Seven-team curling championship starts Sunday

(by Eric McCarthy)

ALBERTON – There’s something special about curling in the Canadian Legion curling championship, admits Team P.E.I. skip Mel Bernard.

“There’s a lot of great tradition in the Legion,” he said. “The Legion does a great job of organizing it.

“It’s not all about competition; it’s about being Canadians. They push that fact home.”

And Bernard finds something really special about curling in the national competition in his home province, too.

Prior to this year, the veteran of between 15 and 20 national Legion curling championships, Bernard has competed in the Legion in every province except P.E.I.

That changes Sunday with the opening draws of the 2013 national championship at the Western Community Curling Club in Alberton. Bernard and his P.E.I. rink from the Summerside Legion has the bye for the opening 2 p.m. draw, but will be on the ice against Newfoundland and Labrador at 7 p.m.

 Eldon Doucette (left), Legion Provincial Command Sports Chair, presents the PEI Legion Championship winner’s trophy to (L to R) skip  Mel Bernard,  Blair Jay, Lou Nowlan and Earl Proude (Photo courtesy of albertoncurlingclub.ca)

“We love curling in Alberton,” the P.E.I. skip said. “It’s our favourite rink to curl in, all four of us, and a lot of that is (club members are) very welcoming there, very warm and friendly.

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Live results will be available at PEICurling.com/legion