
“This may seem like a simple task but trust me, it is not…”
As I sit here in the InterPipeline Arena this cold and frosty Sunday morning, I am simply
amazed at the transformation from hockey rink to a major league curling event. The crew and
volunteers have stepped up their game to the highest degree. As coordinator, Lexie Adamson
has spent countless hours here and for all intents and purposes, been living at the WCEC this
week! And she also lost her voice for a short time.
I have been fortunate to take some pictures every day of the progress of how this happens.
First up was rolling up the netting on the south end of the rink. This will give the fans at the
end a clearer look at the players and the game action. The plexiglass-glass will be staying up
as it helps to keep the cold in and the ice at a constant temperature. Next comes the rigging
and hardware that holds the tv cameras and there are 4 cameras, one over each house. Once
that is complete, then the task of shaving and evening the ice surface takes place. The ice
must be level for the next step, which is scribing the house circles, hog lines, centre lines and
advertising sponsors etc.
Painting the houses and then a constant stream of ooding to get it to where it needs to be.
Installing the hacks (the foot plate the players use to start to throw the rocks), and LOTS of
other jobs to be done. Laying down carpeting at the ends of each end of the ice and between
the rinks, plus putting up curtains over the boards and the north end of the rink (looks better for
tv)! The nal touches of having score boards at the end of each rink and cleaning the
plexiglass-glass so anyone sitting close to the action can see it unobstructed.
This may seem like a simple task but trust me, it is not. A specialized crew is here to ensure all
procedures are done to the proper standards and in the correct order. Even the rocks a
weighed and matched and at approx. $600.00 per rock, everything must be right!
So, starting on January 21st (Tuesday) at 8:00 am the rst games commence. Draws at 12
noon, 4 pm and 8 pm daily should put even the most die hard fan in curling heaven. 9 men’s
and 9 women’s teams competing for the Provincial Curling title. If you like curling at a high
level, then this IS the place to be.




