Skip vies for seventh national police title
Solid field taking part in law enforcement curling championship held at local club
Just call Garth Mitchell the “Six Shooter.”
The retired RCMP officer from Ontario knows how to handle weapons, especially if it’s a curling rock.
That’s clear since he comes to Calgary boasting a six-pack of Canadian Police Curling Championship titles as a skip, the only man who can make that claim.
And Mitchell’s taking aim at a seventh title when the 63rd edition of the weeklong annual event takes to the pebbled ice beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday at North Hill Curling Club.
“Garth has been successful, and he is a prior Brier competitor,” said host chair Joel Matthews of the defending champ whose win last year with Ontario makes him the Team Canada skip for the 2018 Canadian Police Curling Championship.
Then there’s Kevin Folk, a former junior world champion and member of the Calgary Police Service. Folk has also represented B.C. at the Brier.
“Jason Jacobsen from Saskatchewan has also been to the Brier representing Saskatchewan,” Matthews said. “Then there would be a number of us that played in the men’s provincial tankard in our respective provinces.”
So, yeah, it’s quite the solid field on hand for the Brier-type format.
Mitchell’s Team Canada goes up against 11 other teams from across Canada — one from each province plus an entry from Northern Ontario.
The foursomes are made up of police, peace, corrections and Fish and Wildlife officers — active, former and retired — from across Canada.
The championship kicks off with opening ceremonies at 1 p.m. Saturday.
After six days of round-robin action, the Page playoff system is slated for Friday, with tiebreakers at 9 a.m. followed by 1 vs. 2 and 3 vs. 4 games. The semifinals go Saturday at 10 a.m., with the final set for Saturday at 2 p.m., followed by the closing ceremonies. “With many past champions participating, the field is really good this year,” Matthews said. “It’s a super competitive field.”
WFG is the title sponsor for the event. That company sponsors Jennifer Jones’ team and prominent curling events across the nation.
All money raised from the Canadian Police Championship goes to the event’s charity of choice, Tourette Canada, a registered charitable organization dedicated to improving the lives of Canadians affected by Tourette syndrome and associated conditions.
Tourette syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder or brain-based condition that causes people who have it to make involuntary sounds and movements called tics.
“This competition means a lot to those who participate, for the week of camaraderie but also for the fact winning the championship is a source of pride for police curlers across Canada,” Matthews added. “Winners get to represent Canada at the following year’s championship.”