During the past four days, the Trail Curling Club played host to the 2022 BC Club Championships, Presented by Original 16, and the Kootenays were treated to some exceptional skill, daring strategy, and all-around great curling.

The event saw five women’s teams and nine men’s teams compete for their respective championships over the course of ten draws, with a trip to November’s 2022 Everest Canadian Curling Club Championships on the line.

Women’s Bronze medaistl – Team Erdos (Skip – Debbie Erdos; Third – Linda Torgerson; Second – Kilby Howat; Lead – Mary Ellen Konyer; Alternate – Teri Palynchuk

Women’s Silver Medalists – Team Hicks (Skip – Susan Hicks; Third – Randi Ludwar; Second – Michelle Kooznetsoff; Lead – Shelly van Yzerloo; Alternate – Shawn Bates

After three days of intense play and good camaradarie, the final three teams met on the ice on Sunday with a semi-final followed by final game. In the women’s final, it was the undefeated Team Dennis (Skip: Kim Dennis; Third: Heather Beatty; Second: Allison Dentoom; Lead: Jennifer Gauthier) representing the Delta Thistle Curling Club Vs. Castlegar’s Team Hicks (Skip: Susan Hicks; Third: Randi Ludwar; Second: Michelle Kooznetsoff; Lead: Shelly Van Yzerloo) who went 3-1 in the preliminary round. Team Dennis dominated the final game from the get-go, racking up five points in the first two ends. While Hicks countered in the third by putting one up on the board, it was too little, too late. Dennis kept the pressure on, ran up their score even more, and ended the game 8-1, with handshakes at the end of the sixth end. Members of Team Dennis were part of the 2017 Travelers Curling Club Championship Gold Medal teams when they represented Richmond Curling Centre as Team BC at the Nationals.

Men’s Bronze Medalists – Team Forrest (Skip – Andrew Forrest; Third – Andrew Gray; Second – Dave Marchant; Lead – Kris Davis)

Men’s Silver Medalists – Team Gomes (Skip – Chris Gomes; Third – Patrick Prade; Second – Martin Perry; Lead – Brian Cole)

The men’s final, which pit Team Schmidt (Skip: Ron Schmidt; Third: Norm Cote; Second: Randy Baert; Lead: Mike Meeres) and Team Gomes (Skip: Chris Gomes; Third: Patrick Prade; Second: Brian Cole; Lead: Martin Perry) against each other, saw a similar strong start for one team, with Schmidt scoring four points in the first two ends. Gomes owned the next two ends with one point apiece, but then it was a Schmidt 3-ender in the fifth that put them in the driver seat. Not ready to go down, Gomes clawed back with a deuce in the sixth, but Schmidt was able to close the book with three more points in the seventh. It was handshakes after that, with a final score of 10-4 for Team Schmidt representing the Comox Valley Curling Club. Comox Valley last won this BC Championship in 2016 when it was known as the Travelers Curling Club Championships.

Chief Umpire Jeannie Longhurst and Chief Ice Technician Mike Williams, who is retiring at the end of the month and went formal for his final championship.

Full results of the event’s four days are as follows:

Women’s Games

Draw 1 – Thursday, Mar 24 at 1:30PM

Team Hicks over Team Erdos, 8-2

Team Dennis over Team Dreher, 9-4

Draw 2 – Thursday, Mar 24 at 6:30PM

Team Dennis over Team Erdos, 6-4

Team Meger over Team Dreher, 6-4

(no draw 3)

Draw 4 – Friday, Mar 25 at 1:30PM

Team Erdos over Team Meger, 3-6

Team Dennis over Team Hicks, 8-0

Draw 5 – Friday, Mar 25 at 6:30PM

Team Hicks over Team Meger, 9-4

Team Dreher over Team Erdos, 8-7

Draw 6 – Saturday, Mar 26 at 9:00AM

Team Hicks over Team Dreher, 10-5

Team Dennis over Team Meger, 11-2

(no Draw 7)

Draw 8 – Saturday, Mar 26 at 6:30PM

Team Erdos over Team Meger, 8-5

Draw 9 – Sunday, Mar 27 at 9:00AM

Team Hicks over Team Erdos, 9-5

Draw 10 – Sunday, Mar 27 at 1:30PM

Team Dennis over Team Hicks, 8-1

Men’s Games

Draw 1 – Thursday, Mar 24 at 1:30PM

Team Schmidt over Team McKenzie, 7-3

Team Forrest over Team Harris, 9-2

Team Gomes over Team Devine, 9-1

Team Neff over Team Lepine, 7-3

Draw 2 – Thursday, Mar 24 at 6:30PM

Team Devine over Team Neff, 9-4

Team Nichol over Team Lepine, 10-5

Team Harris over Team Schmidt, 4-2

Team McKenzie over Team Gomes, 8-3

Draw 3 – Friday, Mar 25 at 9:00AM

Team McKenzie over Team Forrest, 6-4

Team Harris over Team Nichol, 5-4

Draw 4 – Friday, Mar 25 at 1:30PM

Team Forrest over Team Lepine, 7-2

Team Gomes over Team Schmidt, 7-2

Team Neff over Team Nichol, 7-6

Team McKenzie over Team Devine, 7-2

Draw 5 – Friday, Mar 25 at 6:30PM

Team Schmidt over Team Devine, 7-6

Team Nichol over Team Forrest, 8-6

Team Lepine over Team Harris, 6-4

Team Gomes over Team Neff, 8-2

(no Draw 6)

Draw 7 – Saturday, Mar 26 at 1:30PM

Team Neff over Team Nichol, 7-5

Team Schmidt over Team Harris, 6-5

Draw 8 – Saturday, Mar 26 at 6:30PM

Team Gomes over Team Forrest, 8-1

Team Schmidt over Team Neff, 7-3

Draw 9 – Sunday, Mar 27 at 9:00AM

Team Schmidt over Team Forrest, 8-3

Draw 10 – Sunday, Mar 27 at 1:30PM

Team Schmidt over Team Gomes, 10-4