City of London outfits rink for crokicurl, Tim Horton’s Brier kicks-off at Budweiser Gardens

The City of London has transformed the Rotary Rink Covent Garden Market into a crokicurl rink to celebrate the Tim Hortons Brier.

The game is a hybrid of curling and crokinole. The rink will be open for free crokicurl daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. until Sunday, Mar. 12, weather permitting.

The Tim Hortons Brier kicked off in London Friday night at Budweiser Gardens. The event has been 18 months in the making.

The 10-day event will bring some of the country’s top curlers to the city, along with more than 100,000 people, according to organizers.

Curling has been a part of the London community for a very long time, with the London Curling Club celebrating its 175th anniversary this year.

Curling became an official Olympic sport in 1998 since then there’s been a lot of interest.

Ann Stubbins, board of directors member with the Highland Community Curling Club who’s been curling for 43 years herself, says the sport has seen great growth.

Adding that London Curling Club and Highland Community Curling Club have partnered to promote the sport in the city and introduce it to a new and diverse group of people.

Curl London is hoping to facilitate inter-club leagues, programs and championships, and promote opportunities for group ice rental and special events.

Stubbins says curling is a very adaptive sport.

“We have people of all ages and abilities, people who have arthritis or mobility problems, are still able to play the game with a delivery stick,” she explained. “As our low vision curler, and the wheelchair team also plays with delivery sticks, so everyone can play — we have equipment that gets everyone able to throw a rock and enjoy the sport.”

The games continue Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., throughout the brier, teams will play eight games in their pools with the top three teams in each pool advancing to the playoffs.  

-- With files from CTV London’s Julie Atchison