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
'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.
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.
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.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Centre Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs hasn't been ruled out of tonight's Game 7 against the Boston Bruins.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.