Teams Curtis and Symonds will represent N.L. at national curling championships

The provincial curling championships concluded this weekend, with Team Curtis and Team Symonds clinching victories and securing their spots to represent Newfoundland and Labrador at the upcoming national championships.

Sunday saw both men and women compete in the provincial finals at the ReMax Centre in St. John's.

Team Curtis — which includes Stacie Curtis, Erica Curtis, Camille Burt, Julie Hynes and Jessica Wiseman — will be competing at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts next month in Calgary.

Team Symonds — Andrew Symonds, Stephen Trickett, Alex Smith, Colin Thomas and David Noftall — will be at the Brier, Canada's national men's curling championship, taking place in March in Regina. 

Harold Walters, general manager and executive director of Curling N.L., said the atmosphere was fierce leading up to the final games on Sunday.

WATCH I Curlers battle it out for the provincial title: 

N.L. curling championships wrap up with wins for Curtis and Symonds

11 months ago

Duration 1:27

With the final rocks thrown, Team Curtis and Team Symonds will head to the Scotties and Brier, respectively, where they will represent Newfoundland and Labrador. Harold Walters of the province's curling association says the competition in N.L. is strong.

"It's been one of the best weeks of curling I've seen in my many years of being here. Some fabulous shot-making all week," he told CBC News.

Newfoundland and Labrador has had a strong presence in the world of Canadian curling, he added, which is good for the local teams, and the junior teams are doing well too.

High school students Cailey Locke and Simon Perry are currently representing Canada in curling mixed doubles at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics.

Walters said the province's curlers hold their own on the national stage.

Team Gushue is already set to be Team Canada, which opened up the men's provincial championship for other men's teams, explained Walters. "That means it's anybody's game here to get to the Brier," he said, as there are a number of other strong teams that could win,

"Gushue in the mix, it's a different situation," he said.

Walters also said the competition among the ladies' teams is good as well.

"On the national stage, of course, it's pretty much the same thing as on the men's side. Once you get to that level, there's some very strong teams," he said.

Walters said the ReMax Centre was packed all week with people watching the provincial championship.

Curling to come

Walter also has his eyes on the competitive curling scene in the years to come.

"I think the competitions here are only going to get stronger. We could use a few more curling clubs, unfortunately."

But Walters said he's seen efforts across Newfoundland to build programs back up, adding there are also a lot of younger curlers taking to the ice too.

"Our youth here, it's gone crazy. We have so many good youth teams now," he said. "A strong presence in all of them. And it's really, really good to see."

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