The Grand Slam of Curling Player’s Championship kicked off this evening at Credit Union Place in Summerside with the opening ceremonies and four women’s draws.

The players were piped in by students from Summerside’s College of Piping. Mayor Basil Stewart and MLA Janice Sherry were on hand to welcome everyone to Summerside, while the World Curling Tour’s Pierre Charette promised that the best teams ever assembled in one place would provide top notch curling, and also announced a new title sponsor for the event, Sun Life Financial.

A highlight of the opening ceremonies was the throwing of the ceremonial first rock by the Suzanne Gaudet rink, 2001 World Junior Champions, who curled out of Summerside’s Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club. The entire team, including Suzanne Gaudet (now Birt), Stefanie Richard (now Clark), Robyn MacPhee, Kelly Higgins, and coach Paul Power were there, and Suzanne’s rock ended up right on the button.

Photo (L-R): Paul Power, Suzanne Birt, Robyn MacPhee

Photo (L-R): Robyn MacPhee, Kelly Higgins, Stefanie Clark

Curling continues on Wednesday with another women’s draw at 8:30 am, and men’s and women’s combined draws at noon, and 4 and 7:30 pm.

The women’s and men’s finals, both telecast on Global, go Saturday and Sunday at 1 pm Atlantic, respectively.