(By Craig Slater, Leader-Post)
Amber Holland
Photograph by: Shaun Best, Reuters
The forecast temperature this afternoon calls for a high of -18C, with a windchill of -34C.
But at least six people are anxious to be in Regina.
Newly crowned Canadian women’s curling champion Amber Holland, her teammates and coach Merv Fonger are scheduled to arrive at the Regina International Airport today at 6: 50 p.m.
“Not looking forward to that (weather), but we’re anticipating a warm welcome. That should make up for it,” Holland said from Moncton, N.B., where she and her teammates have been staying since Monday due to a major blizzard that is blowing its way through the Maritimes.
“I’ll be getting picked up at the airport, so that vehicle better be warm.”
After defeating Jennifer Jones in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts final on Sunday in Charlottetown, P.E.I., Holland, along with teammates Kim and Tammy Schneider, Heather Kalenchuk, alternate Jolene Campbell and coach Fonger, were originally scheduled to arrive in Regina late Monday night.
But due to the poor weather, the team boarded a bus bound for Moncton and had hoped to fly out from there. However, the earliest available flight was not until today.
All six members of the team have been staying with Russ Howard and his wife Wendy at their house in Moncton.
“Russ and Wendy Howard are amazing hosts,” Holland said. “We are so lucky to be here. We’ve had three home-cooked meals and they’ve made us feel right at home like we’re a part of their family.”
Holland said a few of the girls went shopping for much of Tuesday. The previous night they had stayed up late to watch the Scotties final replayed on TV.
“We just needed to confirm that this actually did happen. We really did win,” Holland said. “We’ve also been able to do some things here that we might not have been able to do if we were at home -team meetings, additional planning, that sort of thing.”