Canadian mixed curling championship takes over Fort Rouge Curling Club

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This article was published 09/11/2018 (2883 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Fort Rouge Curling Club is marking a special anniversary and hosting curling teams from across the country this week.

The Canadian mixed curling championship happens at Fort Rouge CC (750 Daly St S.) from Nov. 4 to 10.

Keith Johnston, president of the club, said it approached Curling Canada in June 2017 to host a national championship event. The intent was to celebrate the club’s 100th anniversary in 2018.

“It helps put the club on the national stage. The curling club has a great reputation in the curling world; Mike McEwen played out of our club for many years,” Johnston said. “We’ve hosted many provincial level events over the years so it was just our way of celebrating 100 years.”

The 12-member volunteer host committee was bolstered by about 100 volunteers from the club and community during the event. Johnston estimates attendance at about 100 spectators per draw.

“We’re very fortunate to have a great membership at our club,” he said. “We don’t take that for granted and we appreciate that we have to constantly improve as a club and as a board and looking for ways to attract and maintain membership.”

Fourteen teams from the 10 provinces and three territories, plus Northern Ontario, competed in the event.

Manitoba was represented by skip Colin Kurz, third Megan Walter, second Brendan Bilawka, and lead Sara Oliver from Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club, and had progressed to the championship pool with a 4-2 record after the round robin.

The winning team will represent Canada at the 2019 world championships.