Murray Wood: Who's hot... and who's not
Every Friday, Murray Wood takes a look back at the week's news and decides who's hot... and who's not. This week's list ...
By the time the first rock slid down the ice in Melville on Jan. 5, most of the work was already done.
The Saskatchewan men’s and women’s curling provincials looked effortless on the surface, with clean ice, packed draws and elite shot-making. Behind the scenes, the week was the product of more than a year of planning, hundreds of volunteer hours and a small community operating at full capacity.
Read more:
- ‘Never dreamed I’d be getting there’: Sask. curler heading to Yukon in effort to qualify for Brier
- Saskatoon to host 2027 Brier as event celebrates 100th anniversary
“It’s something we work on for well over a year,” said Steve Turner, executive director of Curling Saskatchewan.
“There are a lot of moving parts — logistics, volunteers, timing — but when it all comes together, it’s special.”
Nine men’s teams and nine women’s teams competed in full round-robin schedules, with the top four advancing to the playoffs. The champions win the coveted green jacket, earning the right to represent Saskatchewan at the Brier and the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, raising the stakes on every draw.
Women’s Final
In the Bunge Prairie Pinnacle women’s provincial championship final on Sunday, Regina’s Jolene Campbell took on Jana Tisdale in a Queen City match-up.
Campbell’s rink comprised third Robyn Silvernagle, second Rachel Big Eagle, and lead Dayna Demmans, while Tisdale’s rink featured third Stephanie Bukurak, second Chantel Martin, and lead Carla Anaka.
Campbell took a 1-0 lead in the second end, until Tisdale took the lead 2-1 after four. A strong fifth end for Campbell made it 3-2, and she held that lead until the ninth when Tisdale made one for a 3-3 tie heading into the 10th end, where Campbell scored to delivery a 4-3 championship victory.
CurlSask staff pose with the provincial championship trophies. From left: Michael Leier, Savanna Taylor, Kelcee Kennedy, Steve Turner, Darcey Huyghebaert and Jamie Regier. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
A year of planning for one week
For Melville, the work began the moment the hosting announcement was made.
Larry Peterson, chair of the host committee and president of the Melville Curling Club, said preparations started nearly a year in advance. Sponsorships had to be secured. Hotels coordinated. Schedules built. Volunteers recruited.
By opening draw, 128 volunteers had signed up.
“That was it, we didn’t need any more,” Peterson said. “That shows you the level of community support.”
Those volunteers filled dozens of roles, as ticket takers, bartenders, security, timekeepers and ice crews, with many working long hours outside the public eye.
“There’s a lot of unseen work,” Peterson said. “People don’t always realize how many hours go into making something like this run smoothly.”
Ice preparation alone required a rotating crew of roughly 20 people working throughout the day and night to maintain championship-level conditions.
Members of the kitchen crew with DLB Catering pose during the Saskatchewan curling provincials. Back row: Deanna Bobier (left), Dream Shaler (right). Front row: Carol Mathies (left), Laura Blondeau (right). (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
Feeding players, fans and volunteers
Away from the ice, another operation ran nearly non-stop.
Food service for the week was handled by DLB Catering, led on-site by sous chef Laura Blondeau alongside head chef Deanna Bobier. The kitchen quickly became one of the most talked-about parts of the tournament.
Every morning started with soup and sandwiches. Evenings meant full buffets of pasta, tacos, barbecue chicken and ribs, fish and chips and roast beef for players, volunteers and fans alike.
Curlers and spectators line up for food during a busy evening at the Saskatchewan curling provincials in Melville. (Laura Blondeau/Submitted)
“It doesn’t get done by one person,” Blondeau said. “We’ve got a big team. Grocery shopping, prep, serving everyone pitches in.”
The kitchen became a gathering place during long days at the rink, fuelled by teamwork and community pride.
Betty Kotzer stands in front of a curling-themed quilt on display during the Saskatchewan curling provincials in Melville (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
A quilt stitched with community pride
Not all the preparation happened inside the arena.
The Melville and District Quilters Guild donated a curling-themed quilt to be raffled off during the week, a project that took more than 100 hours to complete.
Betty Kotzer said six women designed, cut, sewed and hand-stitched the quilt. A local quilting business donated time on an automated long-arm machine, while the final binding was stitched by hand.
“We never sell quilts,” Kotzer said. “We donate them. That’s what we do.”
The quilt was designed to be both functional and display-ready, complete with a hanging rod and space for autographs from the men’s and women’s champions.
Games run simultaneously across multiple sheets during the Saskatchewan curling provincials in Melville. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
Pressure on the ice
For players, provincials carry a different kind of weight.
Veteran skip Steve Laycock called it the biggest event Saskatchewan curlers compete in outside the national stage, pointing to the arena setting, crowds and television coverage.
“It definitely gets your juices flowing more than regular club games,” Laycock said.
Originally from the Yorkton–Saltcoats area, Laycock said returning to Melville brought back memories. He had previously won a provincial title in the building and advanced to the Brier from the same ice.
Youth curlers attend the Saskatchewan curling provincials in Melville. Ryka Padar stands in the middle of the middle row, with Bailey Simpson directly behind her. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
Past, present and future in the stands
In the crowd, the next generation watched closely.
Melville student curlers Bailey Simpson and Ryka Padar attended draws not just as fans, but as athletes still learning the game. Both said watching provincials in person helped them understand strategy, pressure and decision-making.
“As a skip, I like watching how they handle tough situations,” Padar said.
Simpson said curling’s appeal lies in its accessibility, especially for younger players.
“You just have to try it,” she said. “Older curlers really want to help you.”
Turner said that connection between generations is exactly what events like provincials are meant to foster.
“It’s the future of the sport,” he said. “You want kids to see it, feel it and fall in love with it.”
The CN Community Centre in Melville hosted the Saskatchewan men’s and women’s curling provincials (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
More than a tournament
For Curling Saskatchewan, the provincials were one stop in a packed season that included more than 40 events, compressed further by an Olympic year.
For Melville, it was proof of what a small town could pull off.
“It’s a win-win,” Peterson said. “You showcase your building, your volunteers, your town and you remind people what curling still means here.”
When the final green jackets are awarded, the spotlight moves on. But the work behind the scenes from ice crews and kitchens to quilting rooms and volunteer sign-up sheets did its job.
For one winter week, an entire community came together to make Saskatchewan curling look effortless.
— with files by CJME News
Read more:
- ‘Never dreamed I’d be getting there’: Sask. curler heading to Yukon in effort to qualify for Brier
- Saskatoon to host 2027 Brier as event celebrates 100th anniversary
Steve Laycock delivers a stone during men’s competition at the Saskatchewan curling provincials in Melville. (Curl Sask/Submitted)
