News from Quebec - Nouvelles du Québec

Benoit Lessard skip, Carl Marquis 3rd, Sébastien Boisvert 2nd, Johanne Daly lead
Germain Tremblay coach

A very experienced wheelchair curling coach suggested to me recently that the up-and-coming team in Canada was Team Lessard from Quebec. They're young, proven athletes in other disciplines, who with coaching will be the team to beat in the years to come. They also won the Cathy Kerr Spiel last November.

They were among the ten Quebec wheelchair users attending the CCA's Talent Identification and Development Camp last weekend at the Boucherville Curling Club, receiving guidance from national team coach Wendy Morgan and Team Canada 2nd, Ina Forrest.

One of 143 photos from camp fauteuil roulant on the Quebec Curling Facebook page 

Quebec's Provincial Championship is scheduled for February 25-27 at the Victoria CC in Quebec City.

Un entraîneur très expérimenté de curling en fauteuil roulant m’a commenté récemment à l’effet que l’Équipe Lessard du Québec, est sans doute la plus prometteuse sur le circuit canadien.     Il s’agit d’une formation jeune,  mais en plus, tous les joueurs pratiquent une autre discipline sportive qui fait d’eux des athlètes accomplis à tous les niveaux.   Avec un bon entraînement, il est à prévoir que l’Équipe Lessard sera la formation à vaincre dans les années à venir.   Cette formation a d’ailleurs remporté le Cathy Kerr’s Bonspiel en november dernier. 

C’est par l’entremise de Curling Canada, qu’une dizaine de joueurs en fauteuil roulant du Québec ont participé pour la première fois, à un camp de développement et d’identification de joueurs potentiels cette fin de semaine au Club de Curling de Boucherville.   Tous ont pu profiter des judicieux conseils de l’entraîneuse nationale Wendy Morgan et de la seconde joueuse d’Équipe Canada Ina Forrest. 

Le championnat provincial du Québec est prévu pour les 25 au 27 février prochain au Club de Curling Victoria, Ville de Québec.

Quebec takes Cathy Kerr final after extra end

Quebec stole a point from USA1 in an extra end of the final to win the 6th Annual Cathy Kerr Memorial in Ottawa.

Quebec were down by 3 in the eighth but sitting 3 when skip Ben Lessard drew for the win with his last stone. The rock went through the house, forcing an extra end.

In the 9th USA1 had their own chance to win with their last rock. Quebec had a biter counting shot stone back 12, and USA skip Goose Perez had only to reach the rings for the victory, but his draw came up short. Goose's team lost their lead, Tammy Delano, after the first match. She had a nasty fall when her chair tipped over backwards. Sue, a an inexperienced but very game substitute, joined Jimmy Joseph and Bob Prenoveau to finish out the tournament.

Earlier USA1 had extended their unbeaten record with a semi-final win over Bruce Cameron's home-ice squad, while Quebec extended their perfect record with a win over Ken Gregory's Bradford rink.

Bradford later beat Cameron to take 3rd spot.

In the recreational division, Team Michel finished 1st, over Beaudin, then Quebec and Wong-Sing.

More details if and when available.

Team Quebec players and their coach part ways

The members of Team Quebec and the coaches who have been instrumental in establishing wheelchair curling in their province, have parted ways.

The team has been centred at the Lennoxville CC under the guidance of Quebec's Club Coach of the Year Al Whittier and Dan Janidlo. Tension arose when skip Ben Lessard, 3rd Carl Marquis and 2nd Denis Grenier chose to leave the 2010 Nationals in Kelowna before the banquet, without prior discussion of their decision with their coaches. Although this breach of protocol fractured the coaching relationship, it did not result in CCA imposed sanctions, though rules for 2011 are likely to make banquet attendance mandatory.

Magog CC coach Germain Tremblay has agreed to work with the team on a part-time basis whenever his schedule permits.

Carl will practice at the Magog Club which is closer to his home, while Ben will continue to play at Lennoxville. They are likely to be joined by newcomer Sebastien Boisvert, described as a "natural" by a coach who saw him play at the Cape Cod Summerspiel. Lead Johanne Daly lives some distance away in Montreal.

The team plans to compete at the Cathy Kerr in Ottawa and the US Open in Utica NY, and are hoping that funds can be found for travel to the Richmond BC International in December.

Al Whittier will continue to promote recreational wheelchair curling at Lennoxville. Dan Janidlo will maintain his Lennoxville connections, but will also be checking for wheelchair access at clubs closer to his new home in Montreal