Nova Scotia playdown winner gets the girl

Michael Fitzgerald, Laughie Rutt and Debbie Earle
photo Ian Readey

Terry-Cousineuau
photo Ian Readey

Making wheelchair curling a mixed gender sport was, according to WCF VP Kate Caithness, a key selling point in the campaign to join Paralympic Games. Recruiting female curlers, however, has been a struggle in Canada.

Nova Scotia came up with a creative solution by having a two team 3 on 3 playdown with the winner claiming Debbie Earle, the lone female, as their fourth member.

The playdown will be best of five games played January 16 and 17, and 22 if necessary at the Lakeshore CC in Lower Sackville, site of the 2009 Nationals.

Team (Richard) Brown has Terry Cousineuau and Keith Williams and Team (Michael) Fitzgerald has Laughie Rutt and Trendal Hubley-Bolivar.

The Lakeshore CC program has been going a few years now and has an active core of players who participate in regular league play and also the stick curling league. A new group is getting started at the Halifax CC, meeting on Sunday afternoons at 3.30 and supported by the  Canadian Paraplegic Association. For more information contact Darrell Robar.