Provincial senior curling championships are coming to Langley Curling Centre

Langley Curling Centre (LCC) will host the 2023 Connect Hearing BC Senior Curling Championships.

In making the announcement on June 23, Curl B.C. Competitions Manager Will Sutton referred to the Langley club’s history of successfully managing major events such as the 2020 New Holland Canadian Junior Curling Championships, “thanks to the tremendous volunteers, staff and community partners that the club has developed at a strategic level.”

LCC manager Robyn Parkes the LCC will be looking for volunteers for the B.C. championships, making a call-out to curling clubs in the Lower Mainland.

Parks anticipates about 125 participants, including teams from the Kootenays, Okanagan, Cariboo, Vancouver Island, and Lower Mainland will attend the six-day event, running from March 21 — 26, along with families, officials, and volunteers from outside Langley

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Among them is likely to be Langley’s Team Andrews (Leanne Andrews, Jenn Routliffe, Tract Strecker and Cathy Chapman) who won the senior championships women’s title this year.

“We hope they will be back to defend their reign at their home club,” Parkes remarked.

Another Langley Curling Centre player, Donna Mychaluk, was on the silver team.

There will be matches all six days, with opening and closing ceremonies on the first and last day.

“For Langley, the benefit is exposure,” Parkes explained.

“Because we are in a multi-purpose facility owned by the TOL (Townshio of Langley), the event tickets will cover our ice rental costs. Attendance and 50/50 sales is the only income the club will net, which will go towards improvement and enhancement of our junior, high school and learn to curl programs.”

As well, TOL offers the opportunity to apply for an event grant.

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Parkes explained the event was a good fit with the club schedule.

“When we look at the events for the upcoming season, all clubs have to look at their own calendar of events to see what fits best. This one was the best for us as we finish our leagues and playoffs by March 18 and have nothing else during the Langley spring break until our Truly Novice Bonspiel April 1 — 2.”

In 2023, the women’s and men’s events will begin with a triple knockout preliminary round, leading to a playoff format based upon the number of entries as of the registration deadline of January 21.

Winners of the BC Senior Curling Championships will represent the province at the 2023 Everest Canadian Senior Curling Championships Nov. 27 — Dec. 3.