North Bay Home to Curling Championship This Week

Nugget Column #20 – Tuesday February 9th, 2016

It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for.

The 2016 Traveler’s Northern Ontario Men’s Curling Championships begins tomorrow at 2:00pm with a highly anticipated first draw featuring the reigning Olympic gold medalists, Team Brad Jacobs, versus the newly crowned Canadian Junior silver medalists, Team Tanner Horgan.

It will be standing room on Wednesday night with Opening Ceremonies going at 7:00pm and draw 2 following at 8:00pm. You can expect half the town of Mattawa to be in attendance with the home crowd favourites, Team Gelinas from the Voyageur Curling Club, taking on Team Jacobs. A limited amount of standing room only tickets can still be purchased for this game by calling 705-472-6740.

Curling fans can still pick up an $80 full event pass if they act quickly or purchase single game tickets for $10-Round Robin, $15-Semi or $20-Final.

For those of you planning on attending, here are the answers to our most frequently asked questions:

Q: How does seating worked? Is it assigned? How early can I arrive before a draw? A: Other than a limited number of VIP seats that were sold out long ago; seating is based on a first come, first serve basis. There are approximately ninety seats in the form of bleacher behind the glass and approximately seventy chairs on the ice. Full Event pass holders have the luxury of entering the club 1 hour and 15 minutes prior to game time (or Opening Ceremonies in the case of Wednesday night) while Single Game ticket holder are permitted access to the club only 45 minutes prior.

Q: Is there seating on the ice? A: Yes. If you plan to occupy a seat on the ice, please dress appropriately for cold temperatures and know that no food or alcoholic beverages will be permitted on the ice. Entry and exit from this area will permitted only between ends.

Q: Who is permitted to attend Opening Ceremonies? A: Only full event ticket, VIP ticket or draw 2 ticket holders are permitted to attend the Opening Ceremonies on Wednesday February 10th at 7:00pm.

Q: Are there still tickets for sale? A: Yes, but a very limited number. We recommend that you call and purchase your tickets ahead of time rather than waiting to see if they are available at the door.

The event committee, volunteers, members and staff of the North Bay Granite Club wish to say thank you in advance for all the support that was received from the community in the form of sponsorship, promotion, ticket purchases and more.

The results: we have far surpassed are budget goals, which in turn will help fund the club’s capital projects.

We know that the teams will feel the warm embrace of North Bay the moment they arrive and that one fortunate team will advance to the 2016 Tim Horton’s Brier in Ottawa with an entire new fan base.

We also know that there will be times where not every spectator will have an ideal view, a comfortable seat, or a seat at all. We thank you for your cooperation and graciousness as we focus on providing the best possible playing conditions to the athletes so that we may crown the most deserving Team Northern Ontario.

More information at: nbgraniteclub.com/travelers

Bobby Ray General Manager North Bay Granite Club