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How Canadian Are You? Ontario 150 Bonspiel Coming Up!
Nugget Column #06 – Tuesday November 7th, 2017
Unless you’ve been hiding under a curling rock the last ten months, you would know that this year marks the 150th anniversary of Canadian confederation, and along with it, Ontario’s 150th birthday!
So, what have you done to celebrate this monumental occasion? With 2017 coming to an end there aren’t many options remaining, but fortunately for you there is the best one.
The North Bay Granite Club is accepting registrations for the Great Ontario Bonspiel taking place Saturday November 18th beginning at noon. Sign up as an individual or enroll a team of friends or co-workers; cost is only $25/person and includes: three 4-end curling games, pizza, poutine bar, and various side activities. Be sure to suit up in your most patriotic attire for a chance to win the prize for best dressed.
No experience necessary, just knack for good times. More information or online registration is available at northbaycurling.com/ontario150.
North Bay’s Kate Sherry Dedicated to Curling Goals
The Granite Club’s Kate Sherry finished on a high note last season standing atop the podium at the inaugural U18 Canadian Curling Championship with her Sudbury-based teammates.
This season, Sherry and her skip Kira Brunton made the decision to team up with half of the reigning Northern Ontario U21 and Canadian USport champions (also of Sudbury) to make a run at a Canadian Juniors title.
So far they have competed in the Ontario Junior Curling Tour’s Brampton Junior Cashpiel where they finished with a perfect 6-0 record; the Ottawa Valley Curling Association’s prestigious Junior Superspiel where they claimed a silver medal; and the Kitchener-Waterloo Home Hardware Junior Classic where they won their pool before being eliminated in playoffs.
The playdown journey for this ambitious team begins at the end of November where they hope to qualify from regionals to the Northern Ontario Curling Association’s provincial championship December 26th – 31st in Fort Frances. Should they achieve their goal they will travel next to Shawinigan, Quebec for nationals, and who knows – maybe even Scotland for the World Juniors Curling Championship; they are certainly a capable bunch.
Youth Challenge Coming to North Bay
In less than a month, the region’s hardest working youth curlers (age 10-18) will converge on North Bay to compete, learn, and socialize with other future stars of the game.
It will be one of nine stops on a tour of events coordinated by the Northern Ontario Curling Association and championed locally by veteran organizer John Burns and his committee.
The December 2nd – 3rd event will accommodate developing youth curlers in a separate division from those teams preparing for competition in the playdown system. This event is also ideal for area high school teams looking to make a run at the NDA banner in the new year.
The club also looks forward to playing host tp the Senior Men’s East Qualifier on December 15th – 17th, and an Ontario Winter Games U21 Mixed Doubles qualifier from January 25th – 28th.
Bobby Ray General Manager North Bay Granite Club