ST. PAUL - The St. Paul Curling rink was bustling with activity last Wednesday afternoon, a welcome sight after curling - and many other sports across the province - were shut down shortly after the season started a year ago.
Wednesday afternoons have been set aside for seniors, and so far, numbers appear to be on par with past years, says Tyson Wagner, general manager and ice maker at the St. Paul Curling Rink. Overall, numbers in all aspects of the curling club appear just as strong as they were pre-pandemic. despite a delay in starting the season.
With some uncertainty still to be considered, ice at the curling rink was delayed by about a month. But, now that things are up and running, the curling season appears near-normal. Bonspiels will likely be held in March, and junior curlers hit the ice this week for the first time since their last season was cut short in 2020.
League nights have started, and the Zarowny Motors Super League is also offering local curlers more opportunities to curl.
When speaking about the Wednesday time slot, Wagner says with about 50 senior curlers involved with the club, and there is still room for more people to join. Actually, the same remains true for most curling opportunities.
"There's always room for people to join," says Wagner. Even if a person is new to the sport, an effort will be made to find a spot for them to play. League nights are a good place to start if a person is learning, he says, adding, there are opportunities for pretty much all levels of curling.
And while there are some public health measures in place to slow the spread of COVID-19, this year does allow for some social opportunities to take place, unlike last season.
Wagner says the start-up of the curling rink went smoothly and was probably one of the best he's experienced with the curling rink.
"Everything's coming together."
To get involved with the curling club, contact Wagner at 780-210-1387 or reach out to any member of the club.
