Volunteers going above and beyond at the 2022 Canadian Mixed Curling Championship

Photo by Nathan Reiter. Prince Albert Gold and Curling Club member and volunteer Pat Bibby throws the ceremonial first rock at the 2022 Canadian Mixed Curling Championships

There is the saying “not all heroes wear capes” and that is proving to be exceptionally true at the 2022 Canadian Mixed Curling Championships at the Prince Albert Golf and Curling Club this week.

More than 100 volunteers are helping run the tournament in various roles such as serving as the official game timers, staffing the bar and providing transportation to the curling club for athletes.

Jeff Fisher, a director on the Host Committee for the 2022 Canadian Mixed Curling Championships says there are many different duties that are taken on by volunteers.

“Everything from getting the facility ready, to setting up the various committees. We have folks selling 50/50 tickets, we have folks doing the timing and helping out the officials, we have folks in charge of finance, a decorations committee, a ceremonies committee, we have folks with transportation if the curlers need it. It’s 100 volunteers all coming out to support the curlers and to make it a good event.”

The field at the 2022 Canadian Mixed Curling Championships features the cream of the crop in curlers from across the country. Multiple curlers in the event have appeared on the national stage with the resume of some curlers featuring multiple appearances in the Tim Horton’s Brier or the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

Fisher says it’s nice to have recognizable names star in the tournament. But the key to success for the off-ice volunteers is to have the good people in place.

“(It’s) having the right people doing the right jobs,” he says. “Putting the right foot forward to showcase our community and what we are able to do. To make our curling experience the best possible for the curlers. That’s why we do it. It’s all for the curlers. It’s nice to see some well-known curlers. Some of the names on TV events that come to our facility and show us that they are curlers, just like the rest of us”

The opening day of the 2022 Curling Mixed Canadian Championships saw huge amounts of snow make travel difficult for both teams competing as well as the volunteers able to make it to the facility.

Denise Henderson oversees scheduling timing volunteers for the 2022 Canadian Mixed Curling Championships. With the snow over the weekend, some volunteers were not able to travel on the roads.

Henderson says that volunteers were willing to stay for an extra draw in order to cover those who were not able to make it. She says it comforting to know she can count on so many volunteers.

“It means so much because it means that I don’t have to step in. I’m prepared to step in at any time. I have that next person on the line or text message or whatever. It’s satisfying and comforting to know I can count on all of them.”

Henderson adds that she is grateful for the character of the volunteers she directs

“I can not thank them enough. They’re all wonderful people. This event I think have three brand new people who have never done it before. We give them little training sessions. They’ve stepped right in. The system is quite easy. One is already doing an extra game. I can not thank them enough for being who they are.”

Scores from Tuesday play at the 2022 Canadian Mixed Curling Championship.

Draw 6:

Northern Ontario 7 Newfoundland and Labrador 2

Ontario 6 Nova Scotia 2

New Brunswick 2 British Columbia 9

Yukon 5 Alberta 10

Draw 7:

British Columbia 3 Quebec 10

Nunavut 1 Saskatchewan 12

Prince Edward Island 5 Northwest Territories 6

Nova Scotia 7 Manitoba 6

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