Early exit for Team Nunavut but Brier experience proves invaluable
Expectations were kept in check for Team Nunavut at the Tim Hortons Brier.
The scoreboard was not a major focus for the Iqaluit Curling Club foursome led by 61-yearold skip Jim Nix. The main goal during the qualification round was to learn from the experience of competing at a national men’s curling championship.
“We can go back and take these lessons and build on it, come back next year and be more competitive,” said Nunavut coach Donalda Mattie.
The territory’s second appearance at a Brier ended Friday at Mile One Centre the same way it did last year in Ottawa – with a third straight loss.
The defeats are growing pains for a program still in its infancy.
“It’s a challenge for sure for us to get competition, so every game we get is huge,” Mattie said. “For the round-robin that we play here, they’ll never get that experience in Iqaluit.”
Nix opened with an 11-4 loss to Prince Edward Island’s Eddie MacKenzie on Thursday night. On Friday, Nix dropped a 17-4 decision to Nova Scotia’s Jamie Murphy before falling 10-1 to Yukon’s Craig Kochan in the round-robin finale.
There are only a few curling clubs in Nunavut. Players rarely travel to bonspiels so most try to improve by playing the usual opponents at the club level.
“I don’t want to say it’s the impossible dream,” Nix said. “But right now it almost is.”
Nunavut is trying to build the sport by getting more youngsters involved. The territory has earned victories at the Canadian junior championship level. Nunavut also won a game in its debut at last year’s Scotties Tournament of Hearts.