(by Dave Stewart)
BJ Gagnon is the head ice technician for the Scotties
He’s known fondly in curling circles as ‘The Ice Maker’.
There’s a lot of pressure on the shoulders of B.J. Gagnon of Abbotsford, B.C. and he’s been studying is iPhone intently the past few days at the Charlottetown Civic Centre to make sure he gets it right.
Gagnon is one of Canada’s renowned ice technicians, one of five the Canadian Curling Association (CCA) relies heavily on for its big events.
He’s in charge of the ice for the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, which gets underway Saturday. Gagnon was also running the ice show when the Scotties made its last appearance in Charlottetown in 1999.
Gagnon says things have changed since then. Now he uses his iPhone to monitor ice conditions.
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Guardian photo by Dave Stewart
Photo: B.J. Gagnon is the head icemaker for the 2011 Scotties Tournament of Hearts.