Ontario curling club helps winter sport cross the Sault border

Brendan Wiesner, The Sault News
·2 min read
Freshly painted curling "houses" at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center.
Freshly painted curling "houses" at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center.

SAULT STE. MARIE — Despite living on the Canadian border and having the perfect weather for ice sports, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan has no curling league or team.

As a fun way to expose Sault residents on the Michigan side to one of the most popular winter sports, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario is forming a curling training center this year.

"I'm excited to announce that we're offering a curling clinic this year in the city," said city manager Brian Chapman at the city commission meeting on Feb. 6. "We have rocks and we're ready to offer this clinic on Curling 101 to start."

At the meeting, Chapman announced that the city will be hosting a regular curling clinic starting this year at the Kaine Ice Rink. While the clinic will eventually move to the Pullar Rink, it is currently planning to undergo some construction this year.

Curling stones on the ice at the Titletown Winter Games presented by U.S. Venture on Feb. 20, 2022, in Ashwaubenon, Wis.
Curling stones on the ice at the Titletown Winter Games presented by U.S. Venture on Feb. 20, 2022, in Ashwaubenon, Wis.

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With help from the Canadian curling club Soo Curlers, the city will be hosting regular curling lessons starting with basic lessons. The Soo Curlers club offers a wide range of lessons and leagues for Sault, Ontario residents. This will be their first in Michigan.

"The staff has been working with Sault, Ontario on bringing this to Michigan," Chapman said. "The Ontario club is willing to come over and give free lessons."

While official dates and times are not yet released, lessons are expected to be available this year. The city has also made an agreement to allow Sault schools to participate in the lessons to develop a curling team.

"We're trying something different with the ice rinks," said Chapman. "Hopefully it will be at Kaine's next year and going forward."

Updates can be found on the City of Sault Ste. Marie's Facebook page.

— Contact Brendan Wiesner: BWiesner@Sooeveningnews.com

This article originally appeared on The Sault News: Ontario curling club helps winter sport cross the Sault border