Love of the game keeps senior curlers playing
Flight delays added to the chaos at Community First Curling Centre in Sault Ste. Marie as teams taking part in the Canadian Seniors Curling Championship waited for equipment to arrive.
But, once flights arrived, the teams took to the ice to throw some rocks ahead of the competition which begins Monday, Dec. 6.
Many of those competing in the seniors tournament have been curling for decades, some since they were children. Team Saskatchewan's Sherry Anderson has been curling for nearly 50 years.
"It's just a great social sport and it's good competition and it's a good thing to do when you're in 40-below weather," she says. "It gets you out of the house in the wintertime to go and play a sport. So, that's why I enjoy it."
Olympic medalist Cheryl Bernard brought her squad in from Alberta. Despite retiring from the sport, she's found her way back.
"It's hard to walk away," says Bernard. ""It truly is the people. It's a great community across this country. You know, you come to Sault Ste. Marie and I can phone Brad Jacobs and chat with him, or EJ or Ryan and that's a neat part about our game."
Both Anderson and Bernard say getting involved in the sport is as easy as making a call to your local curling club. They say there's plenty of reasons to give the sport a try.
"The beer is always cold, the red wine is just a nice temperature in the lounge, it's really, like I said, a very social sport and it's great for our winters in Canada here to get out and do something," says Anderson.
"The number one comment I get is how hard it is compared to what it looks like," says Bernard. "I've always said you're watching professionals, and so it's going to take a while to get to that level. But I think it's very easy to get a hold of a club and ask for a learn-to-curl, and then you can you can kind of go in some of their open leagues and try the game from there."
Opening ceremonies for the 2021 Canadian Seniors Curling are set for Monday evening (Dec. 6) with the finals set for the following Saturday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trudeau acknowledges charges in Nijjar killing, calls for commitment to democracy
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has acknowledged the charges laid Friday in relation to the murder of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Princess Anne lays wreath at B.C. veteran's cemetery; receives 21-gun salute
Princess Anne paid tribute to veterans buried at a cemetery in British Columbia today, laying a wreath to honour the more than 2,500 military personnel and family members buried there.
Mystik Dan wins the 150th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in a three-horse photo finish
Mystik Dan won the 150th Kentucky Derby in a photo finish, edging out Forever Young and Sierra Leone for the upset victory.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.