McIntyre and Regina curling events go hand in hand
Volunteer has had big role in bringing big bonspiels to city
Bernadette McIntyre volunteered at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in 1982 and the Air Canada Silver Broom in 1983. From there, she was hooked.
With each subsequent event Regina hosted, McIntyre became increasingly involved, until she became the city’s unofficial expert on bidding for and hosting curling events.
McIntyre led the bid for the 2018 Brier, and has taken on the role of director of program sales, becoming a coach of sorts for the event’s three vice-presidents.
After more than 30 years of volunteering — typically in a leadership role or as chair — McIntyre continues to take on each position with enthusiasm.
Whether she’s a front-line volunteer or the chair of a major curling event, McIntyre is excited about the sense of accomplishment and the people she meets.
“It’s the thrill of seeing a plan come together,” she says. “You can’t put these events on without a team that’s working together. So that sense of success and accomplishment when you’ve pulled off the event, whether it’s a small or medium fundraising dinner or a national or international event that brings thousands in, there’s just that sense of it’s your little way of winning as a team.”
She also appreciates the people she meets at each event.
“(At) one of our first volunteer pickup days, I think we had 400 of almost 600 volunteers show up,” she says. “One volunteer gave me a big hug and said, ‘I’m so excited to be volunteering!’ That’s what it’s all about, right?”
No matter how many events she has been a part of, each one holds a special place in McIntyre’s heart.
Following the first events at which she volunteered, McIntyre joined a few committees during the 1992 Brier in Regina, and was then co-chair of the SGI Canada Charity Classic for 12 years.
In 1998, she chaired the Scott (now Scotties) Tournament of Hearts, which she said was “simply amazing.” The Brandt Centre was packed, as the Sandra Schmirler rink had just returned as Olympic gold medallists and was competing as Team Canada.
The Schmirler team finished third, and the final game, featuring two out-of-province teams, was going to be televised on CBC.
“All of these volunteers had worked hard for so many months and all that week, and then you worried, did everybody just show up because of the Schmirler team?” McIntyre recalls.
“I thought, ‘OK, am I going to come there and is it going to be a half-full arena?’ And the place was full. As I went around that day, volunteers and fans would say, ‘Thanks for the memories.’ That’s something I’ve held with me always.”
Three years later, Regina played host to the 2001 Canadian Olympic curling trials, an event McIntyre chaired.
McIntyre says it was “the best curling you’d ever seen on the ice.” At most events, she is too busy to have much opportunity to watch the games, but said if there was ever a time she would like to go back and take in more of the games, that was the tournament.
The following year Regina hosted the inaugural Continental Cup. Because the competition was a team format of North America versus the world, she says the curlers had so much fun.
“There was an extra level of camaraderie, because they were a big team instead of the normal curling team,” McIntyre says.
McIntyre became the first woman to chair the national men’s Brier when Regina held the tournament in 2006. Not only that, it was the largest Brier Patch, the first event to be held in the EventPlex at Evraz Place.
When the Scotties returned to the city in 2008, McIntyre was beginning to work with the Canadian Curling Association’s board of directors, so took on the role of executive vice-president of the Scotties.
Because of her involvement with the CCA, she was unable to chair the bid committee for the 2011 world men’s curling championship, but she was involved, of course, in numerous capacities.
She then chaired the 2014 Canadian university curling championships and developed an appreciation for the athletes’ dedication.
“In between draws, they’d all bring out their laptops and were doing their homework,” she says. “I thought that was amazing.”
Two years later, she was also impressed by the athletes who attended the Regina-based Canadian wheelchair championships, which she also chaired.
“Those athletes are probably the most amazing of any because of all the hurdles they have,” she says.
“The logistics were, initially, almost overwhelming, and you think, they face that all the time.”
McIntyre has appreciated the continuous support of the community — particularly Events Regina, which helps with bids for events.
Now there’s a good blueprint for putting together a comprehensive bid. She believes Regina remains a perfect host facility because of the size of the city (which creates a great deal of hospitality), the short distance between locations and the supportive sponsors and volunteers.
While she is beginning to pass on her knowledge, she certainly isn’t ready to retire from her volunteer roles.
She simply loves it too much.