M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors start Sunday in Salmon Arm, BC
January 28, 2009 (CCA)…The M&M Meat Shops Canadian junior men’s and women’s curling championships, presented by AMJ Campbell Van Lines, get underway Sunday, February 1 in Salmon Arm, British Columbia.
Thirteen men’s and 13 women’s teams (representing the 10 provinces plus Northern Ontario, Northwest Territories and Yukon) are set to compete. Round robin games will be played at both the Salmon Arm Curling Club and Sunwave Centre. At the conclusion of the round robin, the first place teams advance to their respective finals, while the second and third place finishers meet in semi-finals on Saturday.
Both the women’s and men’s finals of the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors will be played on Sunday, February 8 at the Sunwave Centre and will be televised live across Canada on TSN. The women’s final takes place at 11:30 am PT/ 3:30 pm AT while the men’s final begins at 4:00 pm PT/9:00 pm AT.
The winners will then represent Canada at the 2009 world junior curling championships, March 5-15 in Vancouver. Canada has won a leading 16 world junior men’s titles since 1975 and eight women’s crowns since 1988.
The women’s roster includes defending champion skip Kaitlyn Lawes of Winnipeg, Manitoba, who won the Canadian title in Sault Ste. Marie last year and went on to earn a bronze medal at the world juniors in Östersund, Sweden and 2007 Canada Winter Games gold medallist Rachel Homan of Ottawa, Ontario, who has also enjoyed success on the women’s tour and is currently 10th on the CTRS (Canadian Team Ranking System) standings. Richmond’s Kelly Shimizu will wear the host province’s colours.
On the men’s side, Prince Edward Island’s Brett Gallant of Charlottetown, the Canadian junior runner-up in 2007 and third place finisher last year, is the likely favourite, while British Columbia is represented by Bryan Kedziora of Maple Ridge. Last year, Quebec’s William Dion claimed Canadian honours, and also went on to claim a bronze medal at the world juniors.
This marks the fourth year of title sponsorship by M&M Meat Shops, Canada’s leading retail chain of specialty frozen foods. The company recently announced a further three-year extension as title sponsor through 2012.
The Canadian junior men’s championship began in 1950 in Quebec City. Alberta has won a leading 15 times while British Columbia has four wins, the last by skip Brad Kuhn in 2000.
The Canadian junior women’s championship was first played in Vancouver in 1971. Saskatchewan leads all provinces with 10 titles while British Columbia has three victories, the last in 1987 by skip Julie Sutton (Skinner). The Canadian junior championships were conducted as separate events until being combined in 1987 in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.
Since then, British Columbia has hosted four Canadian Juniors…1988 in North Vancouver, 1992 in Vernon, 1999 in Kelowna and 2004 in Victoria.
Tickets can be purchased by phoning (250) 832-4044. Full Event passes are on sale for $100. Day passes, at $15.00, are also available, while Finals tickets cost $15.00 (adult) or $10.00 (student).
Draw results will be instantly available at www.curling.ca or seasonofchampions.ca.
Event Details:
2009 M&M Meat Shops Canadian Junior Men’s Curling Championship
February 1-8, Sunwave Centre and Salmon Arm Curling Club
Salmon Arm, British Columbia
TEAMS (listed in order of skip, third, second, lead and coach)
Alberta – Calgary Winter Club, Calgary
Kevin Yablonski, Michael Ng, Brad Benini, Derek Clark, Randy Yablonski
British Columbia – Golden Ears Winter Club, Maple Ridge
Bryan Kedziora, Derek Errington, Cal Jackson, Tyler MacKenzie, Bill Tschirhart
Manitoba – Pembina Curling Club, Winnipeg
Sam Good, Taylor McIntyre, Kent Moffitt, David Wiebe, Peter Wiebe
New Brunswick – Fredericton Curling Club, Fredericton
Steve Burgess, Jon Rennie, Robbie Doherty, Kevin Brayshaw, Paul Brayshaw
Newfoundland and Labrador – Re/Max Centre, St. John’s
Kelly Schuh (third rocks), Cory Schuh (fourth rocks), Scott Eaton, Stephen Moss, Eugene Trickett
Northern Ontario – Fort William Curling Club, Thunder Bay
Dylan Johnston, Cody Johnston, Michael Makela, Mike Badiuk, Ray Skillen
Northwest Territories – Yellowknife Curling Club, Yellowknife
Colin Miller, Robert Heimbach, John Murray, David Aho, Maureen Miller
Nova Scotia – Highlander Curling Club, St. Andrews
Paul Dexter, Robby McLean, Alex MacFadyen, Josh MacInnis, Paul McLean
Ontario – K-W Granite Club, Waterloo
Bowie Abbis-Mills, Scott McGregor, Scott Hindle, Terry Arnold, Jamie Arnold
Prince Edward Island – Charlottetown Curling Club, Charlottetown
Brett Gallant, Adam Casey, Anson Carmody, Jamie Danbrook, Peter Gallant
Quebec – Lachine Curling Club, Lachine
Andrew Leigh, Benoit (Ben) Vezeau, Mathieu (Matt) Westphal, Brad Hamelin,
Anne-Marie Legault-Lapierre
Saskatchewan – Granite Curling Club, Saskatoon
Mike Armstrong, Tyler Lang, Tyson Armstrong, Jordan Raymond, Don Greer
Yukon – Whitehorse Curling Club, Whitehorse
Thomas Scoffin, Will Mahoney, Nicholas Koltun, Mitch Young, Wade Scoffin
2009 M&M Meat Shops Canadian Junior Women’s Curling Championship
February 1-8, Sunwave Centre and Salmon Arm Curling Club
Salmon Arm, British Columbia
TEAMS (listed in order of skip, third, second, lead and coach)
Alberta – Lethbridge Curling Club, Lethbridge
Casey Scheidegger, Kalynn Park, Jessie Scheidegger, Jayme Coutts, Don Scheidegger
British Columbia – Richmond Curling Club, Richmond
Kelly Shimizu, Kayte Gyles, Janelle Sakamoto, Julianna Tsang, Victor Shimizu
Manitoba – Pembina Curling Club, Winnipeg
Kaitlyn Lawes, Jenna Loder, Laryssa Grenkow, Breanne Meakin, Rob Meakin
New Brunswick – Curling Beauséjour, Moncton
Ashley Howard, Jillian Babin, Melissa Menzies, Emily MacRae, Michael Babin
Newfoundland and Labrador – Bally Haly Golf and Curling Club, St. John’s
Erin Porter, Alysha Renouf, Kylie Power, Leah Prosser, Michele Renouf
Northern Ontario – Idylwylde Golf & Country Club, Sudbury
Vanessa Maloney, Kendra Lilly, Jennifer (Jenny) Gates, Kaitlynd Burns, Jan Pula
Northwest Territories – Yellowknife Curling Club, Yellowknife
Katie (Kate) Maksymowich, Valisa Aho, Danae Kelln, Natasha (Natty) Petten, Bill Aho
Nova Scotia – CFB Halifax Curling Club, Halifax
Marie Christianson, Tanya Hilliard, Jane Snyder, Kaitlin Fralic, Danny Christianson
Ontario – Ottawa Curling Club, Ottawa
Rachel Homan, Emma Miskew, Alison Kreviazuk, Lynn Kreviazuk, Earle Morris
Prince Edward Island – Silver Fox Curling & Yacht Club, Summerside
Erin Carmody, Geri-Lynn Ramsay, Jessica van Ouwerkerk, Darcee Birch, Kathie Gallant
Quebec – Lachine Curling Club, Lachine
Kristen Richard, Lana Gosselin, Brittany O’Rourke, Sasha Beauchamp, Glenn Tester
Saskatchewan – Callie Curling Club, Regina
Brooklyn Lemon, Amanda Craigie, Leah Mihalicz, Nicole Lang, Dwayne Mihalicz
Yukon – Whitehorse Curling Club, Whitehorse
Sarah Koltun, Chelsea Duncan, Linea Eby, Jenna Duncan, Lindsay Moldowan