(Dave Stewart) The Canadian Curling Association (CCA) has named Charlottetown’s Kay Atkinson as the chief umpire for the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Feb. 19-27.
Kay Atkinson
The role used to be referred to as head official until the CCA made the change for the current curling season.
Atkinson is obviously held in high esteem by the CCA considering that it is rare, indeed, for a local person to be selected to supervise all officials, especially in a small market such as P.E.I.
Atkinson said she received a call from Danny Lamoureaux of the CCA last July asking her if she’d be interested in being the top official for the Canadian women’s curling championship.
“I was very surprised,’’ Atkinson said. “It was a real shocker.’’
The Charlottetown Curling Club member has officiated at curling tournaments before — the senior nationals, two Briers, a few national juniors and the Olympic trials in Halifax —and thought she might be asked to serve at the Scotties as a game umpire, formerly called a supervising official.