New rule allows Ontario residents to curl for P.E.I. at Brier

Three of the four curlers representing P.E.I. at Canada's national men's curling championship now underway in Kingston, Ont.,, the 2020 Tim Hortons Brier, don't actually live on the Island.

Residency rule changes by Curling Canada this season now allow curlers to compete for teams from either the province in which they live or the one in which they were born. In addition, because of the free agency rule, rinks are also permitted to have one member who meets neither requirement.

Just one member of the P.E.I. rink currently lives on the Island — Mark O'Rourke's home club is the Cornwall Curling Club.

The other three members live in Ontario. They were part of the team that won the World Senior Curling Championships in Norway in April 2019.

Skip Bryan Cochrane, 62, has no connection to P.E.I.

Ian MacAulay and Morgan Currie both were born on the Island, but haven't lived, worked, and curled here since the 1980s.

'I think it is a positive thing'

Before the rule change, MacAulay and Currie thought representing P.E.I. at the Brier was impossible.

"When I left, I thought I was leaving that dream behind," said Currie. "This is a great honour to be here representing P.E.I., I have to say."

The three Ontario-based curlers flew to the Island to team up with O'Rourke and won the provincial qualifiers — allowing them to represent the Island at the Brier.

I think it's hard to cheer for a team that there's only one Islander as far as I'm concerned that's really on the team.— Cathy Dillon

MacAulay was born and raised in Souris, P.E.I., and returns every summer for a few months.

"I work as an ice maker. I work very hard for eight months of the year, and return home to the Island," MacAulay said. 

Currie said the rule change increases the level of competition in any province.

"It increases the number of people playing down in the province, or representing the province — whether it be the Brier or the Scotties," Currie said. "I think it is a positive thing."

Changes not sitting well for some

Some local curlers at the Charlottetown Curling Club on Tuesday were not as happy with the rule change.

"I think it's very unfair for our curlers on the Island," said Cathy Dillon. "They curl, live and work here. They try to compete and represent the Island, yet have somebody that hasn't lived here for 30 or 40 years and they form a team and come in."

Dillon was a P.E.I. champion herself, representing the Island on six P.E.I. women's championship teams and four mixed teams. She was inducted into the Curling Canada hall of fame in 1995.

"I think it's hard to cheer for a team that there's only one Islander as far as I'm concerned, that's really on the team," Dillon said.

New rules aim to attract more teams

The rule change was made at the national level with Curling Canada and provincial organizations had no choice but to follow, said Curl P.E.I. president Sandy Matheson.

She said it will hopefully attract more teams to the Island and raise the level of competition. 

"We had a stronger field this year than we've had in the past," Matheson said.

"If this serves as motivation to help our teams that are local to prepare and compete, then I think that's a good thing."

Matheson said she hasn't received any formal complaints about the new rules but any feedback she gets will be sent onto Curling Canada. 

The Brier competition wraps up on Sunday. According to Curling Canada's website, Team P.E.I. so far has had two wins and three losses. 

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