Grand Slam poster 2015

A week away to the start!!!

The Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling 2015 Masters is coming to the Rath Eastlink Community Centre in Truro, Nova Scotia from October 27^th to November 1^st! Just Around the corner

Owned and operated by Sportsnet, a Rogers Media company, the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling is an annual series comprised of seven curling tournaments, inviting the world’s best curlers to complete in Canada. The Masters will be the second stop on the 2015-2016 Grand Slam Schedule. Featuring 15 of the top men’s teams and 15 of the top women’s teams in the world, the Masters is an elite-level competition with cash prizes and valuable tour points on the line. Brad Gushue, from St. John’s, N.L., and Edmonton’s Val Sweeting were crowned the 2014 Masters champions.

The individual draw schedule has just been released meaning single draw tickets are available!  See attached match up for the event.

2015 Masters Schedule Match Ups FINAL

Single draw tickets, along with all event passes and weekend passes, can be purchased at Guest Services on the main floor of the Rath Eastlink Community Centre (625 Abenaki Road), online at tickepro.ca or through telephone by calling 1-888-311-9090.

To see the complete draw schedule and for more information on the event visit, http://www.ratheastlinkcommunitycentre.ca/grand-slam-of-curling.html.

The temperature in the ice area will definitely be more comfortable this season. On Saturday (Oct 17) A-1 Gutter insulated the rink’s entire attic (ice shed and lounge) up to an R50 level. The funds to complete the insulation are 50 cent dollars for the rink with the other 50 cents per dollar coming from a federal grant (ACOA).

The insulation improvements are expected to assist with an reduction in our yearly electrical bills which are in the yearly fourteen thousand dollars range ($14,000) — and that amount is not a typo.

Next on our upgrade list over the next month or so is the replacement of all ice shed lights plus the lounge’s lights and to add four pot lights to the lounge. The funds for that upgrade are also the ACOA grant at 50 cent dollars.

The other 50 cents per dollar are coming from the rink’s bank account to the tune of around six thousand dollars ($6000.00) earned via our numerous fund- raising endeavours.

As you can detect, the curling rink’s executive and other members have been busy getting ready for another enjoyable and successful season.

Your support will definitely make all the hours invested into the Chedabucto CC worthwhile so please get out to curl and to enjoy. While you are at it, recruit some new members whether they use the slide method or the stick delivery procedure — all are welcome and instructions are free to members.

Best regards, 🙂

Ray

The curling season will be soon here. George and Phil have been busy getting the flooding done to prepare the ice.  (My apologies to their helpers since I am unaware of who is assisting.)

For last year’s members — and If you know of former curlers or other folks who are seeking winter fun and socialization — please forward the names onto Phil or Neil. Should you have a friend who does not curl, and you think he/she might be interested, ask. New members are always welcome.

This year’s 2015-2016 registration forms for both adults and juniors have been uploaded to the rink’s website. ( http://www.chedabuctocc.ca/registration-2015_16 )

For next Wednesday’s (Oct. 28) Open House at the rink (6:30 PM – 8:00PM) it would be helpful if you could take a completed copy of this year’s registration form to enable us to have it for the rink’s emergency binder — just in case. Your presence will also assist with us with knowing who is planning to curl. (My advance thanks to Phil and his “volunteers” for being there. (I am away next Wednesday therefore will be unable to attend the Open House.)

We do not save the registration forms from year to year thus it is vital that new ones be completed both for your safety and the rink’s liability.

The notices to go home for the Juniors via the school will be distributed this week. (My thanks to Angie Travares and the MODG Recreation Department for the assistance with the distribution of those notices.)

Our hopes are to have all leagues curling during the first week of November therefore dig out your curling gear and present your name for the makeup of the teams and for Juniors League preparation.

Any other questions, please contact an Executive member.

Cheers 🙂

Ray

Photo of Earle Morris

Team Canada curling coach Earle Morris (father of Olympic Gold Medalist John Morris and coach of Team Pat Simmons) assisted the Turning Point Curling School with its High Performance Curling instructions held recently at the Bluenose Curling Rink, New Glasgow. (Left to right) Earle Morris; Donalda Mattie, Turning Point Curling School; and Ray Bates, Chedabucto Curling rink participant.

Photo: Harry Daemen

It has been mentioned numerous times that Chedabucto CC should have a stick-curling bonspiel.  Your executive considers such a suggestion an excellent idea but we need others to work with us to get the stick delivery games going. Our hope is to have a stick-curling tournament in late November or early December as one of our two featured events before Christmas; the other being a “turkey shoot”. Basically, stick delivery games involve two curlers per team, with sweeping allowed only between the hog line and back of house, six end games and six rocks per player per end. With all of the demands upon the executive as we get the Chedabucto CC rink up and curling for another great season, the assistance of other members to help with the organizing of a stick curling tournament is vital.  I guarantee that the organizing volunteers will receive all the assistance that they seek from the executive; it is just that the executive cannot do all that needs to be done by ourselves. Our rink currently has 18 members who use a delivery stick; surely two or three of those numbers will step forward to oversee another aspect of curling being added to our rink’s year.  All curlers are welcome to participate in the stick delivery tournament(s) — but they must adhere to the Canadian Curling Association’s Stick Curling Rules. For the rules of stick curling, cut and paste the following: http://www.empressive.ca/stick-curling-rules.html Any questions or to volunteer, contact me at your earliest convenience.

Cheers 🙂

Ray (902.533.2528)