Delayed teammate does not slow down Team Power at 2024 Everest Canadian Curling Club Championships

The 2024 Everest Canadian Curling Club Championships kicked off last Monday, but something – or rather someone – was missing.

Prince Edward Island’s Team Amanda Power started the competition playing with just three players, as its lead, Janique LeBlanc, was nowhere to be found. Though, this wasn’t entirely unusual.

LeBlanc didn’t miss her alarm or get stuck in traffic on her way to the Barrie Curling Club in Ontario. LeBlanc is a registered nurse with Indigenous Services Canada, where she addresses public health issues such as disease outbreaks and supports vital health programs in remote communities across the country. Her job takes her to Ontario, Manitoba, Nunavut, and the Northwest Territories for two- to three-week rotations.

This time, LeBlanc had been finishing up a stint in northern Manitoba and planned to fly out last Friday to begin preparations for the championship. However, Mother Nature had other plans, as low clouds and fog prevented the plane from landing. With flights leaving the remote community only every two days, LeBlanc had to wait until Sunday—the same day teams arrived in Barrie.

And then, déjà vu struck.

“We brought all of our stuff to the airport, we checked in, they started to load the bags on the cart and everything, and then the plane couldn’t land. They couldn’t even stop in the community and just flew right over us; it was a bit of a tease,” LeBlanc joked.

LeBlanc missed Prince Edward Island’s first game on Monday, but by Tuesday, she had made it to Barrie and was back in her usual position at lead.

This scenario is nothing new for skip Amanda Power, vice-skip Sara Spafford, and second Emily Best of the Cornwall Curling Club. LeBlanc’s job has left the team playing without her during the season, including part of the provincial championship, where her team earned the right to compete this week. But her teammates are quick to put things into perspective.

“She’s doing such important work that it’s absolutely worth it,” Power said.

Despite her hectic schedule, LeBlanc does her best to balance her work commitments with supporting her teammates. Her presence on the ice is especially appreciated with two team members, Power and Best, currently pregnant.

“I think that’s also the beautiful part about the Club Championships compared to other events,” Power said. “Most people here work full time, so everyone’s kind of in the same scenario—balancing curling competitively with working full time and managing your family and life outside of curling. So it was the perfect event for Janique to come to because everyone understands, and she got quite the applause when she arrived here.”

LeBlanc called it a warm welcome to Barrie. Having competed with Mary Fay during her junior years, when they won a national U-20 title and a world junior championship in 2016, LeBlanc has seen her fair share of events. She doesn’t hesitate to call this host committee in Barrie the best she’s ever experienced.

Now, they can focus on the week ahead and appreciate how this week has come full circle for LeBlanc and Power, who started curling as youth together at the Dartmouth Curling Club in Nova Scotia, where they grew up and would eventually compete against each other.

Spafford also grew up in Nova Scotia, with Best being the only one from P.E.I. Now as young adults, their lives have taken them to the Island and a new opportunity to curl with each other.

So far, so good. After three games played as of Wednesday night, Team Power is 3-0 in Pool B. Two other teams have 3-1 records: Manitoba’s Deb McCreanor (La Salle Curling Club) and Nova Scotia’s Team Michelle Armstrong (Lakeshore Curling Club, Lower Sackville).

In Pool A, Quebec’s Team Gabrielle Lavoie (Victoria Curling Club, Quebec City) leads the pack with a 4-1 record.

In men’s action, Ontario’s Team Jordan Keon (Richmond Hill Curling Club) remains undefeated with a 4-0 record in Pool A. Nova Scotia’s Team Travis Stone (Sydney Curling Club) is atop Pool B with a 4-1 record.

Action resumes at the 2024 Everest Canadian Curling Club Championships on Thursday with draws at 10 a.m., 2:30 p.m., 7 p.m. (All times ET).

Fourteen men’s teams and 14 women’s teams are competing this week. The fields are divided into two pools of seven teams. After the round robin, the top four teams in each pool will qualify for double-knockout playoffs, beginning Friday, Nov. 22, and concluding with the gold- and bronze-medal games on Sunday, Nov. 24.

Fans can follow the action live with selected games available on Curling Canada’s YouTube channel and TSN+. 

For live scores and standings, visit the scoreboard page.

For team lineups, draw times, and other event details, visit the event website.

This story will be available in French as soon as possible at: https://www.curling.ca/?lang=fr