Nova Scotia ready to take on Canada's best

Mike Fitzgerald (skip), Laughie Rutt (third), Trendal Hubley-Bolivar (second)
Nicole Durand (lead) Coach William Fletcher

Team Nova Scotia is set for the 2009 TSX Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championship to be held in Lower Sackville starting on March 23rd, 2009. It's an experienced team, all players having had played in last year’s Championship held in Winnipeg.

“We are better this year but so is the rest of the field,” said Mike Fitzgerald, Nova Scotia skip. “A number of teams will have the same lineups from past years and Chris Daw, the gold medal skip of the Torino Paralympics, is back with a Newfoundland and Labrador team.”

Last year the all rookie Nova Scotia team had a respectable fifth place finish. Fitzgerald is joined by Laughie Rutt at 3rd, Nicole Durand at lead and Trendal Hubley-Bolivar who is playing second after skipping Team Atlantic in last year’s competition.

“We certainly have the skill to go further this year,” Fitzgerald stated. “We now have a minor advantage that we are playing on home ice.”

This is the first time the Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championships have been held in Nova Scotia and is the first time that Lakeshore Curling Club in Lower Sackville has ever hosted a national championship event. Lakeshore Curling Club is the hub of wheelchair curling in the province.

Wheelchair curling in Nova Scotia was founded by Canadian Paraplegic Association (Nova Scotia) and is still supported by the Association, Lakeshore Curling Club and the Metro United Way.

For information on this release, please contact Laughie Rutt 864-2737 or email ljrutt@eastlink.ca