Sixteen curling teams from around the province will sweep into Grand Forks this week to compete for the BC Women’s and Men’s Masters Championship. The event begins tomorrow, March 4, at the Grand Forks Curling Centre with the Opening Ceremonies at 6:30 p.m. followed by the first draw at 7 p.m. The round robin portion of the competition winds up Saturday morning with the semi-finals and finals played on Sunday. The winners will be off to the Canadian Championships in Saint John, N.B. in late March.

The Masters category in curling involves those who are 60 and over. Some of the curlers who have qualified for the 2010 provincial playdowns have outstanding resumés in the sport. Heading the list is Bernie Sparkes, who has curled in the Brier (Canadian Men’s Championship) 12 times, more than any other curler in Canadian history. In four of those appearances Bernie curled with Ron Northcott out of Alberta, and three of those years, after winning the Brier, went on to capture the World Championship.

Curling with Sparkes in Grand Forks will be Ron Anton, who won the Brier twice, curling third for the legendary Hec Gervais. Another experienced curler, Roy Giles, will be part of the Garry Gelowitz team from Kelowna. Giles has curled in 11 Canadian Championships, which includes five briers and three mixed championships. He has also participated in the national senior and masters events.

On the women’s side Heather Kerr will be here from Richmond. She has skipped B.C. teams in four Scotties (Canadian Women’s Championship), and has also represented this province in a national mixed event. Curling third on the Sharron Manick team from Victoria is Judy Johnston. She curled for the American team in the 1991 World Championships. It is interesting to note that one of the teams in that event was Anette Norberg of Sweden, who last week won the gold medal at the Olympics in Vancouver.

The public is most welcome to come by the rink to watch these curlers in action. Admission is by donation. Programs are available when you arrive which will help you get to know the teams and the schedule of when they curl. The concession and lounge area will be open and you will find the facilities and atmosphere quite relaxing. But most of all you will have a golden opportunity to see many fine curlers from around our province.