On Monday, January 13, Prince Edward Island will play host to twenty-eight Scottish Curlers who are in Canada to compete for the Strathcona Cup. This is the first time that the Canadian tour for the Strathcona Cup will include a visit to Prince Edward Island. The Island tour will include competitions in the Summerside, Charlottetown, and Cornwall Curling Clubs.
"It is my pleasure to welcome Scottish curlers to Prince Edward Island. We are pleased to participate in the Strathcona Cup for the first year, and we hope to participate for many years to come," says the Honourable Elmer MacFadyen, Minister of Community and Cultural Affairs. "As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Scottish curlers visiting North America, I want to congratulate organizers and participants for carrying on this wonderful tradition and wish all curlers the best of luck in their competitions."
The Strathcona Cup takes place every five years alternately in Canada and Scotland. The Canadian visit includes Scottish groups, one starting in western Canada and one starting in eastern Canada. At the end of January, the two groups will meet in Toronto for final competitions and to tabulate scores. The winner of the Strathcona Cup is determined by totaling the points for all games played throughout the month-long tour.
Gordie and Shirley Lank are co-ordinating the Prince Edward Island leg of the tour. "We are delighted to have these curlers in our province to compete against our curlers in a friendly competition. Anyone who is involved in curling knows how big this sport is in Scotland," says Gordon Lank.
The curlers compete on January 13 in Summerside at 10 a.m., in Cornwall at 3 p.m. and another group in Charlottetown at 3:15 p.m.