Cornwall Curling Club

Digntaries on hand for this afternoon’s grand opening of the Cornwall Civic Centre took the opportunity to tour the Cornwall Curling Club part of the reconstructed facility during the opening draw of the PEI Tankard.

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI — Residents of Cornwall are now benefitting from major renovations to the new and improved Cornwall Civic Centre thanks to investments by the Government of Canada, the Province of Prince Edward Island and the Town of Cornwall.

“Our Government understands that solid infrastructure helps to strengthen communities,” said the Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of National Revenue, on behalf of the Honourable Bernard Valcourt, Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and La Francophonie. “This newly renovated Cornwall Civic Centre is now more accessible and sustainable, and will continue to be a natural gathering place for residents and visitors.”

The new renovations included reconstruction of the entire Civic Centre with the exception of the curling rink itself. New features include a lift to make the building more accessible, and additional space to serve the adjacent outdoor pool and the curling club. The new facility will serve the Cornwall and Area 50-Plus Club, the Lions Club and will also house community indoor recreation programming.

“The civic centre is not only enjoyed by curlers and swimmers, but it is also an important location for community events and celebrations,” said Prince Edward Island Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Minister Robert Vessey. “The changes that have been made throughout this renovation project make the space more accessible, more energy efficient and more sustainable, and that means all residents will be able to enjoy the space for years to come.”

The Government of Canada, through its Building Canada Fund, the Government of Prince Edward Island, under Build PEI, and the Town of Cornwall made a combined investment of $2 million in these infrastructure improvements.

“The Town of Cornwall is very pleased to see the Cornwall Civic Centre project completed and looks forward to many years of the facility continuing to be one of the focal centres in our community,” noted Mayor Glen (Barney) Fullerton. “The cooperation demonstrated by all levels of government, along with the support and patience of the user groups in moving this project along is a testament to the commitment of all involved.”

The Cornwall Curling Club recently underwent an upgrade to the curling rink, which included repairs to the roof and an overhaul of the ice plant. This was made possible through the Recreational Infrastructure Canada (RInC) program and the Island Community Fund. Additional curling club renovation funding came from the Canadian Curling Association’s Capital Grants program.

With the modernization of the civic centre, in addition to the curling rink upgrades, the Cornwall Civic Centre is a strategic investment that will enhance the quality of life for local residents.

For more information on the Building Canada Fund, visit www.buildingcanada.gc.ca or www.gov.pe.ca/go/infrastructure. For more information on capital projects in Prince Edward Island, visit www.buildpei.ca.

(by Eric McCarthy)

O’LEARY – A four-time P.E.I. senior women’s champion has won the Medicine Shoppe P.E.I. provincial masters curling championship on her first try.

Shirley Berry denies that this was her first year of masters (60 and older) eligibility. It’s just that the dates of the seniors and masters provincials have often been such that a team couldn’t participate in both.

Berry and her rink of Sandy Hope, Arleen Harris and Evelyn Rogerson strung together three consecutive victories in the double-knockout championship after losing their opening game at the Maple leaf Curling Club in O’Leary on Monday.

Rogerson wasn’t in attendance for Wednesday’s third and deciding victory. She was in the air en route for California.

The remaining players rode a 5-0 first-end lead to an 8-5 victory over the Cornwall rink of Ruth Stavert, Myrna Sanderson, Gloria Clark and Myrna Craswell.

“I never like starting a game with a five-ender,” Berry admitted, acknowledging it’s hard to hold a big lead.

The Stavert rink made things interesting in the eighth end. They had three rocks in the rings when Harris froze to the shot stone at the back of the four-foot. Stavert angled onto the shot stone with her first skip rock, but didn’t have the necessary weight with her last rock to bump Harris’ stone out of the rings. Berry didn’t have to throw her last rock.

Stavert finished with a 2-2 (won-lost) record, with both of her losses imposed by the Berry rink.

Click for full story in today’s Journal-Pioneer.

The PEI Tankard  provincial men’s curling championship gets underway this afternoon right here at the Cornwall Curling Club, with the first draw at 1:30, the opening ceremonies at 5:30, and the second draw getting underway at 6:30 pm. Admission is only $2 a draw or $20 for a full event pass, so come on down to the Club to see the PEI’s best men’s teams in action. 12 teams are taking part, including the Rob Young and Bill Hope teams from our Club. Bleachers are being installed this morning, so there will be lots of seating. See the previous message for team rosters and opening draws. Info will be available at peicurling.com/tankard with end-by-end results at LiveCurling.com.

The Shirley Berry rink from the Charlottetown and Cornwall curling clubs won the women’s section  this morning at The Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy Provincial Masters Curling Championship, for curlers age 60 and over, at the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O’Leary. The Berry rink recorded an 8-5 victory over Cornwall’s Ruth Stavert team. The Berry squad got off to a quick start in the game, taking five points in the first end, and stealing a single in the second. Stavert fought back with a deuce in three, and two stolen singles, to come within 2 points. Berry responded with a deuce in end six, with Stavert taking a single in the seventh. Berry ran the Stavert foursome out of rocks in the final end. Other members of the winning Berry rink are third Sandy Hope, second Arleen Harris, and lead Evelyn Rogerson. Playing with runner-up Stavert were Myrna Sanderson, Gloria Clarke, and Myrna Craswell.

Meanwhile, Mel Bernard and his Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club rink won this afternoon’s B final against the Fred Fall foursome from the Crapaud Community Curling Club by a 6-2 score, and have advanced to the championship game, at 5:30 this afternoon, against A section winner Clair Sweet from the host club. Bernard blanked the first end in this afternoon’s game, scored four in the second and stole singles in the next two ends to lead 6-0 after 4 ends. Fall picked up singles in the next two ends, and shook hands in the seventh. Fall edged Summerside’s Louis Walsh 6-5 in an extra end and Bernard downed Sweet 7-2 in the B semi-finals this morning. Sweet won the A final Tuesday afternoon, with a 6-4 win over Walsh.

Seven men’s and four women’s rinks were entered in the double-knockout competition.

Winners and runners-up earn the right to compete in the Maritime Masters Championships, February 12-19, in New Glasgow NS. The winning teams, or the highest-finishing men’s and women’s rinks that choose to attend, are invited to participate in the Canadian Masters, March 26 to April 1 in Montreal.

Twelve teams from four Island curling clubs are competing in the 2012 PEI Tankard Provincial Men’s Curling Championship, which gets underway Thursday afternoon at the newly-renovated Cornwall Curling Club. In last season’s final, Charlottetown’s Eddie MacKenzie, and his rink of third Mike Gaudet, second Mike Dillon, and lead Alex MacFadyen, with coach Blair Weeks, beat their clubmates, the John Likely foursome, by an 8-6 score. Likely is back this year with his team intact, while MacKenzie is playing third on the Brett Gallant rink, with MacFadyen at lead, and Anson Carmody at second,. Mike Gaudet is skipping a new team, which includes Tyler MacKenzie, Tyler Harris, and Sean Clarey.

Six other teams are entered from the Charlottetown club, skipped by Robert Campbell, an eight time PEI Tankard winner, Bill Hope, defending PEI Seniors champ, who is also a member of the host club, two brothers, Peter and Rod MacDonald, who have won 9 Tankards, either together or separately, dating back to Peter’s first win as second back in 1976, and as skip with Rod at third back in 1978, Jamie Newson, and former Seniors and Legion champ Charlie Wilkinson. The Rob Young rink is entered from the host Cornwall club, Blair Jay skips the lone entry from the Silver Fox Curling & Yacht Club in Summerside, while the Donald Clarey foursome, who competed in The Dominion Curling Club Championship in Richmond BC this year, and curl out of the Montague Curling Club, round out the entries.

The teams will play a triple knockout format,  with four Qualifiers advancing to a “Page” playoff round, where the first two Qualifiers will face off in the “1-2″  game, with the winner advancing directly to the championship match. The other two Qualifiers will play off in the “3-4″ game, with the loser eliminated, and the winner facing the loser of the “1-2″ game in the semi-final. The winner of the semi then takes on the “1-2″ winner in the championship game, Monday January 30 at 6:30 pm.

Eight teams were seeded in the draw, based on cashspiel earnings this season: #1 Brett Gallant, #2 Rod MacDonald, #3 Mike Gaudet, #4 Robert Campbell, #5 Peter MacDonald, #6 Donald Clarey, #7 Jamie Newson, and #8 Bill Hope. Triple knockout draws go Thursday at 1:30 and 6:30 pm, Friday and Saturday at 9 am, and 130 and 6:30 pm, and Sunday at 1:30 pm. The Page games take place Sunday evening at 6:30, with the semi-final Monday at 1:30, and the final at 6:30 pm.

Admission for the event is $2 a draw, or $20 for a full event pass. Event passes are available at the bar in advance of the event. Tickets, and event passes, subject to availability, will be available at the door during the event.

The 2012 PEI Tankard winner will advance to the Tim Hortons Brier, March 3-11 in Saskatoon.

Here are the opening draws:

Thursday Jan. 26 at 1:30 pm:

Ice 1 Jamie Newson vs Blair Jay Ice 2: Bill Hope vs John Likely Ice 3: Charlie Wilkinson vs Peter MacDonald Ice 4: Donald Clarey vs Rob Young

Thursday January 26 at 6:30 pm:

Ice 1: Robert Campbell vs winner Wilkinson/Peter MacDonald from first draw Ice 2: Brett Gallant vs winner Hope/Likely from first draw Ice 3: Mike Gaudet vs winner Clarey/Young from first draw Ice 4: Rod MacDonald vs winner Newson/Jay  from first draw

Full draw is available at PEICurling.com/tankard, with live end-by-end results at LiveCurling.com.

Here are the team rosters (skip to lead, coach/alternate-club):

Robert Campbell, Philip Gorveatt, Eric Brodersen, Mike Dillon- Charlottetown Curling Club

Donald Clarey, Larry Richards, David Rice, Steven MacLeod-Montague Curling Club

Brett Gallant, Eddie MacKenzie, Anson Carmody, Alex MacFadyen, Al Ledgerwood (coach)- Charlottetown Curling Club

Mike Gaudet, Tyler MacKenzie, Tyler Harris, Sean Clarey-Charlottetown Curling Club

Bill Hope, Craig Mackie, Matt Smith, David Murphy-Charlottetown & Cornwall curling clubs

Blair Jay, Kevin Ellsworth, Mike Trudeau, Roland Richard-Silver Fox Curling & Yacht Club  (Summerside)

John Likely, Kyle Stevenson, Mark Butler, Doug MacGregor-Charlottetown Curling Club

Peter MacDonald (throws 1st), Robert Shaw (throws 4th), Dennis Watts (throws 3rd), Robbie Younker (throws 2nd)-  Charlottetown Curling Club

Rod MacDonald, Kevin Champion, Mark O’Rourke, Andrew Robinson-Charlottetown Curling Club

Jamie Newson, Pat Lynch, Jeff Gallant, John Desrosiers, Rob Warren (alternate)-  Charlottetown Curling Club

Charlie Wilkinson, Nick Fraser. Paul Gaudet, Jeff Brine-Charlottetown Curling Club

Rob Young, Mark MacDonald, Brad Gardiner, Steve DeWolfe-Cornwall Curling Club

The Cornwall Curling Club playdowns for their men’s and women’s entries in the 2012 The Dominion Curling Club Championships will take place Feb. 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th. The event will be played as a Cashspiel, with entry fee of $100.00 per team. Teams entering must meet the eligibility requirements of The Dominion Curling Club Championship. The number of teams entered will determine the draw format. Entry Deadline: Tuesday, January 31. For more info, email pauldurant@pei.sympatico.ca

Here are the team rosters:

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