Human touch stands out at Brier
And so the 2016 Ottawa Brier is in the books. All that remains are the goosebumps.
So many stories and feelgood moments linger from the men’s curling championship, which celebrated the finale Sunday evening between Newfoundland/Labrador and Alberta. On hand to help present the Brier Tankard were Ottawa curler Craig Savill, unable to compete for Ontario here because he’s battling Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and CFL Ottawa Redblacks star receiver Brad Sinopoli, an Ottawa U grad.
Some of the best Brier moments were far from the prime time lights, as noted by host committee vice-chair Elaine Brimicombe, instrumental in making this event a resounding success. Brimicombe is thinking of her 550- plus volunteer staff today, people who rallied when called upon, many of whom have already signed on to help out with the Olympic Trials coming to Ottawa in December of 2017.
Brimicombe, like the fans who experienced the Brier, was moved by the humanity displayed by Curling Canada and its players. Curlers like Newfoundland skip Brad Gushue, who didn’t let a tough loss to Northern Ontario at the end of the roundrobin keep him from making a woman’s day.
That is, a 97- year-old woman’s day.
Seems that Gladys MacLeod, a long time member of the Ottawa Curling Club, didn’t want pearls for her birthday.
“Her dream was to meet Brad Gushue,” Brimicombe says. “What can you buy a 97- year- old? That’s all she wanted for her birthday.”
Gushue was approached by a player liaison person and asked if he might have a moment to say hello to Gladys.
“Bring her back here, let’s get some pictures taken,” Gushue said.
So it was that Gladys got her gift, and perhaps gifted back some karma that rocketed Gushue to the Brier final.
“He’s a really nice guy,” Brimicombe said of Gushue, “and I think that’s indicative of the players.”
Prince Edward Island had a difficult week here, finishing 12th. Couldn’t tell when we watched third David Mathers and skip Adam Casey hand their brooms to fans after P.E.I.’s final match on Friday.
“Thank you sooo much,” said a young boy as he was handed Mathers’ broom. Mathers took it back momentarily and signed it for his new No. 1 fan.
The human touch was universal. On Saturday, local Little Rocks finalists, seven to 12-year-olds, competed on the Brier ice at TD Place. To their delight, they received well wishes beforehand from a couple of curling legends.
“Those kids, their eyes were like saucers,” Brimicombe says. “Glenn Howard and Richard Hart come by and say, ‘ have a good game out there.’”
All in all, the Ottawa Brier came off beautifully, in and around the rink, from the Aberdeen Pavilion Brier Patch to the shops and restaurants of Lansdowne Park. At the arena, Dave Merklinger and his ice crew did a terrific job maintaining ice quality in a 50-year-old facility with challenging weather conditions.
The event drew roughly 115,000, making it the best attended Brier in Eastern Canada since Halifax of 2003. It was a stunningly accessible show.
“I’m thrilled,” Brimicombe says. “I’d love to be singing the Hallelujah Chorus about now, because I feel a tremendous amount of pride in our community and our city. Our volunteers have done a tremendous job to make this happen.”
TRIALS COMING
For Brimicombe and her army of volunteers, the Brier will prove an excellent dry run for the Olympic Trials, the Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings, at the Canadian Tire Centre next year. From Dec. 2-10, 2017, nine men’s teams and nine women’s teams will compete for the right to represent Canada at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeonchang, South Korea.
Alberta’s Kevin Koe and his rink have already qualified for the trials because of their Canada Cup win. So has Ottawa’s Rachel Homan rink.
Others gained precious qualification points from this Brier.
Manitoba skip Mike McEwen was at an Olympic trials, as a cheerleader for his wife, Dawn McEwen, a member of Jennifer Jones team.
“I watched my wife do it, so I sort of have experience there, and the overwhelming joy and excitement of seeing them do that,” McEwen says. “I know what kind of grind it is watching your spouse do that. It’s torture. I’d much rather be playing. Having no control sucks.”
He hopes he will be there. So does the Northern Ontario team, which played so brilliantly during the round- robin but failed to reach the Brier final.
“The thing we’ve said as a team, and I think all the players have agreed with, what a phenomenal city Ottawa has been to play in,” said Northern Ontario second E. J. Harnden. “This is a phenomenal venue, the fans have been extremely supportive, ver y knowledgeable about the game of curling, cheering for each and every team — loud and energetic.”
The challenge for the Trials at the CTC will be to match the warmth and intimacy of the TD Place Brier.