Seniors curling tourney still a go in Sault Ste. Marie
The 2021 Canadian Senior Curling Championships in Sault Ste. Marie is still a go. However, in the face of a rapidly climbing COVID-19 case count, some events connected with the curling tournament have been cancelled.
Curlers from across Canada are set to descend on the Community First Curling Centre in Sault Ste. Marie this weekend. However, event chair Al Harnden said that under the direction of Algoma Public Health, the event has been pared down.
"Our opening social was to be held at the Bushplane (Heritage Centre) and our closing victory banquet was to be held at the Delta (Hotel), and both of those events have been cancelled, sadly," said Harnden.
"But, on the other side of this, we'll just focus on what we're really here for - and that's a great curling event."
He said the venue will be at 50 per cent capacity and staff will be ensuring public health restrictions are followed.
"Families can sit together, single people will be by themselves somewhere else, chairs are apart, tables are six feet apart," Harnden said.
"Bleachers, we have areas where we can have people can sit and other areas where they can't."
Tom McLean, president of the Soo Curlers Association, said every effort will be made to ensure a safe environment for curlers and spectators.
"We've brought in lots of extra sanitizing equipment, we've brought in some extra staff to make sure our high-touch surfaces are cleaned regularly," said McLean.
"(There will be) two stations to make sure that for contact tracing, we know who's coming in and out of the building."
Despite the cancelling of some activities, Harnden said he still anticipates a great curling event.
"We're just looking forward to having some of the world's best senior curlers in our city," he said. "We're going to run the best event possible. We're determined to do that."
Spectators will be required to show proof of vaccination and provide contact information for tracing purposes. The first draw of the 2021 Senior Curling Championship goes Monday morning.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.