KANGIQLINIQ/RANKIN INLET
Clan Sim took top spot and the $1,000 prize at the Champion of Hearts curling bonspiel in Rankin Inlet this past month.
Clan Sim members Simeoni Tatty, left, Jim Nuviya, Minnie Tatty and Karen McLarty took top spot at the Champion of Hearts curling bonspiel in Rankin Inlet this past month. - photo courtesy of Sarah Arnold
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The winning team consisted of skip Simeoni Tatty Minnie Tatty, Karen McLarty and Jim Nuviya.
Clan Campbell, which includes Steven Campbell, Karen Versluys, Karen Archer and Darren Kools, took second spot ($500), while Clan Team Nunavut, which includes Jamie Airut, Kane Komaksiutiksak, David Kakuktinniq, and Arthur Siksik, took third ($250).
Qavik Curling Club president Angela Dale said the event brought community and club members together for a great weekend of curling.
She said the 10-team bonspiel featured a distinctively Scottish flavour, with a number of the curlers dressed in tartan for the event.
"We had some curlers sing a song, while others brought their bagpipes along," said Dale.
"The bonspiel was a good mix of fun and competition.
"Everyone said they had a great time and can't wait for us to host the next one."
It's a busy time for curling in Nunavut, with Iqaluit hosting the Territorial Mixed Championship this past weekend, and the winner going on to represent Nunavut at the Canadian Mixed Curling Championship in Ottawa this coming November.
March 8 to 10 will see the junior women and men curlers from Nunavut's three clubs in Rankin, Cambridge Bay and Iqaluit meet at the Qavik Curling Club in Rankin for a Junior Territorial Bonspiel.
And the following week of March 15 to 17 is the Territorial Dominion Men's and Ladies' Championships.
The Qavik Curling Club will be represented at that event by skip Bev Ford along with Lucy Makkigak, Minnie Tatty and Mary Anawak.
The territorial champions will then advance to the Dominion Curling Club Championships in Thunder Bay, Ont., also this coming November.
Dale said she hopes some of the non-members who enjoyed the Champion of Hearts bonspiel catch the curling bug.
She said there's a solid history of curling in Rankin, and the club would like to see some of its past members rejoin.
"We'd like to get those past members out who, maybe, can't make the weekly commitment, or those who may be getting a little older and don't want to curl every single week, but would still like to come back to the game.
"We were really pleased with how the whole weekend went and, hopefully, some of the past members had enough fun that they'll want to get involved again next year.
"We expect to finish a few make-up games and then move from a round-robin into our club play downs this coming week, making it the first year we've ever used that format.
"We had eight club teams this year, and we allow the teams to have as many players as they want on their roster because a lot of people travel for work or simply can't commit to play every week."
