Due to a conflict with the curling portion of the 55+ Games, the dates for the Provincial Stick Curling Championship at the Cornwall Curling Club have been advanced from early March to February 16-18. Entry deadline is Jan. 26, and entry fee is $60 per two-player team. This will be the third year for this event, which was won the first two years by the Cornwall duo of Ernie Stavert and Sterling Stratton.

In stick curling there are two curlers per team, who deliver their rocks with delivery sticks, with each team member delivering from opposite ends. Sweeping is allowed only from the hog line to the back of the house at the playing end. Two curlers, one from each team, alternately deliver 6 stones each per end, while their teammate skips that end.  The roles are then reversed, and the partners deliver the stones back. All games are six ends.

Stick curlers are excited about a new rule this year which extends the free guard zone from the hogline to the backline of the house. This means that no stone may be removed from play until the fourth stone of each end. Bob Leard is a stick curler and delivery stick manufacturer from Montague who has played under the new rule, and says that it makes for a much more exciting game, as there are always rocks in the house.

 For more information on stick curling, including complete rules of play, visit www.stickcurling.ca.