Amber Holland and Team Canada’s homecoming delayed
REGINA — Amber Holland spent the first full day of her reign as the Canadian women’s curling champion talking curling with another champion.
It wasn’t how Holland planned it, but she was stuck in Moncton, N.B., on Monday due to inclement conditions and lack of space on connecting flights from Toronto to Regina. Holland and her Kronau crew of Kim and Tammy Schneider and Heather Kalenchuk, alternate Jolene Campbell and coach Merv Fonger are biding their time in Moncton as guests of curling legend Russ Howard, who lives in the city.
Howard was an analyst on TSN’s telecast of Holland’s 8-7 win over Team Canada’s Jennifer Jones in Sunday’s final at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Charlottetown, P.E.I. Howard is a two-time men’s champion at the Canadian and world levels as well as a gold medalist as a second with Brad Gushue at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. Holland stole a single in the 10th end to eke out the win over Jones, who was bidding to win her fourth consecutive Canadian women’s championship.
“It’s pretty sweet,” Holland said Monday from Moncton. “The house backs on to the golf course, which is covered in snow right now. There are three extra beds and a whole bunch of couches, so we’ll be in good shape. Russ and (wife) Wendy are great hosts.”
The hosting role allowed Russ Howard to put Holland’s delayed return into perspective.
“Russ said it’s good that we won — otherwise it wouldn’t have been a fun day for us,” Holland said. “We’ve been able to talk some curling and we’re pretty happy being Team Canada.”
None of their happiness has been tempered by the travel woes that have hampered Holland’s efforts to return to Regina. The team was expected to arrive in Regina at 11:45 p.m. on Monday. The Holland team had to board a Moncton-bound bus with Jones and Ontario’s Rachel Homan early Monday morning due to wind warnings in the area. The Confederation Bridge from Prince Edward Island to the mainland of New Brunswick is often closed to trucks and buses for safety reasons when high winds are in the forecast.
Moncton is also enduring another snowstorm. Holland said that when inclement weather is forecast, flights into Moncton are often cancelled. Complicating matters, there aren’t any seats available for flights from Toronto to Regina until at least Wednesday. Jones and Homan also reported having difficulties getting out of Moncton.
Holland said Monday that she has booked seats on a flight out of Toronto for the complete team. Weather permitting, Holland and Co. should touch down Wednesday at Regina International Airport at 6:50 p.m.
“It would have been great to come home (Monday), but it didn’t work out,” said Holland, who is the first Saskatchewan female skip to win a Canadian women’s championships since Regina’s Sandra Schmirler in 1997.
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Saskatchewan skip Amber Holland (C) talks with lead Heather Kalenchuk (L) and second Tammy Schneider during their win over Ontario in the semi-final game at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts curling championship in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, February 26, 2011.
Photograph by: Shaun Best, Reuters