A big stepping stone
Brier important for Nunavut’s growth
It’s a start. It wasn’t a winning start, but successful programs have to start sometime and somewhere.
The 2018 Tim Hortons Brier, presented by Mosaic, just might have been it for Nunavut.
This Brier marked the debut of a new 16-team format. It also marked the debut of the northern territory in the event’s main draw. Nunavut, skipped by David St. Louis, did not win a game in its eight outings and was outscored 80-28.
“It’s been good. A couple of tough games, it’s been nice to come out and curl. We’ve been getting better as the week went on. I think we’re pretty happy with the way we did,” said St. Louis.
Although the lopsided scores have many saying the format doesn’t work, being able to be part of the Brier for the full week is important to Nunavut’s growth.
“If curling’s going to grow in the territory of Nunavut we need to see a shining light at the end of the tunnel. This is a stepping stone for Nunavut. We’re trying to get the younger crowd into this game, and we’ve already seen a bump in younger curlers in knowing they can go to the Brier. There’s hope,” said St. Louis.
He spent 16 years in Iqaluit running its recreational services, but is now the director of community services for the city of Stratford, Ont., just down the road from his new residence in St. Mary’s.
“It was our home for 16 years, and it was tough to leave, but when you have young kids it’s a tough place to live and it was time to go. I had a great job, my wife had a good job, and it was just time,” said St. Louis, 58.
But when his curling buddies – third Wade Kingdon, second Peter Mackey and lead Jeff Nadeau – called asking if he’d like to join them it didn’t take him long to say, “Sure, I’ll do that.”
The only previous national curling event he’d played
The only previous national curling event he’d played in was the 1979 Canadian junior championships in Calgary, where he went 6-5 as the skip for Northern Ontario. He played competitively for many years in his young adulthood but kept on running up against some of the game’s icons. So he lived a dream playing this week.
“I battled in the years with (Ed) Werenich and (Russ and Glenn) Howard, so we didn’t win a lot of games,” said St. Louis.
This week he battled some big boys, like 2014 Olympic gold medallist Brad Jacobs, who he took to the 10th end before succumbing 6-3.
“It’s tough. We don’t play enough. We don’t do a lot of things enough. We’re just hoping to stay in the game because it’s real difficult,” said St. Louis. “(Curling competitively is) extremely expensive, but you’ve got to start somewhere.
“I’m thinking Nunavut needs to bring high performance north, bring high performance coaching north to do a couple of sessions, get people to realize what it’s like. It’s too late when you get here to figure out what to do. You’ve got to know what’s going to happen to here before you
It’s tough. We don’t play enough. We don’t do a lot of things enough. — David St. Louis
get here.”
Nunavut’s skip at the 2018 Scotties Tournament of Hearts was also from St. Mary’s, Amie Shackleton, who was recommended to the Nunavut team by St. Louis, who is also the chair of the host committee for the 2018 Everest Canadian Senior Curling Championships in Stratford March 24-29.