The 46th Canadian Postal Employees Curling Classic got underway on Sunday at the Cloverdale Curling Club in Surrey BC.  PEI, represented again this year by the rink of Bob Cameron (skip), Eldon Kilbride (3rd), Regan Kenny (2nd) and Mike Bernard (lead), lost both their Sunday matches, to Quebec and Alberta, by identical 8-2 scores. The Quebec team is skipped by Ann Hardy, while the Mark Pouliot rink from Alberta were last year’s runners-up. The Island squad play New Brunswick at 9:30 this morning, and Ontario at 2:30 this afternoon BC time.

Last year’s champions, the Brent MacDougall team from Nova Scotia, are back this year to defend their title, and are 2-0 after opening-day play, tied with Alberta and Saskatchewan. Quebec is 1-0, Northern Ontario, New Brunswick, and Ontario are 1-1, and Manitoba and BC join PEI at 0-2, while Newfoundland and Labrador are 0-1.

Round robin play continues with games at 9:30 am and 2 pm Monday through Wednesday, Thursday play at 2 and 7 pm, and the final round robin draw Friday April 6 at 9:30 am. Tiebreakers, if needed, and the Page playoffs go later on Friday, with the semi-finals Saturday at 9 am, and the finals following at 1:30 pm (all times local-add 4 hours for PEI time).

Results are available at PostalCurling.ca.

Next year’s championship will be in Halifax NS.