2016 and last the Olympic Games of Snow and Ice Sports in Scott Cacciola akinned our faceplant “to national crisis.” month’s Olympics. They’ve won just two of the Pyeongchang, no one. the United States men’s and women’s Kelly, who doesn’t know a burned rock from past 10 world championships, while the men I mean, going in, the notion that both the basketball teams failing to win a medal at burnt toast, opined, “Because we are who we have won six of past 10. That’s 8-12 overall. If Kevin Koe and Rachel Homan teams would exit the Summer Olympics.” Cacciola described are, we will find a way to turn an Olympic we’re winning less than half the time, what other South Korea sans some sort of trinket tucked our unprecedented flameout as, well, “an curling disappointment into Curlingpocalypse evidence does anyone need to accept that the in their broom bags was a fool’s bet. No gold? unprecedented flameout.” and a Crisis of Canadian Olympic Faith.” Rest of the World has caught up to us? Possible. No silver? Perhaps. But not even a My initial reaction? Shouldn’t the NYT be So this is what I have to say about all that: Again, no nation is capable of matching bronze medal as a parting gift? Fuggedaboutit, more concerned about assault weapons getting Turn down the volume, please. Canada’s depth. You think Sweden can put eh. into the wrong hands? Or the Trump family’s Seriously. Let’s allow for some sober second together a men’s tournament to match this year’s Palm trees would sprout at Portage and Main dirty little secrets? I mean, c’mon man. It’s thought. The sky is not falling. It’s just a little Tim Hortons Brier field? Japan? Norway? The in Winnipeg—in winter—before that happened. curling. overcast. We are not a collection of Chicken U.S.? The U.K.? Not gonna happen. But the best Well, I doubt Peggers are wearing bikinis, But then I checked out the Washington Post. Littles scurrying about on sheets of pebbled of the rest can match, and beat, our best. Hey, Speedos and lathering on the sunscreen today, Holy hog line, Batman! It was on our case, too. ice. We were the greatest curling nation on stuff happens. but history records that Koe and Homan got “For six glorious hours, the United States the planet prior to Pyeongchang, and we are We just have to accept that and learn to deal the collar in Korea, and the painful reality that owned Canada like a Tim Hortons franchisee,” the greatest curling nation on the planet post- with it. Minus all the scary headlines. the True North went oh-fer in the two premium read a cheeky WaPo headline after Uncle Sam Pyeongchang. tournaments on the Olympic curling calendar had the bad manners to get the best of us in both “I’m not sure you’re going to see massive (Patti Dawn Swansson is a longtime jock did not escape the notice of our friends on the men’s curling and women’s hockey. On the changes in our system,” Curling Canada CEO journalist who believes Canada is better than all south side of the vast Canada-U.S. divide. same dark day. Katherine Henderson told the CBC recently. “I other countries at curling, hockey, poutine and And they were quick to go “na, na, na, na, na.” Then there was the Wall Street Journal: think what you might see is a conversation about drinking beer.) Always Accommodating. stayinregina.com SPONSORED SPONSORED EVENT EVENT
@CurlingCanada | #BRIER2018 Tankard Times Friday, March 9, 2018 7 MY ST. JOHN’S, 2017 — My favourite Brier? To be honest, those on the TSN crew often kid me for my memory, or lack of it. But I will never reach for the memory handle of the 2017 Tim Hortons Brier. Just days after the Oscars were handed out in Hollywood, Brad Gushue’s win would have taken home every statue. The dream come true of playing at home and winning at home. To see a win, not just personal, but for a city and province and celebrated as only Newfoundlanders FAVOURITE can. They had such a time. And so did I and all of us with TSN. It was a memory to last a lifetime. — Vic Rauter, voice of curling on TSN ST. JOHN’S, 2017 — I’ve been to 23 Briers all over Canada, but St. John’s was the best for one big reason: Newfoundlanders know how to have a good time. I stayed in a bed and breakfast and had a 15-minute walk to the rink. In your BRIER own hometown the only people who will say ‘hi’ to you on the street are the people who know you. Out there everybody will talk to you on the street. ‘Hey, boy, you here for the Brier? Have a good time.’ I travel alone and don’t want to wreck a good holiday by taking somebody with me, but when I told friends that have been to St. John’s that I was going there for the Brier, they said you will have a ball. And I certainly did. It was a really, really fun Brier. — Brier super fan, Robbin Edgar from Innisfail, Alberta The Tankard Times asked HAMILTON, 1991 — They say you never forget your first time. That is espe- various curlers, fans, media members cially true for the first Brier I covered at Hamilton’s Copps Coliseum, which features an international-sized ice surface. The wider surface accommodated and Curling Canada officials who five sheets of ice, compared to the four traditionally installed in arena set- tings for championship curling. Hamilton was the only Brier I’ve covered with have been to multiple Briers to choose five sheets instead of four. The fifth sheet meant there weren’t any morning draws, leaving just two draws to cover during the round-robin. The schedule their favourite. This is what they had to fit my preference for late nights and an opportunity to recover without having to cover the morning draws. say, in the second of a series: — Murray McCormick, Regina Leader-Post NOW FAST LIVES HERE. Stream, search, and game faster than ever. Plus, with maxTV, you can record 4 shows at once. Go faster with Saskatchewan’s fastest Internet * at sasktel.com/infinet. *Conditions apply. See sasktel.com for details.
10 Friday, March 9, 2018 Tankard Times curling.ca/2018brier Spotlight on: Manitoba WEST ST. PAUL CURLING CLUB, WINNIPEG Q&A reid SKIP What is the one thing you wish you could do if given the carruthers chance? Curl in the Olympics. AGE: 33 FAMILY: Wife, Jodi; dog Who’s your hero? Ben Hebert. BIRTHDATE: Dec. 30, Jake, 4 years old What’s playing on your iPod right now? Breaking Benja- 1984 OCCUPATION: Substitute min. BIRTHPLACE: Winnipeg teacher; Director, Carruthers If you could see one concert, what would it be? Incubus. RESIDENCE: Winnipeg Summer Curling Camp What’s your biggest pet peeve? Arriving late! (she is incredibly annoying). What’s your fast-food guilty pleasure? A&W Teen Burger and onion rings. If we’re buying, you’re having . . . ? Rye and coke. What’s your favourite vacation destination? Mexico. Beer or wine? Both. If you could meet anyone, who would that be? Justin Tim- If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you berlake. go and why? Back to Europe. Switzerland was an amazing des- What is your definition of an incredible weekend? Spend- tination. Would love to do more travelling around the continent! ing it at the lake with family! What is one of the things you would put on your “bucket” Are you a cat/dog person? Dog x100. list? Drive a race car. What is your favourite breakfast meal? Bacon, two eggs, What is your dream car? Audi R8. hashbrowns, toast and coffee. Favourite accent? Swedish. Describe your life in one word: Adventure. Do you have a special talent? Singing in the shower. What is your favourite TV show? Gold Rush or Big Brother. What was the happiest moment in your life? My wedding What celebrity annoys you the most? Melissa McCarthy day. When you are in extra ends on the farm you need a teammate that will help to sweep you to the button. Markusson New Holland 26 G P R E P K markusson.com Markusson New Holland, Proud to be a part of your winning team.
@CurlingCanada | #BRIER2018 Tankard Times Friday, March 9, 2018 11 THIRD SECOND LEAD COACH braeden derek colin dan moskowy samagalski hodgson carey AGE: 27 AGE: 33 AGE: 27 ALTERNATE Essentials BIRTHDATE: June 8, 1980 Essentials BIRTHDATE: Sept. 9, 1984 Essentials BIRTHDATE: Aug. 14, 1990 none BORN: Regina BORN: Winnipeg BORN: Edmonton LIVES: Regina LIVES: Brandon LIVES: Winnipeg FAMILY: Single FAMILY: Fiancée Selena Creasy FAMILY: Single YEARS CURLED: 14 YEARS CURLED: 26 YEARS CURLED: 24 OCCUPATION: Mortgage Broker, The OCCUPATION: Curler OCCUPATION: Director of Operations/ Mortgage Group Owner, Dynasty Curling Del ta Hote l s b y Ma r r i ot t R eg i na 1919 Sask at c hew a n D ri ve 1 -80 0- 20 9-3 55 5 marri ot t .c om / yq rd r Proud Sponsor of the 2018 Tim Hortons Brier FORWARD, TOGETHER For over 20 years, Charter has been helping our customers success by providing increased network security simplified operations and improved collaboration. Ask us how we can help chart your course to success. Victoria Vancouver Calgary Edmonton Regina Toronto www.charter.ca
12 Friday, March 9, 2018 Tankard Times curling.ca/2018brier Spotlight on: O n t a r i o LEASIDE CURLING CLUB, TORONTO Q&A john SKIP What would you do if you won the lottery? Sponsor our epping curling team. AGE: 34 Shipton Got a phobia you want to share? Snakes. BIRTHPLACE: YEARS CURLED: 27 Who’s your hero? Roger Federer. Peterborough, Ont. OCCUPATION: What’s your biggest pet peeve? Exiting a plane out of turn. RESIDENCE: Toronto Sales consultant, Epping What’s your fast-food guilty pleasure? McDonald’s. FAMILY: Husband Tom Consulting What’s your favourite vacation destination? Anywhere If we’re buying, you’re having . . . ? Lobster. warm. What is your definition of an incredible weekend? Sitting What is the worst job you could have? Desk job...attention on the dock at the cottage. span couldn’t handle it. What are the five things you cannot do without? Wine, What is one of the things you would put on your “bucket” chips, curling, family, friends. list? Win the Brier! What is your favourite day of the week? Thursday ... leave Favourite musician(s)/bands you’ve seen in concert? for the cottage Eagles and Adele. Any tattoos? Of what? No. Strength training or cardio? Strength...don’t have the atten- Are you a cat/dog person? Dog. tion span for cardio. Who or what inspires you? My grandmother. Favourite accent? Aussie. What is the first thing you do when you get up in the Who was your first crush? Helen Hunt morning? Turn the coffeemaker on. What was the happiest moment in your life? Getting married. – WE CARE – CONCEPT | DESIGN | PRINT 300 Dewdney Avenue Regina, SK S4N 0E8 Bus: 306.525.8796 Toll Free: 1.877.475.4846 Fax: 306.565.2525 Crescent Point Energy is proud to sponsor the crescentpointenergy.com www.westernlitho.ca 2018 Tim Hortons Brier. Photo: s.yume. Used under CC BY 2.0
@CurlingCanada | #BRIER2018 Tankard Times Friday, March 9, 2018 13 THIRD SECOND SECOND COACH matthew patrick tim jim camm janssen march wilson AGE: 27 AGE: 30 AGE: 30 ALTERNATE Essentials BIRTHDATE: May 12, 1987 Essentials BIRTHDATE: March 29, 1990 Essentials BIRTHDATE: April 28, 1987 BORN: Scarborough, Ont. none BORN: Ottawa BORN: Toronto LIVES: Cornwall, Ont. LIVES: Courtice, Ont. LIVES: Toronto FAMILY: Wife Jennifer FAMILY: Wife Grandy FAMILY: Fiancée Kim Tune YEARS CURLED: 22 YEARS CURLED: 21 YEARS CURLED: 25 OCCUPATION: Owner, Camm & Jones OCCUPATION: Industrial Engineer, OCCUPATION: Staff Accountant & Residential Improvements Syncreon Canada CPA, Cathy L. Tune, CA PROUD TO SPONSOR THE 2018 TIM HORTONS BRIER SILENT AUCTION Running all day TODAY! 11 am to 11 pm Su pp or t th e Beside the Brier Patch – International Trade Centre Sp or t YO U Lo ve ! Come bid on amazing prizes generously donated to support youth curling programs across Canada. Amazing things happen when children participate in sport.
14 Friday, March 9, 2018 Tankard Times curling.ca/2018brier BRIER SCOREBOARD LINESCORES Championship Pool Draw 16 2 p.m. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Total Sask. (Laycock) *2 0 1 0 2 0 0 3 0 0 — 8 Alberta (Bottcher) 0 2 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 1 — 6 Canada (Gushue) *0 2 0 3 0 0 0 2 x x — 7 STANDINGS Manitoba (Carruthers) 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 x x — 2 N. Ontario (Jacobs) *1 0 1 2 0 0 1 1 0 x — 6 Nova Scotia (Murphy) 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 x — 4 Team Wild Card will need a hope and a CHAMPIONSHIP POOL Wild Card (McEwen) Ontario (Epping) *2 0 0 2 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 1 0 2 2 — 7 — 8 prayer to make the Page Playoffs. Draw 2 SCHEDULE W L 7 p.m. N. Ontario (Jacobs) 8 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Total Ontario (Epping) 8 1 Nova Scotia (Murphy) 1 2 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 — 6 Ontario (Epping) *0 0 2 0 2 0 1 0 2 1 — 8 TODAY Canada (Gushue) 8 1 9 a.m. Draw Alberta (Bottcher) 7 2 N. Ontario (Jacobs) Wild Card (McEwen) *6 1 0 0 1 0 x x x x 0 0 0 1 0 0 x x x x — 8 — 1 Seeding Pool Manitoba (Carruthers) 5 4 Alberta (Bottcher) 0 0 1 0 0 4 2 1 x x — 8 A — YT vs. NU; B — NT vs QC; C — NB vs. BC; D — PE vs. NL 2 p.m. Draw Wild Card (McEwen) 5 4 Manitoba (Carruthers) *0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 x x — 2 A — CA vs. NO; B — ON vs. AB; C — WC vs. SK; D — MB vs. NS Saskatchewan (Laycock) 5 4 Sask. (Laycock) *0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 — 4 7 p.m. Draw Canada (Gushue) 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 1 — 5 Nova Scotia (Murphy) 4 5 * — Last rock A — MB vs. WC; B — NS vs. SK; C — ON vs. CA; D — AB vs. NO PROUD SPONSOR OF THE 2018 TIM HORTONS BRIER. The Road To Energy Savings Starts Here Toll-Free: 877.466.9863 varaxis.ca CIMCO Refrigeration welcomes all participants and fans to the 2018 Tim Hortons Brier SPORTS NEWS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS. leaderpost.com www.cimcorefrigeration.com
@CurlingCanada | #BRIER2018 Tankard Times Friday, March 9, 2018 15 Two volunteers saluted Two men from Quebec who have worked tirelessly on behalf of the sport of curling ® have won prestigious Curling Canada awards. Mike Carson of Vaudreuil-Dorion has won the Ray Kingsmith Award, and Roger Smith With its roots firmly grounded in its of La Peche has won the Curling Canada Volunteer of the Year Award. operations at Grimsby, Ontario, “We saw our Canadian curlers represent Canada, Forty Creek has grown to us with class and professionalism on the world stage this month in Pyeongchang, become one of the most awarded and one thing they all had in common was Canadian whiskies in history. Forty that they got their start in one of Canada’s Creek is the result of the meticulous curling centres with help from volunteers,” said Curling Canada Board of Governors blending of rye, barley, and corn member Scott Comfort, who chairs the whiskies that are carefully aged in Awards and Hall of Fame Committee. “Making announcements like these, where American bourbon and Canadian we get to tell the stories of volunteers, oak barrels. Maintaining a truly is one of the highlights of a curling proprietary process that has been season for our organization, and couldn’t be happier to recognize the efforts of Mike and tweaked and perfected over the Roger.” years, Forty Creek continues to be Here’s a closer look at each of the award winners: lauded the world over for its artful Mike Carson, Ray Kingsmith Award blending process – a distinction The Ray Kingsmith Award is named that only the most superior after the man who played a leading role in bringing curling to the Winter Olympic Mike Carson Roger Smith whiskies carry. family, and was a tireless volunteer in members originally, has been around since administration and management roles in 2005 but has never had its own facility. It the sport of curling. The award honours started in a hockey arena, and then moved individuals who best demonstrate a similar into an Ottawa curling rink in 2014. commitment and dedication to our sport The dream of having a facility to call that made Ray Kingsmith the consummate its own for Curling des Collines came sport executive. true in February 2016 when the Quebec Carson’s work in the sport of curling has government announced it was granting $1.7 seen him involved at the club, community, million toward the construction of a new provincial, national and international levels four-sheet curling centre. — all with the attitude of giving back to a everyone It was Smith who drafted the grant sport for which he has a passion. applications and business plan that A member of the Governor General’s convinced the provincial government to Curling Club, Carson has served in various wins! grant the funds. Smith twisted arms to the capacities with curling clubs, and also was an tune of more than $400,000 in a fundraising instrumental figure on the provincial scene, campaign and was the point-man in helping organize numerous championships. talks with financial institutions to secure He was an early advocate of the Page additional financing. playoff system, and had it in use at Quebec championships as early as 1983. Not long after that, he was assigned the task of heading the organizing committee for the 1988 Brier in Chicoutimi — an event that provided popular with fans and curlers a lottery ticke t, when you buy an lotteries alike for the warm hospitality of the region, you help sa skat ch ew lture, and the host committee. ,000 sport, cu FRIEND OF THE 2018 TIM HORTONS BRIER fund over 12 ity gr oups. Roger Smith, Curling Canada d co mm un recreation an er fo r pe ople e bett Volunteer of the Year That makes lif at ch ewan , and that’s sk The Curling Canada Volunteer of the across sa cheer about! something to Year Award is based on the nominee’s contributions from the previous curling season, in any number of areas. Getting a new curling centre built is not an easy task, but it’s one Smith attacked with fervor as he saw the need for a facility es .c a in Chelsea, Que. w w w .s as kl ot te ri Curling des Collines, a club with some 90
16 Friday, March 9, 2018 Tankard Times curling.ca/2018brier Tim Hortons Brier icemakers Greg Ewasko (left) and Jamie Bourassa like to spend some of their time up in their ‘balcony’, much like a couple of famous curmudgeons.
You can also read