COVID slamming the hammer down

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This article was published 27/11/2020 (2054 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Red has the hammer in Manitoba and other parts of Canada, making it nearly impossible for curling authorities to etch in granite their plans for the rest of the 2020-21 competitive season.

Here at home, we’re under code-red (or critical) restrictions in the province’s COVID-19 pandemic response system, shuttering all non-essential businesses as well as bars, dine-in restaurants and recreational facilities such as curling clubs.

No one’s doing much of anything right now, and that includes tossing rocks down a 45-metre sheet of ice.

Actually, nothing could be further from the truth. Thousands on the front line of provincial health care are doing everything in their power — in the midst of the most important assignment of their careers — to keep us safe, working tirelessly to care for our loved ones at considerable risk to themselves.

Doctors and nurses are experiencing occupational burnout and fatigue from the increased stress caused by the pandemic. Still, Manitobans keep getting sick, keep dying, and most experts say the horrifying trend will continue well into the new year until a vaccination is widely available.

On the surface, it seems highly improper to spend any time contemplating whether or not the men’s and women’s provincials championships will be staged in the new year. In these uncertain times, there are more important things occurring than gauging the likelihood of the national Brier, Scotties and a few other high-profile events going ahead in a “bubble,” quite possibly in the hub city of Calgary with a pile of TV coverage.

Jason Gunnlaugson has a stake in the future of the season. His Morris-based quartet captured its first Viterra Manitoba men’s title earlier this year and donned the buffalo at the Brier in Kingston, Ont., the first week of March.

A perk of the title is a spot at the 2021 provincial championship in Selkirk, scheduled for Feb. 2-7.

But if things stay red here and in other regions of the country, there’s a distinct possibility Manitoba and other Curling Canada member associations might have to scrap their championships and either return the 2020 representatives or appoint others to compete at a combined Brier and Scotties.

Gunnlaugson says he hasn’t considered such a scenario and doesn’t regard the season outlook as a priority.

“We don’t even know if that’s gonna be safe and possible,” he said Friday. “I’m not sure that’s where our thinking should be right now in the middle of a pandemic, a pandemic with people dying every day.

“It doesn’t look super likely that we’re going to be able to lift restrictions all that soon.”

“We don’t even know if that’s gonna be safe and possible. I’m not sure that’s where our thinking should be right now in the middle of a pandemic, a pandemic with people dying every day.”
– Jason Gunnlaugson on the outlook for the upcoming curling season

Even if the province moves out of the red zone, staging a Viterra with either the traditional 32 teams or a substantially reduced field might not be prudent, said the reigning champion.

“I don’t know. I look at the normal flu pattern and see us following that pretty closely right now. It’s colder and (the cases) go up. This is obviously far worse than the flu but it’s following a similar chart as when the cases rise. That’s probably going to be through until March or April, so it’s gonna be tough to do much of anything.

“Everything is fluid right now, curling and everything else. We’re in a wait-and-see standpoint. It seems like it’s going to be really hard to make it safe enough.”

Curl Manitoba had no choice but to postpone all November and December competitions, which include berth bonspiels and all regional qualifiers for entry into the men’s and women’s provincials.

“Everything is fluid right now, curling and everything else. We’re in a wait-and-see standpoint. It seems like it’s going to be really hard to make it safe enough.”
– Jason Gunnlaugson

Sean Grassie has played in 11 provincial men’s championships, losing the 2013 final to Jeff Stoughton. The author of several sports books, including one on the history of the annual mega-bonspiel, Kings of the Rings — 125 Years of the World’s Biggest Bonspiel, said with reluctance he doesn’t see the Viterra going ahead.

“I would say not. I think we would need to know by early January to get these playdowns going, so that looks unlikely that would happen,” he said.

The women’s qualifiers would need to be finalized just weeks into the new year, as the Scotties championship is slated for Jan. 19-24 at the East St. Paul club.

Curl Manitoba executive director Craig Baker said if the crisis lessens and health officials move the province out of code red, he remains hopeful the high-profile championships can be held.

“We know that our return-to-play guidelines allow for the sport to operate in “orange.” We’re constantly in contact with our host committees. A drop-dead deadline has never been discussed,” said Baker. “The longer we can put things off, the more of a chance we have to host competitions.”

“We have multiple contingencies we’re developing and we’ll be as transparent as we can, and we’ll probably send that out to competitors and the media next week, so that’s what our hope is and what we aspire to.”
– Curl Manitoba executive director Craig Baker

The association does have the right to declare who moves on to nationals, he said.

Mike McEwen joined the Brier field as Team Wild-Card last winter, while Kerri Einarson and Jennifer Jones (Wild-Card) were in Moose Jaw, Sask., in mid-February for the Scotties. Einarson’s Gimli squad won their first national crown and will defend as Team Canada.

“We have multiple contingencies we’re developing and we’ll be as transparent as we can, and we’ll probably send that out to competitors and the media next week, so that’s what our hope is and what we aspire to,” Baker said.

“The most important is the health and safety of all.”

Curling Canada will soon shed light on its plans for a potential “bubble” — without fans, at WinSport Arena at Calgary Olympic Park in late February — that could include the two main Canadian championships, the mixed doubles nationals and world men’s championship, plus at least one Grand Slam event.

• • •

The historic Manitoba Open, formerly the MCA Bonspiel, has been removed from the schedule for the time being. The 133rd edition of the event had been scheduled for Jan. 14-18 at curling clubs in and around the city.

“It’s a tough decision but it’s a logical decision,” said Baker. “We’ve all gotten used to different words the last eight months and the one we’re using here is postponed. Curling has great history to it in Manitoba and this bonspiel, to our knowledge, has never been cancelled. It’s run through world wars, it’s run through the Spanish flu, there’s always been a winner.

“If sports can return, we will look at a safe way to try to do something, for multiple reasons. It’s a huge thing for curling clubs.”

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPJasonBell