Despite two suspensions of curling due to COVID-19 Circuit Breakers, many PEI curling facilities are reporting a successful season. Montague and Cornwall both added additional weeks and wrapped up activities Sunday with a skate on the ice.
Cornwall Little Rock and Novice skaters (photo by Lori Fitzpatrick)
Montague skaters (Larry Richards photo)
Souris Lobster Trap Spiel (Facebook)
The Souris Curling Club, which curls on arena ice at the Eastern Kings Sportsplex, held its annual Lobster Trap Bonspiel the previous weekend, while Cornwall held its Your Independent Grocer closing spiel this past Friday and Saturday, and the Crapaud Community Curling Club, which traditionally stays open later than other clubs, wrapped up its annual “Meltdown” spiel on Sunday.
The Maple Leaf Curling Club in O’Leary ended its season with the start of the second Circuit Breaker in late February, after holding their successful annual bonspiel sponsored by Centennial Auto Group, while the Silver Fox in Summerside ended their season on schedule in early April, a few days after their annual D. Alex MacDonald closing bonspiel.
Two clubs, the five-sheet Charlottetown Curling Club, which had ice plant problems, and the 3-sheet Western Community Curling Club in Alberton, remained closed for the 2020-2021 season. Looking ahead, Western and Maple Leaf are looking into building a combined 4-sheet facility at the Mill River Resort, while Charlottetown voted to sell the current location and build a new club, possibly at the City’s proposed new Simmons Sports Centre, or at Stratford’s planned recreation and education complex.