PAGC curling bonspiel has multiple winners

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The Prince Albert Grand Council held their annual curling bonspiel on the weekend of the Super Bowl, leaving the final draw to be played while the big game was on.

"I actually wanted to watch the Super Bowl," joked Bill Cameron, one of the four men on the championship team.

"I thought we'd split the money and forget about the final, but these guys didn't want to, so we decided to play the game. And we got lucky on a couple of the ends, and we made some good shots as well, so it evens out and I'm happy with the way we played."

The four-man team from the Beardy?s Okemasis First Nation ? Bill Cameron, his brothers George and Rodney and nephew Joe?won the bonspiel in a close game against the Ille a la Crosse team of Lawrence Corrigal, Harold Morin and Darrel Case.

?We had a three man team this weekend,? said Corrigal.

?It was hard on the sweepers. We made a sweeping mistake in the last end, and then also in the seventh end, our guard didn?t curl enough, and that?s what hurt us, I guess.?

?I think the raise on the seventh end was the crucial shot of the game,? Bill Cameron said of the final game. ?If I didn?t pull that shot, they?d have been two up coming home, so that was the turning point. The eighth end, if I didn?t make the double, then they have a draw to win the game. They curled well as well. They were a really good team.?

?We?d certainly like to thank the P.A. Grand Council and the staff of the curling rink here for their fine service and hospitality that they?ve done in the last couple of days, and I?d like to thank all the curlers for coming out. And next year, I?d like to see you again,? said George Cameron during the awards presentation.

The bonspiel was also a success from the organizer?s perspective.

?This year, we had 25 participating teams. We were shooting for 32, but we ended up with 25. That?s still a good bonspiel. A lot of good curling, a lot of fun,? said bonspiel organizer Debbie Brown.

?It?s good to see they were both curling pretty well. Lawrence was our defending champion. He won it last year. It was nice to see it go to somebody else.?

The curlers, however, were not the only ones to come away as winners at the bonspiel. The net profits from the weekend?s activities were all donated to the Prince Albert Children?s Haven, a 24-hour crisis centre that provides a safe haven for children whose families are in crisis.

?I?d just like to extend thanks to all the curlers and fans for supporting us every year. It?s great,? said Carol Soles, director of Children?s Haven.