Prescott Curling Club welcomes Scottish players for Strathcona Cup
It is an event that occurs every five years, with Scottish curlers taking on Canadians across the country in a friendly competition.
Playing for the Strathcona Cup, the town of Prescott, Ont. is gearing up to host games at their rink on Saturday, with Prescott Curling Club President Gary Albers making sure the three sheets of ice are perfect.
"It's just a friendly, but it is a competition," Albers tells CTV News Ottawa. "It's the total rocks that both countries score over the various games that are played."
The event dates back to 1903, and rotates between both countries every five years.
Sixty curlers arrived in Canada on Jan. 11 and have been criss-crossing the county, with a west, central and east team of 20 players.
The central team will make stops in Trenton, Kingston, Prescott, Kemptville and Russell over the coming week.
"Every community is doing something," Albers said. "We're going to meet them at the 401 and parade them down through to the club."
"There's lots of ceremony involved, a piper, flag raising, honour guard, so it's going to be a fun event with lots of history," he added.
Prescott Curling Club member Stephen Gibson (left) and club president Gary Albers overlook the outdoor rink at Sarah Spencer Park in Prescott, Ont. (Nate Vandermeer/CTV News Ottawa)
The club approached the town of Prescott when they were named as a host, to help with funding and promotion.
"We're really happy that the town has rallied behind us and they are providing us support," Albers said. "We're a volunteer club, so we rely on volunteers to operate, and the members have stepped up to help out and to participate in the event so very happy about that and it's just been fun to get all the exposure of our little club here."
The host club is also doing something unique this year, by holding a couple of friendly matches on the outdoor rink at Sarah Spencer Park.
"The Prescott Curling Club started on the (St. Lawrence) river and that was our first choice for a venue, but unfortunately mother nature didn't help us out at all this month," said curling club member Stephen Gibson.
Gibson travelled to Scotland to curl in the 2018 event, and made it his mission to have the central Scotland team make a stop at his home club in Prescott.
"We played over there for 29 days, we curled 25 of those days over there and most times it was two games a day," Gibson said. "It was a lot of fellowship and fun."
The public is also welcome to attend the outdoor event for free, and have a chance to try out the game on open ice.
"This is the only outdoor venue going on the whole tour that we know of and it gives everybody an opportunity to come and see what curling is all about," Gibson said.
"After we're done, the Little Rocks are going to be here and they are going to play a game and then the general public is invited to throw some rocks on the natural ice if they like," he said.
"We're hoping to see a few hundred people here and they can watch curling and get a gist of the game and maybe we can even pick up some new members out of it," he added.
Curling rocks at the Prescott Curling Club. (Nate Vandermeer/CTV News Ottawa)
Gibson said the last time the club held an outdoor game was in 1993 on the waterfront for their 100th anniversary.
"The town has been very supporting," he added. "There's hot chocolate, cake, and all kinds of goodies out here for the people that come along."
The first tour between the two countries dates back to 1903, when Scotland sent a group to curl in Canada and the northeast U.S.
When the Canadians mounted a return tour to Scotland in 1909, the Strathcona Cup was donated by Lord Strathcona, a builder and philanthropist, best known for driving in one of the last spikes of the transcontinental railway.
The event kicks off at the Prescott Curling Club at 10 a.m. Saturday, with a complete schedule of events available on the club website.
The three Scottish curling groups will finish their tour with a final game and banquet in Ottawa on Feb. 2.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Person on fire outside Trump's hush money trial rushed away on a stretcher
A person who was on fire in a park outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump’s hush money trial is taking place has been rushed away on a stretcher.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
Senators reject field trip to African Lion Safari amid elephant bill study
The Senate legal affairs committee has rejected a motion calling for members to take a $50,000 field trip to the African Lion Safari in southern Ontario to see the zoo's elephant exhibit.
CFIA monitoring for avian flu in Canadian dairy cattle after U.S. discoveries
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is encouraging veterinarians to keep an eye out for signs of avian influenza in dairy cattle following recent discoveries of cases of the disease in U.S. cow herds.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
DEVELOPING G7 warns of new sanctions against Iran as world reacts to apparent Israeli drone attack
Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
Vancouver firefighter in rehab at home after losing leg to flesh-eating infection overseas
A family trip took a frightening turn for Christopher Won when he was diagnosed with flesh-eating disease while in Hong Kong and now, after weeks of treatment overseas, the Vancouver firefighter is back home recovering.